Posted on Jan 11, 2016
US appeals court: Wearing unearned military medals is free speech
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SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court has tossed out a veteran's conviction for wearing military medals he didn't earn.
A specially convened 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that wearing unearned military honors is free speech protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
A specially convened 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that wearing unearned military honors is free speech protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
US appeals court: Wearing unearned military medals is free speech
Posted from stripes.com
Stolen Valor
Medals
Awards
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 16
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Okay I get the whole protection of our right to say what we want to say when we want to say it; however, I do not agree at all with this ruling. This goes beyond free speech. You cannot dress up like a Policeman and say it's free speech so why should you be able to wear medals you have never earned? You can't make your cake and eat it too. The courts need to decide when does having the right to say whatever you want to say impacts others to a point where harm is committed. I guess next time I go to the movies I'm going to yell "fire".
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SFC Casey O'Mally
Who is harmed by someone wearing an unearned medal?
And, BTW, you CAN dress up like a cop. You just can't impersonate one. Imagine the court docket on November 1st if deessing like a cop was a crime (or a doctor, nurse, firefighter, servicemember, astronaut, or superhero).
And, BTW, you CAN dress up like a cop. You just can't impersonate one. Imagine the court docket on November 1st if deessing like a cop was a crime (or a doctor, nurse, firefighter, servicemember, astronaut, or superhero).
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SGT Ben Keen
SFC Casey O'Mally - We, as the Veteran community do. Sure, there is no problem dressing up like a police officer or whatever on Halloween but the action of wearing medals you did not earn and parading yourself around only hurts the community. Look at it like this, there are cases where someone pinned on a medal they didn't earn and started running around taking time, money and other resources from Veteran Support Organizations. Money, time and resources that those who really earned those things could have used. That's who it hurts.
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SFC Casey O'Mally
SGT Ben Keen Ahhhhh.... But therein lies the crux. Just like dressong as a cop isn't illegal, but impersonating one is, wearing an unearned medal isn't illegal, but using it for the purpose of quantofiable personal gain (I.e. not just self esteem or "bragging rights) is. That is called fraud, and is illegal in all states and most, if not all, municipalities.
What you are referencing is fraud. That harms folks. Some dipshit who got the boot in basic strolling down the street with a Purple Heart pinned to his jean jacket hurts no one.
What you are referencing is fraud. That harms folks. Some dipshit who got the boot in basic strolling down the street with a Purple Heart pinned to his jean jacket hurts no one.
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That is not right I don't know why so many people are disappointed with the medals that they have and don't feel like their service matters. I don't care what your mos was it was a position that was needed every job is a part of the U.S Military machine as with every other machine on Earth it runs best if it has all the right parts working properly
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