Stolen Valor Law Struck Down by Supreme Court

Upholding a decision from the Ninth Circuit Court, the Supreme Court recently struck down the Stolen Valor Law, which now makes it "free speech" for military wanna-bees to claim receiving the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross, Purple Heart and other awards for military valor and service. Sounds disgusting, right?

Right! I understand the free speech bit, but I've had the unpleasant duty of outing a friend and fellow church member who pretended to be a POW, holder of the Combat Infantry Badge, Parachute Badge, Drill Sergeant Badge, Purple Heart and other decorations and badges. He tossed in stuff about being with the 101st Airborne for extra flavor. The man was elderly and quite sick when his wife asked me to help with his veterans benefits which should have flowed from his POW status...didn't take long to uncover the distasteful truth about this phony. Maybe I'd have looked the other way, but the wife showed me his prepared obituary...and I tried mightily to get her to drop the phony stuff before he passed, stuff which certainly wouldn't survive publication upon his death. She wouldn't budge...and the phony stuff hit the fan with a vengeance as the local newspaper, in great outrage, corrected in multiple columns the lies in the obituary.

"Capt" MacKenzie, with Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, etc.
--got 'em the easy way...MAIL ORDER PHONY!

We love the poetry of Robert Burns and attended the traditional Bobby Burns dinner in Salem, Oregon. The distinguished MC was a retired Navy captain, and on his Prince Charlie jacket wore his medals with pride: Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart. Again, all phony, and this former Navy PO1 never was commissioned, never got a Masters in Film Studies, etc. Admiring the heroism these medals implied, I looked up the Navy Cross citation but was disappointed the last recipient with his name got it in the Civil War! So...we dropped a dime on this phony to Doug Sterner, who champions efforts to stop this disgusting and dishonorable garbage. BTW, when last noticed this phony Scot was still driving his POV with 06 decals on the windshield. His current "story" is that he is a retired Merchant Marine captain.

Phonies keep coming out of the woodwork, and the recent decision by the Supremes will only encourage them until such time as Congress enacts a modified Stolen Valor Act, one which grasps the issue more directly without challenge to the First Amendment.

Advice? Earn 'em before you wear 'em.

Sometimes, ya just gotta laugh!