To the Editor:

It is rare that I find myself in agreement with the Obama administration, but I applaud its defense of the Stolen Valor Act of 2006, the constitutionality of which will be decided on by the Supreme Court sometime in June.

This week, however, the court heard arguments that many justices are buying — contending that the wearing of military honors, such as the Congressional Medal of Honor or Purple Heart, even if you have not earned the award, is an act protected by free speech. Justice Elena Kagan asked a rhetorical question: Should the government prosecute every case of an extra-marital affair?

People often lie about themselves to their neighbors, friends and family — especially with the anonymity granted by the Internet. So why should we prosecute those who parade in decorations they did not earn? Is this form of deceit somehow sacred?

I say it certainly it is. There is no price that can be affixed to diving on a grenade to save your fellow soldiers, or losing a leg from an IED blast while serving.

The severe offense taken aside, this argument of free speech protection is negated by the fact the people who wear these fake medals are doing so to bolster their prestige, thereby making themselves viewed as community leaders — elevating themselves to positions that might warrant a promotion, a new job, invitations to exclusive events and the like. All of these de facto benefits to serving your country are being used by frauds while tens of thousands of veterans, able-bodied and disabled, struggle to find work. According to some news outlets, up to 9,000 veterans from the Iraq and Afghan wars alone are, or have been, homeless.

Justice Kagan’s own alma mater provides an excellent example of deceit worthy of prosecution — the phony Harvard student Adam Wheeler who falsified endorsements and committed identity fraud to gain admittance to some of the country’s top universities. What is a military honor to a soldier? An endorsement by his or her country.

Justin Thompson

617-620-6054

Haverhill