Week 3 EOC: Stolen Valor

Stolen Valor? No, it is not a brand new action-adventure movie starring Arnold Shwartzeneger and Syllvester Stallone. This is the official summary; Stolen Valor Act of 2011 - Amends the federal criminal code to subject an individual who, with intent to obtain anything of value, knowingly makes a misrepresentiation regarding his or her military service to:(1) a fine, one year's imprisonment, or both if the misrepresentation is that such individual served in a combat zone or in a special operations force or was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor; and (2) a fine, six months' imprisonment, or both, in any other case. Provides that: (1) this Act shall not apply to a misrepresentation that an individual did not serve in the Armed Forces, and (2) it is a defense to prosecution that the thing of value is de minimis.-http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/s1728

Confused? The Stolen Valor Act pretty much says that you can not lie about serving in the military and receiving metals due to service in the military. It was signed into law on December 20th of 2006 by President George W. Bush. The interesting thing about it though is at it's core, The Stolen Valor Act is basically about lying. Even more interesting is this; "The Supreme Court struck down the Stolen Valor Act, saying that the First Amendment defends a person's right to lie -- even if that person is lying about awards and medals won through military service."-http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/supreme-court-strikes-stolen-valor-lie-military-service/story?id=16669096 This is raising some eyebrows because the question now is: Should lying okay or illegal? "Moreover, the dissenters suggest that medal lies alone, without more, still do sufficient damage that criminal penalties are merited when such lies are told."-http://verdict.justia.com/2012/07/23/the-supreme-court-strikes-down-the-stolen-valor-act

I don't know about you, but my mother always taught me to always tell the truth and that the truth will set you free. Yes, it is our constitutional right to lie at will, but when is lying gone to far? When a company false advertises about a product? When a husband lies to his wife about working late at the office? When a women lies about her age and weight? When a student lies to his teacher about his/her fictional pet eating their homework? One's moral obligation is usually parellel in these types of discussions, but the point I am trying to make is if lying is socially accepted for what it is, then what is stopping a major multi-billion dollar corporation or a politician from saying what ever the heck they want to sell their product and/or get their message out to the naive public. This is always going to be a fine grey line to walk. People lie every day.  I guess we just need to be prepared and informed enough to call their bluff.