Jump to content
News Ticker
  • I am now accepting the following payment methods: Card Payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal
  • Latest News

    What do you have that's now worthless?!


    Luftmensch

    Recommended Posts

    • Replies 81
    • Created
    • Last Reply

    Top Posters In This Topic

    Guest Rick Research

    Ooooooooo, now I'm "channeling" Jimmy Cagney as Cody Jarrett in the last scene of "White Heat." :rolleyes:

    Hey! I know what? How about a MASSIVE "civil disobedience" at the S.O.S.????

    I will go to swell the number of buses they will need. THAT'LL get some press.

    People have to STAND. There has to be a LINE.

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

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Guest Rick Research

    No.

    It is the sole example I can recall in the last 6 years of mutually-admiring universal bipartisan IDIOCY.

    But then that is the one thing--aside from delusions of grandeur (Chris-freakin' DODD?????????????????????????) that they all have IN COMMON. :speechless:

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    without bringing politics into this....

    Is there a particular "side" pushing for this law?

    Yes, the pressure is from self-appointed hyper patriots addicted to kinky hero worship who wish to wrap their pitiful selves in the protective symbolic enbrace of "veterans" and defend them from the imagined legions of veteran wanna-be Walter Mittys who are "out there" all wanting to dress up and pretend they got Army Good Conduct Medals. All quite clinically delusional, but they'e there, and loud, and influential. And, in this stage in the lifetime of the USA, you can wrap anything up in phoney patriotism and the Congress will gobble it down, no matter how fecal, especially in an election year when no one on the Hill thinks about anything except strutting about for votes. And, here as elsewhere, no one dares speak up about the Emperor's sartorial choices.

    See: http://www.homeofheroes.com/

    The degree to which serious phaleristics in the US has been misserved and rendered invisible just makes this all the easier . . . . We are just seen as something lodged between the American Legion and a flock of gun-nuts and no one wants to listen. This has gotta be fixed!! (Close that barn door after the horse is gone?)

    Edited by Ed_Haynes
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    A shame though that so many of these "patriots" are the ones who also voted to screw so many vets out of their medical benefits! :angry: But of course they won't bring that up will they? If they'd wanted to honor the vets then they should have left that one on the scrap heap of history.

    Politicians are all crooked as a dogs hind leg! :mad:

    Dan :cheers:

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Every politician who wants to run again could just see their opponents campaign ad down the road..."He voted AGAINST the Stolen Valor Act" in that moviefone voice. I think that's about as far as they analyse this in their minds...

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    In a rahter pointless and silent protest I took down all of my US medals from the display case. Put them in boxes and tucked them away behind the solid doors on the lower shelf of another display case. Since the US government has seen fit that I should no longer have the right to obtain them in any form and in lieu - should never have the right to look at them or for others to see them and tell of the heroic deeds behind them. Never mind that the grandson was going to throw them away after he went to the flea market to see if anyone would give him five bucks for that WW2 purple heart with oak leaf cluster...never mind that at all.

    So now - the vacant space is filled with a display of militaria: Communist, Nazi and Imperial

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    So now - the vacant space is filled with a display of militaria: Communist, Nazi and Imperial.

    Ah! I see a tasteful collection developing, :P better not to break the law old bean, :rolleyes: but you need more Romanian items though :beer:

    K. I. D.

    P.S. in reality the S.V.A. was just a way for the authorities to hound ordinary, harmless militaria collectors, (like Rick,) and take the heat of certain politicians whose own medals awards and military service have been called into question :shame:

    Kevin in Deva :cheers:

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    without bringing politics into this....

    Is there a particular "side" pushing for this law?

    If by "side" you mean political or ideological movement, no. And notwithstanding Ed's statements, "the pressure ... from self-appointed hyper patriots addicted to kinky hero worship" is difficult to square with the legislative history. The main self-appointed hyperpatriots seem to be at that Home of Heroes site and in Agent Cottone's mirror every morning.

    The Stolen Valor Act was sponsored in the United States Senate by Kent Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat. Conrad is considered a "moderate" Democrat (though I suppose moderate depends on where you stand - to a progressive, Conrad is probably too conservative, to a conservative, Conrad is probably too liberal). Conrad's "moderate" positions are mainly a degree of fiscal conservatism (though given the behavior of Republican Congresses over the past decade or so, fiscal conservatism has no real partisan meaning anymore) and more centrist views on abortion (generally pro-choice but opposed to partial birth abortion, for example). As for foreign policy, Burns voted against both Iraq use of force resolutions - in 1991 and in 2002.

    The Stolen Valor Act received 27 co-sponsors in the United States Senate, 15 Republicans and 12 additional Democrats.

    Republicans:

    Wayne Allard, R-CO

    Conrad Burns, R-MT

    Saxby Chambliss, R-GA

    Elizabeth Dole, R-NC

    Michael Enzi, R-WY

    Chuck Hagel, R-NE

    Johnny Isakson, R-GA

    Tim Johnson, R-SD

    Pat Roberts, R-KS

    Rick Santorum, R-PA

    Arlen Specter, R-PA

    Ted Stevens, R-AK

    Craig Thomas, R-WY

    John Thune, R-SD

    David Vitter, R-LA

    Democrats:

    Jeff Bingaman, D-NM

    Robert C. Byrd, D-WV

    Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY

    Daniel K. Inouye, D-HI

    Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ

    Joe Lieberman, D-CT

    Blanche Lincoln, D-AR

    Robert Menendez, D-NJ

    Ben Nelson, D-NE

    Mark Pryor, D-AR

    John D. Rockefeller IV, D-WV

    Ken Salazar, D-CO

    Two of these senators - Burns and Santorum - lost reelection bids in 2006, so don't bother writing notes to their offices. While some can be easily pigeonholed and casually dismissed, a number of these U.S. Senators, notably Chuck Hagel and Daniel Inouye, aren't exactly known for their "kinky hero worship."

    On the House of Representatives side, the House version was sponsored by John T. Salazar, a Democrat from Colorado and brother of Sen. Ken Salazar (a Senate co-sponsor above). And notwithstanding Dan's comment above, one of Salazar's main issues is veterans' benefits. Salazar is also a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a coalition of moderate (there's that word again) and conservative Democrats.

    Salazar's bill had 111 co-sponsors: 38 Republicans and 73 additional Democrats:

    Republicans:

    Rodney Alexander, R-LA

    Spencer Bachus, R-AL

    Bob Beauprez, R-CO

    Sherwood Boehlert, R-NY

    Henry Bonilla, R-TX

    Dan Burton, R-IN

    Steve Buyer, R-IN

    Ken Calvert, R-CA

    Geoff Davis, R-KY

    Phil English, R-PA

    Mike Ferguson, R-NJ

    Jeff Fortenberry, R-NE

    Vito Fossella, R-NY

    Scott Garrett, R-NJ

    Sam Graves, R-MO

    John Kline, R-MN

    Mark Green, R-WI

    Robin Hayes, R-NC

    John N. Hostettler, R-IN

    Sue W. Kelly, R-NY

    John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr., R-NY

    Jerry Lewis, R-CA

    Ron Lewis, R-KY

    Donald Manzullo, R-IL

    Thad McCotter, R-MI

    Marilyn Musgrave, R-CO

    Anne Northup, R-KY

    Ted Poe, R-TX

    Rick Renzi, R-AZ

    Harold Rogers, R-KY

    Mike J. Rogers, R-MI

    Rob Simmons, R-CT

    Chris Smith, R-NJ

    Tom Tancredo, R-CO

    Lee Terry, R-NE

    Zach Wamp, R-TN

    Ed Whitfield, R-KY

    Frank Wolf, R-VA

    Democrats:

    Thomas H. Allen, D-ME

    Joe Baca, D-CA

    Brian Baird, D-WA

    John Barrow, D-GA

    Shelley Berkley, D-NV

    Marion Berry, D-AR

    Madeleine Bordallo, D-GU

    Dan Boren, D-OK

    Leonard Boswell, D-IA

    Allen Boyd, D-FL

    Sherrod Brown, D-OH

    Dennis Cardoza, D-CA

    Julia Carson, D-IN

    Ed Case, D-HI

    Ben Chandler, D-KY

    John Conyers, Jr. D-MI

    Jim Cooper, D-TN

    Jim Costa, D-CA

    Robert "Bud" Cramer, Jr. D-AL

    Henry Cuellar, D-TX

    Lincoln Davis, D-TN

    Lloyd Doggett, D-TX

    Rahm Emanuel, D-IL

    Bob Filner, D-CA

    Harold Ford, Jr., D-TN

    Charles Gonzalez, D-TX

    Bart Gordon, D-TN

    Gene Green, D-TX

    Raul Grijalva, D-AZ

    Luis Gutierrez, D-IL

    Alcee Hastings, D-FL

    Stephanie Herseth, D-SD

    Maurice Hinchey, D-NY

    Rub?n Hinojosa, D-TX

    Tim Holden, D-PA

    Mike Honda, D-CA

    Darlene Hooley, D-OR

    Steny Hoyer, D-MD

    Steve Israel, D-NY

    Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-TX

    Dale Kildee, D-MI

    Jim Marshall, D-GA

    Jim Matheson, D-UT

    Carolyn McCarthy, D-NY

    Jim McDermott, D-WA

    Mike McIntyre, D-NC

    Kendrick Meek, D-FL

    Charlie Melancon, D-LA

    Robert Menendez, D-NJ

    Michael Michaud, D-ME

    Dennis Moore, D-KS

    Grace Napolitano, D-CA

    Solomon P. Ortiz, D-TX

    Nancy Pelosi, D-CA

    Collin Peterson, D-MN

    Earl Pomeroy, D-ND

    Nick Joe Rahall, II, D-WV

    Silvestre Reyes, D-TX

    Mike Ross, D-AR

    Steven Rothman, D-NJ

    Tim Ryan, D-OH

    Adam Schiff, D-CA

    Jos? Serrano, D-NY

    Adam Smith, D-WA

    Ted Strickland, D-OH

    John Tanner, D-TN

    Gene Taylor, D-MS

    Mike Thompson, D-CA

    Mark Udall, D-CO

    Tom Udall, D-NM

    Nydia M. Velazquez, D-NY

    Diane Watson, D-CA

    Albert Wynn, D-MD

    That's a lot of names, and most are unfamiliar even to political junkies (and I have no idea how many of them are out of the House after the 2006 elections). But a few things stand out:

    That list of 73 Democrats includes, besides Salazar, 29 other members of the Blue Dog Coalition. So conservative Democrats are fairly well represented. However, the list also includes 13 members of the House Progressive Caucus, the coalition of the most left-wing members of the House. It also includes a number of members of the Democratic Party establishment with good liberal credentials: among them Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Rahm Emanuel, Bob Menendez (now a U.S. Senator), and Ted Strickland (now Governor of Ohio).

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Ah! I see a tasteful collection developing, :P better not to break the law old bean, :rolleyes: but you need more Romanian items though :beer:

    K. I. D.

    What do you think came out of the box that the US items went into...

    All kidding aside - I see a very nice list of names that I am more than willing to plaster on some envilopes and mail letters to. However - I am about as dumb as they come and would not be able to properly express my words to show my displeasure and to cry out for help from this band of gangsters to help right what they made wrong. A nice form letter perhaps? Ed, Rick???

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    What if we all send to our various representative one of our duplicate, new issue purple hearts, DSC, navy cross, etc. with a note saying these of from my collection of what is now "stolen valor" contraband> Come and arrest me.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    The spirit of the law is obvious. I don't understand why there are no exceptions. If I am re-enacting at the Rhinebeck Aerodrome as a WWI pilot, will I be arrested for the rack on my tunic? Being in my thirties, I find it hard to believe that I am stealing the valor of somebody who fought in a war that ended in 1918. Idiocy...pure idiocy. :speechless:

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    The spirit of the law is obvious. I don't understand why there are no exceptions. If I am re-enacting at the Rhinebeck Aerodrome as a WWI pilot, will I be arrested for the rack on my tunic? Being in my thirties, I find it hard to believe that I am stealing the valor of somebody who fought in a war that ended in 1918. Idiocy...pure idiocy. :speechless:

    There is no provision to protect either phalerists nor reenactors. The older provisions protecting legitimate dramatic presentations presumably continue, though that too is vague in the new idiocy. It may be that the "Stolen Valor" law cannot be enforced, but -- all joking and posturing aside -- no serious test case seems advisable until things clarify.

    I hope the OMSA is doing something, but I had hoped they were doing something before the legislation passed. So far as I know, no one from the OMSA testified before the committees that considered this legislation and there was no OMSA "door-knock" effort in DC.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    • 3 months later...

    A shame though that so many of these "patriots" are the ones who also voted to screw so many vets out of their medical benefits! :angry: But of course they won't bring that up will they? If they'd wanted to honor the vets then they should have left that one on the scrap heap of history.

    Politicians are all crooked as a dogs hind leg! :mad:

    Dan :cheers:

    Yes, indeed. This is just another incompetent political gesture to make the American public think that the government actually cares about its vets...yea, right. Those who collect US militaria will not allow this latest "law" to change anything, so really it is a non-issue.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    • 5 years later...

    The Stolen Valor Act is no more... it was deemed to be against a person's First Ammendment right to free speech.

    That means you can lie about the award but possessing one is still illegal as far as I know.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now



    ×
    ×
    • Create New...

    Important Information

    We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.