Posted by Tina
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has struck down a federal law making it a crime to lie about having received the Medal of Honor and other prized military awards.
The court voted 6-3 Thursday in favor of Xavier Alvarez, a former local elected official in California who falsely claimed he was a decorated war veteran.
Alvarez had pleaded guilty to violating a 2006 law that was adopted with the nation at war in Afghanistan and Iraq and aimed at people making phony claims of heroism in battle. The court, in a judgment written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, ordered that his conviction be thrown out.
Free speech prevails. It is up to the people to rout out liars, deceivers, and louts.
Anything else that can wrong today?
I have to agree with Tina for once. This was the right decision. The ability to lie to the public without facing government punishment is an unfortunate consequence of allowing free speech.