Testing Our Freedom
While reflecting, on this day nine years ago, when our Freedom was put to the test, in a most unimaginable way, I ask you to please remember this day, and the sacrifices that have been made, since then.
Did you hear about this recently?
An appeals court panel in California recently ruled, on a three-year-old federal law, that makes it a crime, to falsely claim to have received a medal from the U.S. military, as unconstitutional. So, NOW it is OK, to LIE!
The decision was in reference, to the case of Xavier Alvarez of Pomona, Calif. He is a water district board member, who stated at a public meeting in 2007, that he was a retired Marine, who received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration. In fact, he did not receive the medal.
Later in 2007, Alvarez was indicted . He pleaded guilty, on condition that he be allowed to appeal, on First Amendment grounds. He was sentenced, under the Stolen Valor Act, to more than 400 hours of community service at a veterans hospital, and fined $5,000.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Alvarez, on August 20, 2010, in a 2-1 decision. The panel agreed that the law, was a violation of his free-speech rights. The majority said, there’s no evidence that such lies harm anybody, and there’s no compelling reason for the government, to ban such lies.
In this case, justice insisted, that the majority refused to follow clear Supreme Court precedent, that false statements of fact, are not entitled to First Amendment protection.
The act (of Stolen Valor) revised and toughened a law that forbids, anyone to wear a military medal, that wasn’t earned. The measure sailed through Congress in late 2006, receiving unanimous approval in the Senate. Today, because of this case, ALL of that has changed.
As, if that weren’t enough, we have all been reeling this week, about the case that has been all the rage, or I mean outrage!
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What and how we believe, is an individual choice. We should not expect, everyone to share the same views, but at least, we have the right to choose. Granted, if the media, wouldn’t have gotten a hold of this story, it may not have gotten the worldwide attention that it did. Still, at the end of the day, and no matter what our situation, we can say, that we live in the greatest country in the world!
