Funny or a Crime?

Redneck said:
after you get an MOH you've kind of earned the right to all the recognition you could ever possibly get.

Jeez, no kidding. My father wears his lapel pins during certain occasions.
 
DTop said:
You're right about the lapel pins. I have worn those on Memorial Days and to certain Veterans Groups' functions. Outside of fellow veterans, nobody's even taken notice as far as I could tell.

You're quite correct, Top. I wear my highest award as a lapel pin as well and vets notice, and I've had a few people who have family in the military notice, but outside of that no comment that I can recall.
 
a little bit off topic but you guys are demonising hollywood as if it's one entity.


the same entity that gave us:

saving private ryan
black hawk down
we were soldiers

and countless other movies that glorified the actions of combat troops.

you want to teach "hollywood" a lesson? stop watching movies.
 
In this case, because we are discussing a particular film, I used the term "Hollywood" as a collective term for all those who are involved in this Wedding Crasher movie. It's true that they may or may not be the same people involved in other movies of similar disrespect. I really don't know, but they may not actually be from Hollywood. Good advice there Chewie, as I said I won't be spending my money on this one.
Wait, do you guys think if I wear my Purple Hearts they'll give me free tix? Me either. :roll:
 
well there is another way you know....



write to the studio, mention that you want free tickets for all your friends and family to go to see the movie (to sooth your anger)


THEN dont go.
 
I have no anger there Chewie, I do however take great umbrage at the lack of respect demonstrated in that movie.

For anyone wondering, there is a move in our legislature to increase the penalty but here in the U.S.A. at the moment it is illegal to sell, wear, or manufacture any decorations or medals authorized by Congress for the armed forces of the United States.

In General. - Whoever knowingly wears, manufactures, or sells any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the armed forces of the United States, 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 (18 United State Code) or imprisoned not more than six months or both.

Title 18 United States Code. Sec. 1001, entitled "Statements or entries
generally," June 25, 1948, ch. 45, 62 Stat. 749.

BTW, Representative John Salazar (D-Colorado) has introduced the Stolen Valor Act in Congress.

In the current blockbuster comedy, "Wedding Crashers," Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn play two sex-crazed bachelors who crash weddings, using aliases and personas to achieve their goals. In one scene, they claim to be Purple Heart winners, the award given only to those wounded in battle or to the next of kin of those soldiers killed. One character says with the purple hearts, "they won't have to buy another drink all summer."

"It's a dishonor to our veterans. It's a dishonor to our country. It's a dishonor to our flag," said Salazar at a news conference Friday on Capitol Hill. "For all the real heroes of our country, there are hundreds of phonies, a number of impostors."

http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=102788

I think that helps to answer the original question of this thread as to whether this is funny or a crime.
 
Off-topic posts removed.
Please continue on-topic, and do not post personal attacks in here..

Thanks


And my personal view on this subject:
A movie like that doesn't bother me (too) much..
Much worse movies have been made in the past, and many more will be created later anyway (both by Hollywood and others).

But the comments and the "medal" on their site is a whole different story.. :?
That really proves that they haven't a clue to what the Purple Heart means, and they haven't bothered at all to find out in advance either...

So I think that making the movie certainly wasn't funny, but I don't think it was a crime ("it's just a movie"... :? )...
But encouraging people to wear fake Purple Hearts on their site is actually a crime (in my opinion), since you're actually breaking the law if you follow that "advice"...
 
I don't see how protesting against a war that they see as unjustified in anyway dishonors the soldiers who are to fight it. You can protest a war, and still support the troops.

I just got up after working 12 hours on the night shift, so I have enough time to comment on this for now.

The great thing about being a anti war protestor is "you are in the United States." After you get done protesting, you get to go home to a warm bed, your loved ones, your car, food of your choosing, green vegetation, any activity that your heart desires, news of your choosing, ect ect ect. You have every freedom that the US has to offer. The soldier that an anti war protestor is "supporting" has a much different outlook on life.

We, the soldier, are thousands of miles from home, eating food that is given to us, washing clothes in buckets, taking showers in nasty tailors used by hundreds daily, sometimes with bottled water because the water system goes down, getting mail that is weeks old, only allowed to watch 3 minutes of the super bowl because the satellite feed went down, forced to wait in lines for 1-3 hours to shop at the PX, forced to wait longer for phone calls late at night because of the 8 hour time zone difference, getting news from print outs at HQ because there are no TV's on base and forced to sleep with in arms reach of 2 of your buddies. Keep in mind that this was some of the things that I experience BEFORE the war.

Picture how you feel from what I experienced in Kuwait. Then how would you feel when you start to see anti war protestors from home. Some of them burring flags, others with signs saying we are baby killers, killing for oil, others acting like complete fools. My mom sent me news papers almost every day. One picture from Maine pissed off old SGT Doody. There were a bunch of protestors around a Civil War monument. The monument had been vandalized with spray paint. There was a peace sign and a weed leaf painted on the statue. What a way to “support the soldiers.” Now my memory might be off, but I remember who were leading the thousands of anti war protestors. It wasn’t government officials, or teachers, policemen, businessmen, most veterans…it was very famous people. Many of those famous people were from Hollywood. Those people who are very rich and live in multi million dollar houses. Some of them said they were ashamed to be an American. How dare they say that when they are "living it up" in America. Thus the reason why I loved the Charlie Daniels letter so much. I read a headline about it in a newspaper and had my brother send me a copy from home. An overwhelming majority of soldiers were motivated by Mr. Daniels’ words.

Lastly, if the average anti war protestor actually supported the troops, where was the drive for care packages? If you did not know, care packages are one of the best ways to support a troop overseas. It’s like sending a soldier a little piece of America. Where was the drive at the San Francisco rally to send soldiers a little piece of America to enjoy? My half brother, who was in the protests, loves to tell me that they “were the biggest in the world.” He never mentions anything about actually supporting the troops. I can tell you were most of the care packages came from. They came from small towns, small cities and small businesses all across America. My unit never received a package from Washington DC, New York, San Francisco, HOLLYWOOD, or any other big city. They were sent from places I cannot find on a map. Those are the people who really support the troops.

I am just telling the view of anti war protestors from the view of one Sergeant who has been there. For me and most of my fellow soldiers, protesting is not our idea of support.

SGT Doody
 
Doody,
Do you have a link or a copy of Charlie Daniels letter? If so can you post it please? Thanks.
 
Let us all remember that a large amount of medals are awarded posthumously. I guess that would prompt me to write it out of the script of a comedy.

As to civilians wearing medals, does anyone remember if a relative of a wounded soldier receives a miniature for wear? I think I remember a friend telling me that his Mother received one when he was hit in VietNam and he was a little upset because that was the way she found out he was wounded (again).
 
Doody said:
I don't see how protesting against a war that they see as unjustified in anyway dishonors the soldiers who are to fight it. You can protest a war, and still support the troops.

I just got up after working 12 hours on the night shift, so I have enough time to comment on this for now.

The great thing about being a anti war protestor is "you are in the United States." After you get done protesting, you get to go home to a warm bed, your loved ones, your car, food of your choosing, green vegetation, any activity that your heart desires, news of your choosing, ect ect ect. You have every freedom that the US has to offer. The soldier that an anti war protestor is "supporting" has a much different outlook on life.

We, the soldier, are thousands of miles from home, eating food that is given to us, washing clothes in buckets, taking showers in nasty tailors used by hundreds daily, sometimes with bottled water because the water system goes down, getting mail that is weeks old, only allowed to watch 3 minutes of the super bowl because the satellite feed went down, forced to wait in lines for 1-3 hours to shop at the PX, forced to wait longer for phone calls late at night because of the 8 hour time zone difference, getting news from print outs at HQ because there are no TV's on base and forced to sleep with in arms reach of 2 of your buddies. Keep in mind that this was some of the things that I experience BEFORE the war.

Picture how you feel from what I experienced in Kuwait. Then how would you feel when you start to see anti war protestors from home. Some of them burring flags, others with signs saying we are baby killers, killing for oil, others acting like complete fools. My mom sent me news papers almost every day. One picture from Maine pissed off old SGT Doody. There were a bunch of protestors around a Civil War monument. The monument had been vandalized with spray paint. There was a peace sign and a weed leaf painted on the statue. What a way to “support the soldiers.” Now my memory might be off, but I remember who were leading the thousands of anti war protestors. It wasn’t government officials, or teachers, policemen, businessmen, most veterans…it was very famous people. Many of those famous people were from Hollywood. Those people who are very rich and live in multi million dollar houses. Some of them said they were ashamed to be an American. How dare they say that when they are "living it up" in America. Thus the reason why I loved the Charlie Daniels letter so much. I read a headline about it in a newspaper and had my brother send me a copy from home. An overwhelming majority of soldiers were motivated by Mr. Daniels’ words.

Lastly, if the average anti war protestor actually supported the troops, where was the drive for care packages? If you did not know, care packages are one of the best ways to support a troop overseas. It’s like sending a soldier a little piece of America. Where was the drive at the San Francisco rally to send soldiers a little piece of America to enjoy? My half brother, who was in the protests, loves to tell me that they “were the biggest in the world.” He never mentions anything about actually supporting the troops. I can tell you were most of the care packages came from. They came from small towns, small cities and small businesses all across America. My unit never received a package from Washington DC, New York, San Francisco, HOLLYWOOD, or any other big city. They were sent from places I cannot find on a map. Those are the people who really support the troops.

I am just telling the view of anti war protestors from the view of one Sergeant who has been there. For me and most of my fellow soldiers, protesting is not our idea of support.

SGT Doody

Of course the extreme protesting, like the flag burning and vandalism, is uncalled for. People like that have no right here.

I'd have to agree on the rest of what you posted, though I'm sure Hollywood or the larger cities aren't entirely opposed to supporting the troops.
 
The problem with all these people is, that they fancy all attention that the military can get and fancy mincing around with medals, but consider that their hides are far more worthy than any one else.
 
Hollywood has been very positive towards the military in many films.

Websites are another story.

I hope this post survives. :lol:
 
Your posts (or anyone else's) will survive as long as they are respectful of other members. Differences of opinion are certainly allowed.
 
DTop said:
Your posts (or anyone else's) will survive as long as they are respectful of other members. Differences of opinion are certainly allowed.

Well said.

I am also against extreme forms of protest.

Unfortunately anti-war protesting (protesting against government policy not soldiers) is always going to upset a lot of soldiers who have to carry out government policy as a part of their job.

Banning films or bringing criminal charges against some film makers I think undermines freedom of expression.

Arclight has expressed himself very well.
 
Back
Top