Comments on: Billions for Fashion Police, but Not One Cent for Tribute Bands!

By: albatross

albatross — Thu, 24 May 2007 19:29:31 +0000

But since they’re not able to do that very well, at least they can arrest people for dressing funny, talking funny, praying the wrong way, reading books with weird titles, etc.

By: Mordaxus

Mordaxus — Thu, 24 May 2007 19:07:26 +0000

Student, I’m not supporting impersonating soldiers. In fact, I think it’s bad, and should be a crime.
Let me note before I say anything that we don’t know a lot of facts about the case, and I admit that I am surmising and speaking from ignorance. However, the main thing I am ridiculing is the TSA being the agents of policing that. They are supposed to be checking for terrorists, not con men or wannabes.
The other thing I’m ridiculing to is the proud commentary of, “ooo, look how good we are.” If you put bearded, ponytailed rock star in a uniform, he wouldn’t look like a soldier. He would, to my mind, defintionally not be impersonating a soldier because part of the “uniform” is in fact that your hair, bearing, etc. matches.
However, if said rock star in a uniform tried to get the soldier’s discount, that would be a bad impersonation.
Here is the US, we have also had cases where con men prey upon vulnerable ex-soldiers and their families by pretending to be a decorated soldier so as you worm their way into confidence. This is not good.
This is, however, not the same thing as having the TSA be general police. If the TSA had decided that this guy looked “hinky” and ran through all his luggage because they didn’t like the fact that he’s got a uniform with mismatched insignia, that wouldn’t be unreasonable. When they call the cops and look for a crime to charge him with, they’ve gone too far.
Con men are bad. I don’t like con men. However, it is not the job of the TSA to be pulling them out of a crowd at an airport. They’re supposed to be looking for threats to the safety of aviation.

By: Nomen

Nomen — Thu, 24 May 2007 11:53:10 +0000

Army “uniforms” are sold all of the place. They have lots of pockets, they hold up well to washing, and appeal to assorted people’s fashion senses. Fashion statements are, like many other things, protected speech under the First Amendment in this country.
The reason that impersonating, say, a police officer, is a crime is that, presumably, members of the general public may be fooled into following the orders of the “police officer” including handing over the wallets.
In the civilian United States, soldiers – whether legitimate or not – do not hold such power. Here’s some more background on the terribly serious crime of “impersonating a soldier.” Note that there’s a modifier – impersonating a DECORATED soldier – not “being some guy with long hair in a uniform that has some insignias on it:”
Don’t Impersonate a Soldier or Sha Na Na This Weekend
Posted by Peter Lattman
We knew it was illegal to impersonate a police officer. But we didn’t know about these two interesting “impersonation??? criminal statutes that came across our desk this week:
From [http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/05/11/dont-impersonate-a-soldier-or-sha-na-na-this-weekend/]
Under the Stolen Valor Act (18 U.S.C. Section 704), signed into law by President Bush last December, “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.???
On April 30, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan arrested Lowell Craig McGuinn for wearing service medals and badges, including the silver cross, purple heart, and silver star, that he did not earn. He pleaded not guilty. Here’s the government’s complaint and the story from the Daily News. The News says that McGuinn is the first person in the nation to be prosecuted under the new law, which broadens the provisions of a federal law that only covered the Medal of Honor.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 24 May 2007 10:41:02 +0000

Another countermeasure against the threat of impersonation is to have a healthy skepticism about anything said by someone in a uniform unless and until they establish their bona fides.

By: Student

Student — Thu, 24 May 2007 06:11:43 +0000

I don’t know about the states, but where I live impersonating soldiers is certainly a crime and prosecuted.
Wearing combat uniform, or cloths that can be mistaken for uniform, outside the time you are on duty or traveling to/from your ship/base is certainly illegal. It’s illegal to produce or sell cloths that can be mistaken for the uniforms.
Actually, it is the same thing with police uniforms, coastal guard uniforms and customs uniforms.
While uniforms are certainly not a perfect sort of ID they are a powerful one. Most people do recognize the uniforms and acts accordingly. Therefor making sure people don’t wear uniforms they don’t belong in is a good idea.