http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/7661751/


Claiming to have a military background or awards to get a job, acquire money for a speaking engagement, etc.... is obviously fraud. This article just says it is a federal offense to claim or wear military decorations. So if I make a fake purple heart and show people or if I claim to have won the Congressional Medal of Honor, could I be arrested? Anyone know anything about this or why this would be a crime?

5/25/2010 9:07:56 PM

you have a problem with it being a crime?

5/25/2010 9:15:22 PM

don't really understand why it in itself is a crime. if they acquire something by deception that's fraud, so not sure why it would be a crime to just wear the medals

5/25/2010 9:18:47 PM

It's hard enough to get talented young men to die in shithole quagmires as it is without people making their little merit badges worthless too.

5/25/2010 9:19:51 PM

You mean, if it's just for show, and not for gain, then what's the problem?
How about dressing as a cop? Is that legal?

5/25/2010 9:19:59 PM

Only if your pants can be removed in one quick motion.

5/25/2010 9:21:05 PM

dressing as a cop is totally different

5/25/2010 9:21:55 PM

lol PFC to colonel in 8 years and 80 medals along the way. i hope they max him out

it's called stolen valor. it's kind of like impersonating a police officer. i'm 100% for throwing the book at these people. simple social shaming isn't enough punishment for some slime who decide they want to be an ex-navy seal with the medal of honor.

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 9:27 PM. Reason : .]

5/25/2010 9:27:01 PM

i'm definitely ok with this law. the act is a crime against society in that it devalues the military.

5/25/2010 9:33:02 PM

How is it any different than If I volunteer to go speak to a group of students about my life as a cardiothoracic surgeon and list all of these awards I won, etc....... (and it's all made up)
Is that stealing the valor of surgeons that have won awards? it doesn't seem like that would be a crime if I'm not paid for speaking or anything?

I don't have strong feelings about this either way. I'd just never heard of this law and wanted to see what TWW thought about it. I report, TWW decides

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 9:34 PM. Reason : `]

5/25/2010 9:33:59 PM

Quote :

"Is that stealing the valor of surgeons that have won awards?"

Yes. But surgeons aren't dying in shithole quagmires (as it was eloquently stated earlier). So let's give the military a pass on this one.

5/25/2010 9:38:04 PM

^pretty much. putting your life on the line for others deserves respect, I'm ok with our laws enforcing a very basic level of that respect.

5/25/2010 10:03:16 PM

message_topic.aspx?topic=581111&page=1#13439179

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 10:30 PM. Reason : found it]

5/25/2010 10:15:53 PM

can't wait for that shitbag tulip to make his way in here. i forgot how fucking retarded he was in the old thread

5/25/2010 11:41:03 PM

Quote :

"putting your life on the line for otherspolitical whims deserves respectpity"

5/25/2010 11:41:35 PM

you try too hard with your trolls. it should be more natural...stop forcing it and it will come to you

5/25/2010 11:50:28 PM

The truth is unnatural sometimes.

5/26/2010 12:19:52 AM

Let the free market decide.

5/26/2010 1:32:38 AM

5/26/2010 1:35:33 AM

Quote :

"nasty_b: don't really understand why it in itself is a crime. if they acquire something by deception that's fraud, so not sure why it would be a crime to just wear the medals"

Are they not acquiring something? Or do you think things like fraud only apply to the acquisition of tangible items?

---

Quote :

"nasty_b: How is it any different than If I volunteer to go speak to a group of students about my life as a cardiothoracic surgeon and list all of these awards I won, etc....... (and it's all made up)"

It's not -- impersonating a medical professional is a crime too. In NC it's a Class 1 misdemeanor if it was unintentional (1-45 days in jail), or a Class I felony if it was intentional (3-10 months in prison).

The military crime is federally-originated because the federal government regulates the military; the medical professional crime is state-originated because those folks are licensed by the state. That's the only difference between them. 

5/26/2010 1:41:03 AM

^ [/thread]

5/26/2010 2:42:39 AM

^Or not.

It is not a crime to say "I'm a brain surgeon" and wear a doctor's clothes.

It is only a crime in NC (and everywhere else) if someone else acts on your misrepresentation to their own harm, or if you get an advantage from it.

http://law.justia.com/northcarolina/codes/chapter_14/gs_14-276.1.html

With the military, the feds have no burden to show that anyone else was harmed, or that the impersonator got advantages from it. That's a huge difference.

5/26/2010 3:09:52 AM

you have to be a lowlife, attention whore scumbag to do something like this. you dishonor millions.

I am not surprised at the trolling here because honor is an increasingly lost concept on our generation.

5/26/2010 8:10:34 AM

I honor America and freedom. Not a bunch of murderers.
(That's how most youth feel. Because we haven't had any "honorable" military action in quite some time.)

Quote :

"With the military, the feds have no burden to show that anyone else was harmed, or that the impersonator got advantages from it. That's a huge difference."

Exactly. And that's total bullshit. It should be the same as with impersonating anyone else -- unless "someone else acts on your misrepresentation to their own harm, or if you get an advantage from it," it is not fraud, and shouldn't be any other crime. Unless someone's person or property is harmed or unreasonably endangered, there should not be a crime. This is typical military chest-beating -- Fuck 'em. If China invades us, I'll get on board, but fuck the mother-fucking military today. (bunch of murderers.)

Dishonoring the military should not be a crime.

5/26/2010 8:41:39 AM

Quote :

"Dishonoring the military should be a crime"

Fixed that for ya. To disrespect those who have honorably served; those who sacrificed much in the defense of this country (whether that be in peacetime or wartime-even in a war which you don't agree with) is something that I'll not ever be able to understand. I would think you'd have to be a very ignorant, immature and selfish jackass to do that.


However, if you truly think that dishonoring the military should not be a crime, how about you go to any VA hospital and tell the wounded how you feel, tell those old WWII vets or those old Vietnam vets; if you make it out of there without getting your ass kicked, I'd be really surprised.

5/26/2010 8:58:25 AM

^
I think you're confusing crimes with really unpopular things. There's a difference.
Even if 99.99% of voters agree that "No one should ever dishonor the military" that is in no way a justification to make it a crime.

I suggest you take your emotions a go write a poem or something.
Using your emotions to advocate what should be law is incredibly inappropriate.

Quote :

"if you make it out of there without getting your ass kicked, I'd be really surprised."

See? If that's the case -- these guys are just violent criminals. It is illegal to kick someone's ass.



Dishonoring the military should NOT be a crime.

5/26/2010 9:05:13 AM

the workers that died in the WV coal mine and the workers that died on the oil rig sacrificed a great deal for their country too. if I claim to have won some coal mining or oil rigging award I wouldn't be arrested.

so claiming to have won the congressional medal of honor = a crime
claiming to have won the nobel peace prize /= a crime

doesn't make sense to me

5/26/2010 9:10:18 AM

Quote :

"Because we haven't had any "honorable" military action in quite some time."

Jesus Christ, have you completely lost your mind?

You can say that the Iraq war(s), Afghanistan war, etc were not honorable campaigns, but even within them--let's say, for example, OIF, since that's the one that people have the most heartache about--there were still staggering amounts of honorable military action.

5/26/2010 9:15:26 AM

^^,^^^ You guys dont have to claim to have won the Douchebag Award...you both have my vote.

[Edited on May 26, 2010 at 9:18 AM. Reason : ^]

5/26/2010 9:17:18 AM

^^
It's about perception, though. We all know that.
A few examples of honorable action, surrounded by dozens more of dishonorable action, comes off as generally negative.
There's really no way, in my opinion, to ever view those two "wars" as either just or honorable.

[Edited on May 26, 2010 at 9:20 AM. Reason : ]

5/26/2010 9:17:59 AM

Quote :

"I honor America and freedom. Not a bunch of murderers. (That's how most youth feel. Because we haven't had any "honorable" military action in quite some time.)"

Quote :

"I suggest you take your emotions a go write a poem or something. Using your emotions to advocate what should be law is incredibly inappropriate."

Looks like someone is contradicting themselves ITT

5/26/2010 9:18:56 AM

^^^ well PLEASE don't go claiming that you actually won the Dbag award. that would trivialize all of my honorable work done to earn such an honor

5/26/2010 9:20:20 AM

there are some incredibly retarded individuals on this site.

Read this, then come back here with your idiocy.

http://www.house.gov/salazar/docs/Pam%20Sterner%20Policy%20Analysis.pdf

5/26/2010 9:22:20 AM

^^^
Wow. Are you dense?

DaBird said: "I am not surprised at the trolling here because honor is an increasingly lost concept on our generation."
My response was about how I and other youth feel about honoring the military -- not the law in question. It was in response to DaBird's point about trolling, not about the law in question. At no point did I cite emotions or feeling having anything to do with the unjustification of the law in question. In fact, I clearly cited the principle upon which my position is based. Principle, not emotion. Please learn to read.

[Edited on May 26, 2010 at 9:29 AM. Reason : ]

5/26/2010 9:27:08 AM

Speaking on behalf of "the Youth"...Voice of a Generation. Never heard anybody classified as youth tell me they thought our military was a gang of murderers

5/26/2010 9:31:18 AM

Quote :

""honorable" military action "

just off the top of my head in the last 20 years we have had:

Desert Shield/Desert Storm
Balkans Campaign
Somalia
Boxer Day Tsunami Relief
Haiti Earthquake Relief
Enduring Freedom

[Edited on May 26, 2010 at 9:35 AM. Reason : .]

5/26/2010 9:34:39 AM

^^^

Quote :

"Exactly. And that's total bullshit. It should be the same as with impersonating anyone else -- unless "someone else acts on your misrepresentation to their own harm, or if you get an advantage from it," it is not fraud, and shouldn't be any other crime. Unless someone's person or property is harmed or unreasonably endangered, there should not be a crime. This is typical military chest-beating -- Fuck 'em. If China invades us, I'll get on board, but fuck the mother-fucking military today. (bunch of murderers.)"

Looks like to me you back up your principle yet again with your own emotions towards the military



[Edited on May 26, 2010 at 9:40 AM. Reason : ^]

5/26/2010 9:39:51 AM

I'm in a gang of murderers now? Why was I not informed, when does the raping and pillaging commence?

Seriously though, go fuck yourself, the military has done a shit load to help out other countries, hell, start looking at pretty much anything AFRICOM does

5/26/2010 9:47:18 AM

^^
What?
If you're gonna troll me, you actually have to make sense, first.
I fucking pwned you over your incorrect claim of contradiction, and now all you've got is repeating it.
Have fun, idiot.

(I mean, god damn. You even quoted the principle. "Unless someone's person or property is harmed or unreasonably endangered, there should not be a crime." What the fuck do my feelings have to do with that? God fucking damn, you're stupid as shit.)


^

Shouldn't you be shooting some innocent children, or something?

[Edited on May 26, 2010 at 9:51 AM. Reason : ]

5/26/2010 9:50:55 AM

Quote :

"I fucking pwned you"

lololol - what a sad, sad life you must lead

5/26/2010 9:55:52 AM

No sense in arguing with a douchebag who loves the U.S. and freedom but hates those who defend this land and its freedom.

[Edited on May 26, 2010 at 10:01 AM. Reason : .]

5/26/2010 10:00:34 AM

^^
I'm actualy quite happy and successful.


^
Well, now it's clear, at least. You are a troll, because now you're blatantly making shit up.

5/26/2010 10:01:52 AM

ah but he can justify it in his mind by claiming that the military actions we've undertaken since WWII haven't done anything to protect our homeland. don't ever think for a second irrational people like this can't find some way to warp the reality to fit their perverted views

Quote :

"I'm actualy quite happy and successful. "

i must commend you for showing the massive restraint from taking the typical internet dickwad approach of rattling off some salary, car, girlfriend, etc. to prove just how happy and successful you are. you are indeed a new generation of e-peener...bravo


[Edited on May 26, 2010 at 10:06 AM. Reason : .]

5/26/2010 10:03:55 AM

^
Not to agree with all of that, but yeah:
I bet there's a higher approval rating for the [unconstitutional, freedom-destroying] Patriot Act among military than among non-military.

Quote :

"i must commend you for showing ...you are indeed a new generation of e-peener...bravo"

Thanks?

[Edited on May 26, 2010 at 10:08 AM. Reason : ]

5/26/2010 10:07:14 AM

Stats? Source? go!

5/26/2010 10:23:03 AM

Quote :

"There's really no way, in my opinion, to ever view those two "wars" as either just or honorable."

The war in Afghanistan not JUST? G fucking D that might be the most retarded thing I've ever come across.

5/26/2010 10:45:19 AM

indy is the same poster who "didnt shed a tear" whenever drug police are killed.

it shouldnt surprise any of you that he has no concept of service, honor and sacrifice.

5/26/2010 10:56:19 AM

There's no honor in service and sacrifice for unjust and unecessary wars that costs lives.
War on Drugs,
War on Terror,
No honor.

5/26/2010 11:01:11 AM

there is no honor in being an offensive, ignorant, disrespectful tool, yet you continue to wear that crown proudly.

a lot of men & women have died, HONORABLY, to give you the right to be said offensive, ignorant disrespectful tool. you should probably try to remember that. nothing wrong with being against the war. that is your right as an American.

you should also try to not get mad when I express my opinion that I think your viewpoint stems from your own insecurities, rooted in an inability cross into that echelon of manhood which requires traits like honor and integrity possessed by the men and women who serve our country. those issues are you own to work out. save the rest of us from your trolling.

[Edited on May 26, 2010 at 11:16 AM. Reason : .]

5/26/2010 11:15:12 AM

Quote :

"to give you the right"

You mean, defend the right. (Rights aren't given.)

5/26/2010 11:43:49 AM