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- #661
I could lie about receiving a medal in Afghanistan - it's in the constitution!
US appeals court panel: Law against faking receipt of military medals is unconstitutional - FoxNews.com
Absolutely disgusting.
As a side note, I would like to point out that the marine in the video was actually wrong when he stated that military members have a right to disobey an unlawful order. That is not true, there is no right. It is an outright OBLIGATION. Even to the point that following such orders can get you a prison sentence if the crime was large enough and the violation clear.
Probably the most famous case of the "I was only following orders" defense was the court-martial (and conviction for premeditated murder) of First Lieutenant William Calley for his part in the My Lai Massacre on March 16, 1968. The military court rejected Calley's argument of obeying the order of his superiors. On March 29, 1971, Calley was sentenced to life in prison. However, the public outcry in the United States following this very publicized and controversial trial was such that President Nixon granted him clemency. Calley wound up spending 3 1/2 years under house arrest at Fort Benning Georgia, where a federal judge ultimately ordered his release.
To Obey or Not to Obey
a U.S. Navy captain seized a Danish Ship (the Flying Fish), which was en route from a French Port. The owners of the ship sued the Navy captain in U.S. maritime court for trespass. They won, and the United States Supreme Court upheld the decision. The U.S. Supreme Court held that Navy commanders "act at their own peril" when obeying presidential orders when such orders are illegal.
To Obey or Not to Obey