Veterans
Related: About this forumSupreme Court hears Medal of Honor case, ponders political lies
Source: Los Angeles Times
The Medal of Honor. (Bill Hogan / Chicago Tribune / May 23, 2008)
By David G. Savage, Washington Bureau
February 23, 2012
Reporting from Washington The Supreme Court justices spoke with disdain about liars who claim to have earned military honors, but they sounded less sure how to handle another group known for shading the truth: politicians.
"In the commercial context, we allow a decent amount of lying. It's called puffing. 'You won't buy it cheaper anywhere,' " said Justice Antonin Scalia. "So maybe we allow a certain amount of puffing in political speech as well. Nobody believes all that stuff, right?"
The exchange came midway through Wednesday's argument over whether the freedom of speech shields people who falsely claim military honors. The Stolen Valor Act in 2006 makes these lies a crime.
With the exception of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, none of the justices sounded as though they were convinced by a lawyer for Xavier Alvarez that the law should be struck down on 1st Amendment grounds.
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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-lies-20120223,0,7965598.story
Related thread posted in LBN by alp227:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101458706
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)in uniform with medals that he didnt earn. When confronted, the picture was taken down.
Skittles
(152,918 posts)it's not like that award is handed out like candy
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)It's easy to find sites online that list MOH recipients.
Now there's talk of legislation to create a database on recipients of all military decorations.
MADem
(135,425 posts)earned.
I found out recently a guy I worked with in a joint scenario many years ago was one helluva badass--he was like Hank Hill's daddy, killed fi-dee foah men! His unit came under attack unexpectedly and he just started throwing grenades tossed at them BACK at the enemy! It was an act of both necessity and valor--he must have had lightning quick reflexes--he did sustain some pretty major wounds to his face and elsewhere as a consequence, but he was able to continue serving.
I knew he had the thing, but some stuff, eh, you just don't ask. Now I kind of wish I had!
They actually could do that legislation--it would take some work, though. They would need to manually enter a lot of the material from the old paper records going back to the days of the Revolutionary War (good news there, is, there weren't very many medals back then).
That database actually exists (it's not always accurate, though)--at least for records that have been maintained since the dawn of the computer age. They'd simply have to export it from personnel data (and probably find someone to make all the diffferent programs that were used down the years find a way to merge with one another). It would be an interesting project for someone who likes that kind of attention-to-detail work and knows how to actually DO that type stuff.
douglas9
(4,358 posts)shraby
(21,946 posts)he earned it..actually he never would say much at all about WWII
douglas9
(4,358 posts)Military Times only has 628 Bronze Star citations in their data base. Just put your dad's name in link below. Maybe you will be lucky and find it there.
http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/search.php?medal=7
shraby
(21,946 posts)pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)razorman
(1,644 posts)me the story. I heard a second-hand tale from a friend of his, but do not know whether it was true.
gejohnston
(17,502 posts)if the story includes a lot of death and destruction and your dad never talks about it, it is very most likely true.
denbot
(9,894 posts)If you can be prosecuted for impersonating a police officer, you damn sure should be prosecuted for impersonating a M.O.H. winner.
MADem
(135,425 posts)Let's not talk about lying, let's instead talk about impersonation!
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,266 posts)After that, "I have military medals" has a different ring of authority than "I am a cop".
I saw a TV interview with a (presumed) genuine M.O.H. recipient. He commented that the impersonators don't diminish the award or the person who was awarded. It just diminishes the liar. Made sense.
catnhatnh
(8,976 posts)...just because I know what it takes to get "the bronze star of continual existence" which my brother got in "71...It took just rocking and rolling and staying alive. Which he did in the Ah Shau. I won;t tell to0 much it but was it.about people dying and mistakes nade
MADem
(135,425 posts)Problem is, they do, and that is how we end up with nitwits like Dubya!
I think, if they rule to uphold the law, it will be one of those "exceptions that proves the rule" type deals. Some things are third rails--MOH is one of 'em.
We'll see, though. If they end up finding for the liar, I'll bet a group will take on, as their primary mission, the goal of Naming and Shaming people who lie about this kind of thing (like the SEALS, et. al., do).
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,266 posts)but, like Thomas, Roberts, they get approved anyway.