We all know it’s illegal to impersonate a police officer, but is it illegal to impersonate a soldier? This notion appears to me to be an utter urban myth, readily quoted but unsubstantiated. Is there such a restriction? We are seeing recent veterans getting in trouble for wearing their uniforms at peace rallies, they don’t face jail time, but rather not insubstantial downgrading of their discharge status. But you and I face no such punitive risk. Why don’t we take the lead and don their uniforms?
I’m not certain that pretending to be soldiers protesting the war would come off well at all, but perhaps it could embolden real soldiers to do it. What if they wore each other’s uniforms, from an opposite branch of the military for example? Does their code of conduct preclude that? Would such political expression jeopardize a vet’s retirement benefits?
The so-called surge has yielded an upsurge of soldiers now calling for peace. We see it on the streets when we hold up our PEACE NOW banners. A good portion of honks, thumbs-up, and peace-signs come from active duty soldiers. We even see them tooting their horns to get our attention, less we miss their smiling encouragement. Our soldiers are ripe for taking a stand against this war. Let them do it. Let’s figure out a way to include their voices. They have earned the right, after all, to speak out as soldiers. We sent them to war as soldiers, however can we presume to strip them of the authority when they return?
I could only find a law passed last year, the Stolen Valor Act, which made it illegal to impersonate a decorated soldier, such that “anyone who knowingly wears, manufactures, or sells any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the U.S. armed forces, or any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, or the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration or medal, or any colorable imitation thereof, except when authorized under regulations made pursuant to law, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.”
Which gives me an idea. Let’s get some Op. Iraqi F. uniforms and decorate them with LEGAL NON-US medals, such as Iron Crosses and Nazi regalia, and then parade as satiric soldier-dissenters. Neither military getups nor creepy regalia appeal to me, but there might be something pretty chilling about the sight.
You’re a liar and an idiot. There’s no massive increase of soldiers against this war. You’re just making up that bullshit.
“Among its many moral and intellectual weaknesses, pacifism ensures that cruelty will prevail on earth.” – Dennis Prager
yes, question the honesty or intelligence of anybody who DARES say that soldiers are actually conscientious individuals who would have the courage to challenge orders given by a presumptive dictator and his henchmen, who have never themselves tasted war.
Will you next declare all dissenters to be “un-American” as many of your right wing comrades do? Will you threaten us, the way many do?
Do you believe you will silence us that way?
Strong Hint: It has not worked so far.
Nice quote. Perhaps you realize that Adolf Hitler wrote the same thing in German in his book Mein Kampf?
But I suppose a willingness to kill on the orders of a madman, without once questioning whether it is right or wrong, is morally and intellectually superior to believing that killing is wrong, and having the courage to say so in the face of threats against our very lives.
Oh, how ever will we be able to contest such cutting logic!?!
We are such benighted idiots.. Thank You, Sir, for boldly telling us that!
Good luck with your persecution of those Ex-soldiers who dare protest the Bush Regime. A certain Marine Corporal leaps to mind.
And I am sure that the reason there is the “Backdoor Draft” which keeps soldiers in a state of legal limbo, to the point where they can call back somebody who is Honorably Discharged, for the sole purpose of downgrading his discharge status after the fact…
In order to punish him for speaking out… Yes, my brother, I am sure that the reason they have such a legalistic device is because they are having such an easy time getting soldiers and airmen and seamen and marines to re-enlist in a war which your Commander in Chimp tells us will last at least 50 years.
A war which was started by your Chimp. Good luck convincing any of us that we are the idiots, Sir.