Posted on 06/27/2011 12:59:06 PM PDT by Mind Freed
First, to wear an award, rank etc. and to hold one's self out as somebody who has earned that award or promotion is to (mis)represent the legitimate paper trail that would accompany that award or the holding of that rank. In other words, it's tantamount to falsifying government documents. There really is no difference between one sitting at home on their computer and generating a document indicating they've been awarded a DSC, and wearing the medal itself. As the courts came down, falsifying the medal order on paper is a crime, but wearing and verbally claiming to have won the award is not. It's like making it a crime to forge a certificate of title, but saying it's ok to simply drive off in the car.
My second caveat is that it's more akin to counterfeit than other forms of fraud. The mere existence of a fraudulent five dollar bill victimizes every person who legitimately holds a real five dollar bill by virtue of the fact that it lessens the value or 'prestige' of the five dollar bill. Similarly, the prestige of a Navy Cross, or a First Sergeant's rank insignia are lessened when you have 1 or 1,000 people out there running around claiming those honors when they're not rightfully entitled to them.
The only reason our currency has value is because our government says it does. Shooting down the SVA is essentially saying that the government has no right to place value (albeit other than a monetary one) on military awards, decorations, rank, etc. Keep in mind that our law already recognizes that there are things of value that can not be expressed in monetary terms.
Oh, you’re from Texas. So you must be well aware of Queen Sheila, Continental’s favorite customer!! =)
Be well.
Who are you calling old?
“Who are you calling old?”
_______________
Fewer and fewer people these days...but fortunately, most of the people who outrank me are still older than I am. When that changes, in go the papers.
Colonel, USAFR
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