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Medals of Dishonor
The Washington Times ^ | July 21, 2010 | Editorial

Posted on 07/20/2010 6:13:38 PM PDT by Abakumov

Attention, phony war heroes: Dust off those surplus uniforms and shine up those medals awarded by eBay. U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn has ruled that the Stolen Valor Act is an unconstitutional abridgment of your free-speech rights to deceive the public and dishonor those who actually did the heroic acts that you can only dream of doing.

Judge Blackburn, in a case before the District of Colorado over faux Marine Rick Glen Strandlof, ruled that the government lacked a compelling interest in abridging speech rights when it came to warrior impersonators. This is no G.I. Joke.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: medalofhonor; stolenvalor
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1 posted on 07/20/2010 6:13:40 PM PDT by Abakumov
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To: Abakumov

2 posted on 07/20/2010 6:17:48 PM PDT by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis
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To: DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis

This ruling also applies to fake Nobel Prizes like the president got.


3 posted on 07/20/2010 6:19:32 PM PDT by Abakumov
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To: Abakumov

John Kerry is donning his fatigues right now, complete with all his medals.

He is going out to the bar tonight to celebrate this ruling and to amaze people with all of his ‘Special Forces Black Ops’ stories from when he was in Cambodia.

Don’t forget to wear the beret John. You know, the one you keep in your briefcase.


4 posted on 07/20/2010 6:19:32 PM PDT by 240B (he is doing everything he said he wouldn't and not doing what he said he would)
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To: DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis
The thought of someone pretending to be a war hero, or claiming service they did not provide to our Country, sickens me.

Still, this was an ill-conceived law. Not all moral or ethical wrongs must be righted by laws enacted by legislatures or proclaimed by the courts. To protect our liberties, including our Constitutional rights, restrictive laws like this must not be adopted.

5 posted on 07/20/2010 6:22:47 PM PDT by PackerBoy (Just my opinion ....)
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To: Abakumov

Well, then why don’t we take this one step further.....fraud on most types then can now be included as protected speech. The buyer should have been aware to the most ridiculous level.


6 posted on 07/20/2010 6:26:16 PM PDT by ScottinSacto (W.W.M.R.D.? - What Would Mitch Rapp Do?)
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To: Abakumov

Phony vets have to look at themselves in the mirror. At some point they always look a bit too close. I can’t believe that any of them don’t really know how badly they’ve disgraced themselves.


7 posted on 07/20/2010 6:34:37 PM PDT by VR-21
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To: Abakumov

In the almost 40 years since I served in the Navy, you couldn’t imagine the number of X Navy SEALs I have run across. I guess I am one of only 283 sailors that served during the VN war that was not a SEAL. I just ask them their team number, their dive partners name and SEAL class number, and suddenly they have to visit the little boys room ... never to be seen again. LOL! Love the adventure of debunking frauds.


8 posted on 07/20/2010 6:34:48 PM PDT by doc1019 (Martyrdom is a great thing, until it is your turn.)
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To: doc1019
Yep, the same with Iraq and Afgan.

Just ask them where they served, in what city, in what company, and who was their platoon Sergeant. Same reaction.

You can never fool a real vet.

9 posted on 07/20/2010 6:41:10 PM PDT by 240B (he is doing everything he said he wouldn't and not doing what he said he would)
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To: 240B

AMEN!


10 posted on 07/20/2010 6:43:19 PM PDT by doc1019 (Martyrdom is a great thing, until it is your turn.)
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To: doc1019
you couldn’t imagine the number of X Navy SEALs I have run across

Guy lived next to me for years claiming that. We lived on a six house cul d sac where five of us were vets (3 Army, 1 Navy, 1 Coast Guard) and while they guy was in the Navy, he was no SEAL. Took us a couple of years to catch on and blast him.He moved.

11 posted on 07/20/2010 6:46:53 PM PDT by HoustonCurmudgeon ("I'll try to be NICER, if you will try to be SMARTER!" ~ MNJohnnie, FReeper)
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To: 240B

I can tell by your name you have been to the suck. This is it for me, redeploy in a few months and retire after 24 years, and will be damn proud to look in the mirror.


12 posted on 07/20/2010 6:50:59 PM PDT by Arkansas Tider (Army EOD)
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To: HoustonCurmudgeon

Good! Probably still spreading his BS in his new neighborhood. There is a site on the Internet that specializes in debunking fake SEALs ... turn his name over to them and they will do all in their power to embarrass this Ahat. Don’t remember the site name, but Google will give it to you.

Turned a few in in my day.


13 posted on 07/20/2010 6:55:08 PM PDT by doc1019 (Martyrdom is a great thing, until it is your turn.)
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To: doc1019

I think that VeriSeal pretty well threw in the towel, under its original management, when they were getting a ratio of 200 fakes to 1 real SEAL. It was just too exhausting, expensive and annoying for volunteers with real lives to spend all their time policing up scoundrels.

Fortunately, a private security service has taken over, and is again pursuing the bad guys, especially those using their fake status to criminally defraud, or get access to prestigious organizations or employment.

What makes things all the more painful is that there are only 90 living Medal of Honor recipients left. One for each 3.4 million Americans, most of whom have never met a MoH recipient, never will, and would not even recognize a Medal of Honor if they saw it, much less knew what it represented.


14 posted on 07/20/2010 6:59:13 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

I once had the privilege to meet a recipient of the MOH. He is now deceased (WWII). I was so aah (?) struck that I was unable to speak. He said to me “it is only a medal” and allowed me to hold it. One of the greatest experiences of my life.


15 posted on 07/20/2010 7:13:55 PM PDT by doc1019 (Martyrdom is a great thing, until it is your turn.)
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To: Abakumov

I’m no First Amendment scholar. But this ruling seems nuts. Can I claim to be a doctor or a cop and then just claim free speech when exposed?


16 posted on 07/20/2010 7:20:34 PM PDT by Minn (Here is a realistic picture of the prophet: ----> ([: {()
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To: Abakumov

We are making a system that makes this country, “Not worth fighting for.”


17 posted on 07/20/2010 7:43:36 PM PDT by oyez (The difference in genius and stupidity is that genius has it limits.)
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To: oyez

Its right up there with burning Old Glory in my book. I say let the frauds, liars and Commie punks do their worst....but then, they must pay. A society with citizenry that would not be so outraged, and would not be so provoked by that sort of conduct, that they would not instinctively confront and smash that type of behavior, on the spot, has lost the survival instinct. No jury in a free society would convict a citizen so provoked who is provoked to act. So, say and do whatever you want, you frauds and flag-burners, but if when you provoke your own ass-kicking by doing so, then too bad for you. It is not “civilized” to tolerate frauds and flag burners, it is suicidal nonsense.


18 posted on 07/20/2010 10:14:40 PM PDT by dtrpscout (A bad dog is better than most good people.)
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To: dtrpscout
I had some experience with these birds wrecking the credibility volenteer service organizations. My disgust for them can't be expressed in a public forum.
19 posted on 07/20/2010 10:21:12 PM PDT by oyez (The difference in genius and stupidity is that genius has it limits.)
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To: 240B
Brilliant!!. You beat me to it.

I almost fell out of my chair this morning reading this!

20 posted on 07/21/2010 3:47:23 AM PDT by wmileo
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