Stealing Valor
Webcast Q&A: Sunday, 15 April 2012, Question 3
I answered a question on stealing valor on Philosophy in Action Radio on 15 April 2012. You can listen to or download the podcast segment below – or check out the whole episode.
Should "stealing valor" be a crime? Rencently, a man was arrested by the FBI in Houston and charged with "stolen valor." This is the charge made against someone who falsely poses as a decorated soldier. Is it proper to make this a crime? Why or why not?
My Answer, In Brief: Undoubtedly, "stealing valor" is reprehensible, but not everything reprehensible should be a crime. The legal response to "stealing valor" ought to be the same as for other kinds of credentials fraud, whether protect speech, civil fraud, or criminal fraud.
Tags: Constitution, Ethics, Fraud, Free Speech, Government, Law, Rights
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- Duration: 12:13
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Relevant Links
- Facebook: Discussion of Stolen Valor
- Criminal Fraud by Ellen Podgor
- Criminalizing Lying about Heroism by James Joyner
- Ninth Circuit: Lying About Military Honors Is Protected Speech by Doug Mataconis
- The Atlantic: Why It's Criminal to Lie About Military Honors
- Knowingly False Statements of Fact and the First Amendment by Eugene Volokh
- Emotional Distress, Knowing Lies, Xavier Alvarez, Warren Spahn, and the Bronze Star by Eugene Volokh
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About Philosophy in Action Radio
I'm Dr. Diana Hsieh. I'm a philosopher specializing the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My first book, Responsibility & Luck: A Defense of Praise and Blame, is available for purchase in paperback, as well as for Kindle and Nook. The book defends the justice of moral praise and blame of persons using an Aristotelian theory of moral responsibility, thereby refuting Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."
My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Wednesday evenings, I interview an expert guest about a topic of practical importance.
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