"Overturn the Stolen Valor Act," by Brent Jones is an honest appeal about the slippery slope of criminalizing a lie.  Prior to the Stolen Valor Act of 2006, the only lies that were criminal offenses were lying on a sworn affidavit or lying about a specific person with the intent to harm (defamation of character.)  The piece is intended for an audience deciding on their position of the supreme court challenge to the Stolen Valor Act.  Jones comes off as credible and thoughtful, giving insight on his concerns and how they were formed.  He shares his opinion that the Act is a risk, and not in line with the freedoms that our country is founded on.  Jones goes on to discuss past court precedent pulled from First Amendment challenges, like the freedom for nazi sympathizers and freedom to protest military funerals.  

As the granddaughter of a Silver Star receipient, I know the sacrifices that soldiers make in order to win any of the nation's valor medals.  I don't wish to see their glory tarnished, but they are not specifically harmed when another tries to become what they earned.  It is simple to verify any major award by contacting the military branch the person served in.  Anyone that grew up in or around a military family knows that if a person was awarded one of the top combat medals, you rarely hear about it.  After 33 years, I still do not know why my grandfather was awarded a silver star, only that his name is on the list for recipients from Saipan.   One of the reasons the media investigates these cases thoroughly is that they so often end in a sensational lie.   This should be their punishment.  They are lying to make themselves more interesting, so I think that they should be publicly outed for being their own boring self, not put in an already overcrowded prison system with hardened criminals.  I agree with Jones' idea that this could be the proverbial road to Hell.....  We want to give our soldiers every bit of the honor they have earned, and someone else pretending to have sacrificed what so many others laid down their lives for is heart wrenching.  But the question becomes, "what next?"  Are we going to criminalize lying about your education?  It hurts everyone that worked hard to finish college.  What about if you say you were a senator?  Will we criminalize that?  They spent a lot of money to get where they are.  We all make sacrifices to become the people that we are, and there will always be someone willing to take a shortcut, and pretend they are at the finish line.  In the end, they will always get caught.  Don't punish them in the courts, give them something to fear.  Let them be punished in the court of public opinion.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/story/2012-02-21/Stolen-Valor-Act-Supreme-Court/53197316/1