The Wilderness Guardians

The Wilderness Guardians (IPB1 Forums Archive)

Welcome Guest

. : News : .	. : Message of the Week : .
You are currently viewing an archive of the Wilderness Guardians clan's IPB1 forums. These forums were used by WG from 2008 to 2011, and now exist for historical and achival purposes only. For the clan's current forums, CLICK HERE.	"You are a Wilderness Guardian. That northern wasteland; that land of blood, desolation and death is your dominion. Tonight we are going home." ~His Lordship
	War Alert: OFF	Raid Alert: OFF
	PM a WG Official	Search:

The Stolen Valor Act

Kyle

Posted: July 19, 2010 11:45 pm

IRC Nickname: Darth
Group: Ex-Member
Posts: 4601
Member No.: 838
Joined: June 12, 2008
Total Events Attended: 558

Alright. Matt-Motherfucking-Multikill showed me this newspost, and I even found it was utterly stupid. Absolutely proves the American public is completely fucktarded. Read.

QUOTE

DENVER — A law that makes it illegal to lie about being a war hero is unconstitutional because it violates free speech, a federal judge ruled Friday as he dismissed a case against a Colorado man who claimed he received two military medals.

Rick Glen Strandlof claimed he was an ex-Marine who was wounded in Iraq and received the Purple Heart and Silver Star, but the military had no record he ever served. He was charged with violating the Stolen Valor Act, which makes it a crime punishable by up to a year in jail to falsely claim to have won a military medal.

U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn dismissed the case and said the law is unconstitutional, ruling the government did not show it has a compelling reason to restrict that type of statement.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney in Denver said prosecutors are reviewing the decision and haven’t decided whether to appeal. The spokesman said that decision would be made by the U.S. Justice Department in Washington and prosecutors in Denver.

Strandlof’s lawyer didn’t immediately return a call.

The law has also been challenged in California and a case now before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Denver attorney Christopher P. Beall, who filed a friend-of-the-court brief for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, said the Stolen Valor Act is fatally flawed because it doesn’t require prosecutors to show anyone was harmed or defamed by the lie.

“The government position was that any speech that’s false is not protected by the First Amendment. That proposition is very dangerous,” Beall said.

“It puts the government in a much more powerful position to prosecute people for speaking out on things they believe to be true but turn out not to be true,” he said.

Beall said the ACLU was not defending the actions Strandlof is accused of, but took issue with the principle behind the law.

AMVETS leaders on Monday said they disagreed with the decision, and they called for an appeal.

“The veterans’ community has demonstrated time and again the actual harm Stolen Valor does to our nation’s veterans and the way these false claims can impact public perception of our nation’s heroes,” AMVETS National Commander Duane J. Miskulin said.[url=DENVER — A law that makes it illegal to lie about being a war hero is unconstitutional because it violates free speech, a federal judge ruled Friday as he dismissed a case against a Colorado man who claimed he received two military medals.

Rick Glen Strandlof claimed he was an ex-Marine who was wounded in Iraq and received the Purple Heart and Silver Star, but the military had no record he ever served. He was charged with violating the Stolen Valor Act, which makes it a crime punishable by up to a year in jail to falsely claim to have won a military medal.

U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn dismissed the case and said the law is unconstitutional, ruling the government did not show it has a compelling reason to restrict that type of statement.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney in Denver said prosecutors are reviewing the decision and haven’t decided whether to appeal. The spokesman said that decision would be made by the U.S. Justice Department in Washington and prosecutors in Denver.

Strandlof’s lawyer didn’t immediately return a call.

The law has also been challenged in California and a case now before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Denver attorney Christopher P. Beall, who filed a friend-of-the-court brief for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, said the Stolen Valor Act is fatally flawed because it doesn’t require prosecutors to show anyone was harmed or defamed by the lie.

“The government position was that any speech that’s false is not protected by the First Amendment. That proposition is very dangerous,” Beall said.

“It puts the government in a much more powerful position to prosecute people for speaking out on things they believe to be true but turn out not to be true,” he said.

Beall said the ACLU was not defending the actions Strandlof is accused of, but took issue with the principle behind the law.

AMVETS leaders on Monday said they disagreed with the decision, and they called for an appeal.

“The veterans’ community has demonstrated time and again the actual harm Stolen Valor does to our nation’s veterans and the way these false claims can impact public perception of our nation’s heroes,” AMVETS National Commander Duane J. Miskulin said.

Source.

Now, I don't know, but this sounds a little fucked up. A guy who never served in his life, claiming to be a war hero for benefits, is apparently allowed to do that because it's unconstitutional otherwise?

Discuss.

--------------------
user posted image

Multikill529

Posted: July 19, 2010 11:55 pm

IRC Nickname: Matt|Multi
Group: Emeritus
Posts: 668
Member No.: 49
Joined: December 30, 2007
Total Events Attended: 12

Absolutely fucking retarded. Way to go by the letter of the law, not the spirit.

What's hilarious, is slandering, impersonating an officer, fraud, etc. are all illegal, yet committing fraud by impersonating a hero and thereby slandering everyone who actually deserves the title is perfectly legal.

--------------------
Born at sea, baptized in blood your fame will never die. Your Division is one of the best if not the best division in the history of American arms -Gen George S Patton on the 45th Infantry Division

user posted image

Gibble00

Posted: July 20, 2010 12:16 am

IRC Nickname: Gibble00
Group: Emeritus
Posts: 775
Member No.: 100
Joined: January 3, 2008
Total Events Attended: 9

Agreed.

It's ridiculous to argue that it violates free speech. Their just one of the many using free speech as a cop-out. There's tons and tons of examples of censorship and whatnot that I could argue impinge on the right to free speech, it really can't be used to grant such behavior.

--------------------
user posted image

Quikdrawjoe

Posted: July 20, 2010 12:22 am

IRC Nickname:
Group: Elite Guardian
Posts: 7306
Member No.: 47
Joined: December 30, 2007
Total Events Attended: 343

sad

--------------------
July 5, 2007 - June 27, 2011

WG_Keanu

Posted: July 20, 2010 12:23 am

IRC Nickname: DG_Keanu
Group: Council
Posts: 4782
Member No.: 2033
Joined: August 25, 2009
Total Events Attended: 173

Anyone know a country that's not fucked up and has good internet?
America and England are both out of the question from what I've seen in 13 years.

--------------------
user posted image

[05:42] <+WG_Keanu> I think I got a semi just looking at the pic
[05:42] <%kat> same

Mickey

Posted: July 20, 2010 12:55 am

IRC Nickname: Mickey
Group: Emeritus
Posts: 5305
Member No.: 48
Joined: December 30, 2007
Total Events Attended: 282

QUOTE: WG_Keanu @ July 20, 2010 12:23 am)

Anyone know a country that's not fucked up and has good internet?
America and England are both out of the question from what I've seen in 13 years.

Scotland is where it's at bro

--------------------
user posted image

p0p0k1lla

Posted: July 20, 2010 01:48 am

IRC Nickname: p0p0k1lla
Group: Ex-Member
Posts: 257
Member No.: 2026
Joined: August 22, 2009
Total Events Attended: 38

QUOTE: Mickey @ July 19, 2010 07:55 pm)

QUOTE: WG_Keanu July 20, 2010 12:23 am

Anyone know a country that's not fucked up and has good internet?
America and England are both out of the question from what I've seen in 13 years.

Scotland is where it's at bro

^not lol. thats just really REALLY stupid.

--------------------
user posted image

Tnuac

Posted: July 20, 2010 09:12 am

IRC Nickname: Tnuac
Group: Emeritus
Posts: 1806
Member No.: 51
Joined: December 30, 2007
Total Events Attended: 58

That's ridiculous. 'Freedom of spech' is tossed around far too much, and a result people will take advantage of it for their own selfish reasons.

@ Mickey, i agree, Scotland seem to run themselves a hell of a lot better than their neighbours down below. Less people to take tax from, but much better services all round. There's even no bloody university fees.

--------------------
~Aetas: carpe diem quam minimum credula postero~

"Seize the day and place no trust in tomorrow"

user posted image

Hollow_Fyre

Posted: July 20, 2010 11:55 am

IRC Nickname: Harmony
Group: Ex-Member
Posts: 333
Member No.: 2281
Joined: June 4, 2010
Total Events Attended: 26

If the founding fathers who made the American constitution had known that it would become such an insane perversion of what it was meant to be I doubt they would have even bothered.

The American public isn't to blame here, the politicians and lawmakers are...the public is just guilty of being too complacent to bother doing anything about it.

--------------------
Hollow Fyre ~ user posted image

~ Lion Tamer

user posted image

ºO•-)•––––––––•(-• •°• °• oOHarmonyOo •°•°• •-)•––––––––•(-•Oº
The Most Strongest and Influential Army

Sativas

Posted: July 20, 2010 03:02 pm

IRC Nickname: Sativas
Group: Elite Guardian
Posts: 2255
Member No.: 1305
Joined: August 29, 2008
Total Events Attended: 155

Nowhere is perfect.

--------------------
user posted image

The Ultimate Skilling and Combat Badges Updated June 17th, 2011

user posted image

Firelion08

Posted: July 20, 2010 08:13 pm

IRC Nickname: Fire Lion Sword
Group: Emeritus
Posts: 1189
Member No.: 103
Joined: January 4, 2008
Total Events Attended: 3

PC. Welcome to America today.

--------------------
--------- 獅の炎 ----------
user posted image

----------- 忍☯者 -----------

Mmangler

Posted: July 21, 2010 11:23 pm

IRC Nickname: Mmangler
Group: Emeritus
Posts: 1595
Member No.: 1580
Joined: December 24, 2008
Total Events Attended: 165

To err is human to forgive is... The heck with that judges can be mistaken. The press can have a slow day and everyone is entitled to an opinion. I like Mr. Bumble...if that is the Law then the Law is an Ass.

--------------------