Stolen Valor

[foxglovehp.livejournal.com]

I admit a bias here, as a professional soldier, I consider Stolen Valor absolutely reprehensible.  Public floggings or keel-hauling seems to me to be about right.  What are your thoughts?

Comments

[rasilio.livejournal.com]

It is indeed a morally reprehensible activity and legally is certainly a form of fraud. Whether it rises to the level of a criminal act however depends on what one attempts to do with the "Stolen Valor".

[luvdovz.livejournal.com]

3 posts by the same poster within the same day is a new world record, as far as memory serves. ;)

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

People believe what they want to believe.

There are worse crimes than impersonation.

[ygrii-blop.livejournal.com]

I've run into so many former Green Berets and former SEALs I'm starting to think this is a common neurosis among the population. None of them had to go to special training. They were all recruited from the regular troops. I fondly remember the 22-year-old Vietnam vet, former Ranger I met in 1985. He used to buy me beer. In a nation that fetishizes its military as much as the U.S., this phenomenon can't be surprising.

[spaz-own-joo.livejournal.com]

I think corporal punishment is probably not where a civilian's mind would jump first. Sure, fraud and impersonation are serious matters, but lots of other criminals actually hurt people.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Personally, I don't care that much.

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

And this whole deal really reminds me of the Micah Wright (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micah_Wright#Controversy) mess.

[prader.livejournal.com]

If you are going to lie about your military service, the only acceptable way to do so is to understate your contribution.

You say you're in SEAL? What Team? You must know Chief ____...

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

Living in San Diego I have the above conversation at least once a month. (Note that I am not a Navy SEAL, but having been stationed on NAB Coronado I know a lot of guys who are)

But to answer your question, I'm not sure how I feel about this.

On one hand it pisses me off for the same resons already raised by box_in_the_box. On the other, I have trouble justifying making it illegal as I'm not big on the idea of victimless crimes.

Personally I think the best solution is to out these people as the frauds that they are and let "social pressure" handle the rest.

Then again some would say that this faith in my fellow citizens is misplaced.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

To me it's an unfortunate consequence of the USA liking war heroes as political figures. Fraud is too easy in such cases, leaving aside that some of the real war heroes would not make their achievements on the battlefield the heart and soul of their campaigns and would say things like "the real heroes were the ones who died."

Given the US love affair with soldiers in politics it can be a kind of fraud people might figure they'd never get caught in. After all, who would dare question a war hero who's seen people die and saved people's lives? It's a despicable deed regardless of whatever explanations there are for it. It's also something that makes me angry because my family has a lot of veterans in it who really *did* serve and people making this kind of false claim appropriate something real for nothing more than a great big scam.

[harry-beast.livejournal.com]

Public flogging might be appropriate, but keel hauling seems a bit extreme. A more fitting punishment might be to sentence the guy to a term of military service in a penal battalion for a few years of hard fighting.

[mrsilence.livejournal.com]

I think possibly the most just and powerful punishment would be to make the false claimants present themselves in front of the national memorial, to stand up and declare that their claims are fraudulent and shameful on prime time national television and then apologize to the nations war dead for their deception.

I imagine that after a few of those, that a dumb shmuck who wants to puff himself up by pretending to be a war hero might think twice about how much glory there might be waiting for him.

[thies.livejournal.com]

only if a person actively tries to obtain benefits through it. otherwise I don't give a rat's anus.

[il-mio-gufo.livejournal.com]

Hmmmmm....did he lose a buddy in Iraq or Afghanistan? a lil' psyco-analysis could never hurt. maybe he feels remorse for not having enlisted alongside his lost buddy ???? just saying weird things happen in mourning a friend/loved one.

[devil-ad-vocate.livejournal.com]

Weird stuff. I don't why anybody would do this. What does he gain?

Corporal punisment backfires

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

I doubt that a flogging would help matters any. It might give the guy a martyr complex on top of his fraudulent conduct.

I find it fascinating that the video promotes the fear that people will suspect all vets as a consequence of these kinds of cases. It seems they should fear other aspects of reputational degradation such as being associated with theft, murder, and destruction. Those are more serious than being a suspected phony.