Lying about Military Medals and the Law

Do not lie. It seems pretty straight forward and makes the top ten list of “don’ts” in most religions. The Supreme Court however is debating the constitutionality of The Stolen Valor Act, a law that punishes liars after a fake veteran used a fictitious story to start his career running a non-profit organization.

Rick Strandlof used his claims of service and decoration to fund raise for the charity and endorse political candidates. By picturing the whole thing as an elaborate production he rationalized that he was merely playing the role of a war hero and that made it acceptable. In his opinion the intent to do good outweighed the untruths he was telling.

He didn’t take into consideration the ripple effect lying about his military career would create. His falsehoods hurt his charity and the people he was trying to help. It raises questions about the credentials of other organizations’ leaders which can influence donations and the work they are doing. He also put the credibility of veterans everywhere in jeopardy so on the surface the whole case seems pretty cut and dry.

U.S. District Judge Robert E. Blackburn doesn’t think it’s so simple and declared the Stolen Valor Act unconstitutional saying that lying about military service is protected under the first amendment and Freedom of Speech. Judge Milan Smith sided with the majority saying, “The right to speak and write whatever one chooses – including, to some degree, worthless, offensive and demonstrable untruths – without cowering in fear of a powerful government is, in our view, an essential component of the protection afforded by the First Amendment.”

Misrepresenting himself to receive money he is liable of fraud and held accountable by those statutes. By adding the additional charges the line of protected speech begins to blur. Smith explains the slippery slope of government getting involved saying, “If lying about a medal can be classified as a crime so many everyday lies could become criminal acts, such as lying about one’s age, misrepresenting one’s financial status on Facebook, or telling one’s mother falsehoods about drinking, smoking or sex.”

The Obama administration feels differently The Obama administration points out that the law is reasonable because it is specific about the type of lie being told and it "serves a crucial purpose in safeguarding the military honors system."

So the question boils down to, which is more disrespectful to members of the military, lying about service and honors or limiting a freedom for which they fought? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.


By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with experience in web, film, photography and animation as well as traditional fine arts like painting and sculpting. In addition to writing for ArmedServicesJobsBlog.com, she is co-founder of design and promotion company. Heather’s spare time consists of making puppets, teaching Sunday School, building Legos and doing science experiments with her children.