So Zimmerman is charged with 2nd degree murder.

[Forever_frost]

The medals were reclassified, so in terms of her police service, yes, she did.

Unless the DoD permits that reclassification, they weren't reclassed. They were taken because they look pretty and stuck on a uniform to add credibility

[racrguy]

She's using military medals (hell, the entire PD is it seems) attached to her chest to make her appear to be more trustworthy and to display 'achievements' earned. As she did not earn the medals she's wearing, she's presenting herself falsely and I'm pretty sure if I go to court in my Class A's wearing a lot of medals that I didn't earn, that aren't even for the unit or branch I'm serving in just to look good, I'd get my ass handed to me.

Stolen Valor.

Unless the DoD permits that reclassification, they weren't reclassed. They were taken because they look pretty and stuck on a uniform to add credibility

[Sean88gt]

Unless the DoD permits that reclassification, they weren't reclassed. They were taken because they look pretty and stuck on a uniform to add credibility

While I appreciate what you're saying, the PD didn't put those medals on the uniform in an attempt to claim the valour that the medals originally stood for. As stated, they were to add looks, and bullshit credibility, not to piss off the military.

[03trubluGT]

While I appreciate what you're saying, the PD didn't put those medals on the uniform in an attempt to claim the valour that the medals originally stood for. As stated, they were to add looks, and bullshit credibility, not to piss off the military.

The PD has a right to endorse whatever awards/ribbons it chooses. I'm sure if you did a google search, a lifesaving ribbon from Talahassee, FL would look different than one from Seattle, WA.

There is NO standardization for medals/ribbons for any PD.

I'm not sure why some folks are worried about stolen valor when it's just not applicable here.

[Nash B.]

The PD has a right to endorse whatever awards/ribbons it chooses.

Where does it say that in the Constitution?

[SS Junk]

I've never had no idea where I was in my own neighborhood. That's mind boggling.

Depends on the situation. It's possible he knew where he was geographically, but was not familiar with the street name and the dispatcher was asking for an exact location. I know of cops who use GPS on their beat because they don't know every street name. I've been in my neighborhood for five years and I couldn't name the second street over. You see, fucktards like you are grasping for anything. You've never been in a situation like this therefore you are going by how think you could handle it with zero experience. I mean, look at how many times your ass has been beat. Did you plan on it happening that way? I didn't think so.

Who gives a fuck about medals, seriously? They seem to be handing them out for wiping your ass correctly.

Says the boy too scared to sign on the dotted line. Don't ad hominem me, bro!

[racrguy]

Where does it say that in the Constitution?

[Forever_frost]

While I appreciate what you're saying, the PD didn't put those medals on the uniform in an attempt to claim the valour that the medals originally stood for. As stated, they were to add looks, and bullshit credibility, not to piss off the military.

Right. They make her look like she's accomplished the qualifications for the medals on her chest. She didn't. She wore them to claim honor and achievements she did not earn. Stolen Valor.

And Matt, the police departments can't just hand out DoD medals because they look pretty. Do you honestly think that anyone would stand for a cop wearing a MOH ribbon or a purple heart ribbon or a bronze star ribbon? Those medals have meaning. Those ribbons have meaning. She's a fucktard who is trying to look good on the stand hoping that people just see pretty pretty instead of knowing what they actually are.

[juiceweezl]

The PD has a right to endorse whatever awards/ribbons it chooses. I'm sure if you did a google search, a lifesaving ribbon from Talahassee, FL would look different than one from Seattle, WA.

There is NO standardization for medals/ribbons for any PD.

I'm not sure why some folks are worried about stolen valor when it's just not applicable here.

Okay, I'm going to jump in here. Sometimes I try to look past what you post and go with your just trying to get Eric up in arms. This is different. Let's see how this could have (i.e. should have ) gone down for the PD in question.

1) Officer that will testify has been awarded an honor but there is no medal or ribbon to recognize the honor. They wish to make sure the officer has something to place on the uniform to show that honor. Why? We can only assume to establish credibility for the officer testifying. Nothing else makes sense as they would have decided upon ribbons/medals before this point.

2) That leaves the department with a few choices. They can go online, to a trophy shop locally, to a store like Mardel or Hobby Lobby, or go to a local military surplus or pawn shop and find a suitable ribbon set or medal. Most logical people would go to the web, a trophy/award shop, or arts and craft store. These morons went to a store knowing good and damn well whatever they picked up there would be both a) practically impossible to obtain more awards like it to present to other officers receiving the same recognition; and b) an outright copy and thus misuse of a real, bona fide, earned with blood and sweat, military award.

There is no way anyone can logically reason out and defend the actions of the Sanford PD in this case. They're wrong, plain and simple. Carry on.

[Ted]

hoping that people just see pretty pretty instead of knowing what they actually are.

Whoa, I gotta stop you right there. Didn't nobody see pretty pretty with her sitting there!

[Forever_frost]

Okay, I'm going to jump in here. Sometimes I try to look past what you post and go with your just trying to get Eric up in arms. This is different. Let's see how this could have (i.e. should have ) gone down for the PD in question.

1) Officer that will testify has been awarded an honor but there is no medal or ribbon to recognize the honor. They wish to make sure the officer has something to place on the uniform to show that honor. Why? We can only assume to establish credibility for the officer testifying. Nothing else makes sense as they would have decided upon ribbons/medals before this point.

2) That leaves the department with a few choices. They can go online, to a trophy shop locally, to a store like Mardel or Hobby Lobby, or go to a local military surplus or pawn shop and find a suitable ribbon set or medal. Most logical people would go to the web, a trophy/award shop, or arts and craft store. These morons went to a store knowing good and damn well whatever they picked up there would be both a) practically impossible to obtain more awards like it to present to other officers receiving the same recognition; and b) an outright copy and thus misuse of a real, bona fide, earned with blood and sweat, military award.

There is no way anyone can logically reason out and defend the actions of the Sanford PD in this case. They're wrong, plain and simple. Carry on.

Pretty much my point. She's stealing the valor and honor that comes with those medals and trying to pass them off as her own by placing them on her uniform during a trial in which her word and appearance carries a great deal of weight.

[juiceweezl]

Pretty much my point. She's stealing the valor and honor that comes with those medals and trying to pass them off as her own by placing them on her uniform during a trial in which her word and appearance carries a great deal of weight.

Frost, I get what your saying, but to simplify it and hopefully make Dudley Do Right get it, leave stolen valor out of it for just a minute. The point is, the department blatantly took an OFFICIAL AWARD for another organization and used it as their own -- for a one time basis -- to establish credibility. The fact that it's stolen valor is irrelevant to that fact. It's just a multiplier on the weight of the 'crime' IMO.

[ceyko]

Pretty much my point. She's stealing the valor and honor that comes with those medals and trying to pass them off as her own by placing them on her uniform during a trial in which her word and appearance carries a great deal of weight.

Yeah, especially if you're the one in the hot seat for (still seems like a justified shooting) defending yourself.

[Snatch Napkin]

Frost, I get what your saying, but to simplify it and hopefully make Dudley Do Right get it, leave stolen valor out of it for just a minute. The point is, the department blatantly took an OFFICIAL AWARD for another organization and used it as their own -- for a one time basis -- to establish credibility. The fact that it's stolen valor is irrelevant to that fact. It's just a multiplier on the weight of the 'crime' IMO.

Thank you. That's the point I was trying to make, albeit horribly.

[46Tbird]

"...they told him they didn’t have their own awards system, so they went to the Army-Navy store around the corner and picked out Defense Department military ribbons to fit their own format.

LOL! It's not the officer's fault that she was unknowingly wearing "surplus" military medals. But I have a major problem with police forces walking around the corner to pick up a bunch of them and figuring out ways to pin them on each other in a grotesque display of back patting.

When I was a cub scout, I earned all sorts of pins, ribbons, and medals that were branded as Boy Scouts of America schwag. You mean to tell me that local, state, and federal police forces can't come up with their own standardized awards? C'mon....