Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev. proposed changes to the federal Stolen Valor Act in order to curtail the burgeoning number of phonies and to get around the Ninth Circuit’s freedom of speech blather(from the Las Vegas Review Journal);
The bill adds a section to the existing law that makes it an offense for anyone who, “with intent to obtain anything of value, knowingly makes a misrepresentation regarding his or her military service.”
“If the misrepresentation is that such individual served in a combat zone, served in a special operations force, or was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor,” then the offender will be subject to a fine, a year in prison or both, states the measure, which has 31 co-sponsors.
I think the “obtain anything of value” is arbitrary. What is value?
If you get laid because you lied to a chick in a bar who wouldn’t have otherwise slept with you if you hadn’t told her you were a door gunner on the Space Shuttle, did you receive something of value?
In the case of Rick Strandlof, reportedly, he didn’t profit from his lies, but he became a hero in the anti-war community – was that of any value to an otherwise anonymous dork?
“If you get laid because you lied to a chick in a bar who wouldn’t have otherwise slept with you if you hadn’t told her you were a door gunner on the Space Shuttle, did you receive something of value?”
Are you kidding, BIG value!