A federal appeals court has been met with criticism after it overturned the conviction of a man found guilty of wearing unearned military medals, saying the man was protected by the First Amendment right of free speech.

The decision, which was announced Monday, Jan. 11, echoed the past decisions to strike down Stolen Valor laws as unconstitutional, and it has angered many people across the nation who believe that it is wrong to lie about military service.

Some students, like freshman Lindsey Bouchard, have also criticized the appeal court’s ruling.

“I think it’s wrong that people walk around dressed in military uniforms and medals they didn’t even earn,” Bouchard said. “It’s even worse that these people try to earn benefits by making up complete lies about their service.”

I personally disagree with the court’s decision to overturn this man’s conviction, especially with what he claimed to have done.

Elven Joe Swisher, of Idaho, was convicted in 2007 of violating the Stolen Valor Act, passed in 2005 under the Bush administration, which made it a misdemeanor to falsely claim military accomplishments.

Swisher bought several highly coveted military decorations and wore those during a trial back in 2005, and at his own trial in 2007.

He claimed to have fought in the Korean War and lied about having won the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and numerous other military medals while boasting about how he killed many men during the war.

I do not possibly see how lying about military service and acts of valor could even be remotely considered free speech. It is just lying for attention and benefits from others.

It is even more infuriating when these people begin wearing highly coveted decorations only awarded to those who show courage in the face of the enemy.

I come from a military family. My great great uncle fought bravely in the first World War against the German army and earned the Distinguished Service Cross, a medal so highly honored that the only medal higher than it is the Medal of Honor.

To see these people shaming such awards by wearing them for their own gain makes me sick.

Imagine if you are a decorated veteran. You have seen combat, suffering, and watched comrades die around you.

You might even suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder for the rest of your life because of what you saw in combat.

And then, after all you have seen, you come home and see a phony veteran wearing a Purple Heart and other awards for combat, a person who does not know the meaning those medals hold.

To let Stolen Valor be classified as protected free speech is just a slap in the face to the men and women who served in the armed forces.

This is how many Americans feel about the Stolen Valor — most of all veterans.

Some Americans may look at Stolen Valor as a genuine form of free speech, but to me and the majority of veterans, it is an act that flies in the face of what we believe in.