(Aside to the admin: Excuse me if I seem like a total n00b, but I’m not sure where this goes. So I put it here. Bump if you must.)
I’ll steer you to some websites that explain the issue:
http://www.pownetwork.org/phonies/phonies.htm
http://www.cyberseals.org/resources.htm
Should these people be punished? If so, what should the penalties be? Do you believe that making fradulent military claims is as bad as this site makes them out to be? Discuss.
I don’t know if they should be punished…I think the humiliation they will experience by having their name made mud internationally is punishment enough.
But I guess it also depends on the degree to which they lied. If they are just telling people they’ve met in conversation “Well, actually, I was a POW” it doesn’t seem as bad as someone who declares as much on their business cards.
Either way, these are very sad little people if they feel that calling themselves POW’s will somehow make them more likeable.
(proud daughter of a Vietnam Vet, by the way!)
I don’t consider it any worse than any other form of fraud. If they simply lie and do not get any financial gain from it then it is just a lie like any other. If they use it to reap financial benefits, then it is just like any other fraud of that type (like filing for welfare benefits even if you make more money than is allowed).
Some people just have so much respect for veterans that they get really worked up whenever anyone claims to be one but actually isn’t.