Should it be illegal to pretend to be a war hero?

They're one of the few groups that make child molesters look good: People who pretend to have won medals for military service. In 2005, Congress passed a law, the Stolen Valor Act, that makes it a crime to do just that. They don't even need to profit off the lie. (Which many, many deadbeats attempt to do.) But the law is facing legal challenges based on the First Amendment, the AP reports. As one lawyer argues, if you're going to make it a crime to lie and exaggerate about yourself, pretty much everybody in a singles bar needs to be locked up.

Attorneys challenging the law say that lying about getting a medal doesn't fit any of the categories of speech that the U.S. Supreme Court has said can be banned: lewd, obscene, profane, libelous or creating imminent danger to others, such as yelling fire in a crowded theater.

More about the Stolen Valor Act here.

Comments

[Searching]

I thought posing as military,or police was already illegal?

This is BS anyway. Profiting from a lie is fraud. Posing as military for personal gain is fraud.
Meanwhile 10.5% nationwide is out of work. The dollar is going down the hole. And we have nothing but complete idiots running this government. Please don't distract them with "shiny" objects.

[k]

The biggest frauds are the one's in government. They are masquerading as intelligent, rational people while they bleed this country dry.

[Stifled Freedom]

Why not? Everything else is illegal in America now.

[D-man]

personal gain should be illegal. lying for recognition and glory should warrant a severe @zzb3@ting from a real hero. but i doubt a real hero would give the lying filth the time of day.

[Jellybean]

Just what I was going to say D-man, but not nearly so eloquently.
Just because it's offense doesn't mean it should be illegal. A guy just ought to get his butt kicked for it.

[Wisdom]

I've won many medals for military service.....

Does Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 count?

[D-man]

Wisdom, if you're on the 360, I'll test your skills.

[Bass Ackwards]

Why George Bush pretends he's one all the time...

[kybo61]

I think that people pretending to be war heroes to promote themselves or their causes ought to face some kind of punishment. But people who collect medals and might want to wear them in private company, I don't know that they should be punished.

[D-man]

people that collect medals and wear them in private company need their head checked, cause that's some Buffalo Bill type crap right there.

[mutt]

I recall a guy at a bar one night telling all in attendence about his harrowing deeds. He appeared to have crapped himself when I politely informed him that I was in the same unit and on the exact mission of which he spoke of and I never once saw him there.

For the record I lied to him, but I knew damn good and well he was full of crap because of how much he was bragging about it all. Bragging is usually a sure fire way to tell if a guy is telling "war stories." Never met one true blue hero that liked to talk about it.

[Searching]

Is that that dont ask dont tell policy everyone is talking about?

[G]

This is ridiculous. Makes child molesters look good? So some insecure douche lies about being a war hero, so what? As long as he's not financially profiting from it, what the hell does it matter? You all are ridiculous. Seriously. Get lives and pass laws that mean something. This is stupid.

[jake]

the antique stores that sell the medals to this crowd are just as bad and should be sent to prison too.