Letter to the Madison College Clarion newspaper editor,
When John Q. Battlefield comes marching home after spending time down range in a combat zone to use his hard-earned G.I. benefits, he proudly displays his medals on his chest. If he says he has medals he never earned, he has committed the treasonous act of “Stolen Valor.”
The topic of the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 brought a heated discussion forward by 2024 vice presidential candidates. One, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (Republican), alleged his opponent, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (Democrat), committed the act. The allegations, if confirmed, could land a candidate in prison if found guilty.
“Walz retired as a sergeant major, though he did at one point serve as his battalion’s provisional command sergeant major, he did not complete the course requirements needed by the Army to hold that rank upon retirement,” Military.com’s Drew F. Lawrence wrote in his article on Sept. 27. “He also never served in Afghanistan or any combat zone, but instead was deployed to Italy in support of those operations.”
The Facts
Liberal media, such as NPR and Rolling Stone, quickly began defending the accused rather than offer the reader the opportunity to decide for themselves. Defending Stolen Valor by exaggerating its seriousness in the press, which happened, dilutes journalism integrity. The days of objective news reporting no longer factor how Americans receive information, rather “independent fact-checkers” pick sides like what was witnessed during the 2024 presidential debate.
So, where is journalism integrity this presidential election season? Integrity starts in the press and bleeds red, white and blue onto social media blogs, which are opinionated at best. Is it not the responsibility of journalists to report fair and unbiased news?
According to the Society of Professional Journalists at the 2023 National Convention in Las Vegas, dissenting opinions keep journalism integrity intact. Battlefield’s voice is underrepresented on college campuses and Stolen Valor has little importance as a reporting topic. Military culture in the college classroom tries to debate their stance on patriotism, which is viewed as racist and now he realizes his service was in vain and the student veteran gets an “F.”
The Student Veteran Reality
Meanwhile, Battlefield deals with professors and their microaggressions feeling outcasted for trying to research the topic, and as a result Battlefield feels shunned. He no longer feels valued knowing two people who served make a mockery out of military service while liberal media continues to come to the aid of their candidate and the protection of the press comes under attack. How does the Clarion protect student veterans by showcasing one candidate while ignoring the other?
What Americans must know first is that student veterans don’t feel welcome and second, have no buy-in power when discussing issues like Stolen Valor. Stolen Valor allegations against liberal candidates get watered down as “misspoke” or “mistaken.” Gov. Walz did embellish his service for political gain and where was the Clarion offering a dissenting opinion?
The allegations of Stolen Valor cannot be taken lightly, nor can the press use persuasion for steering votes and has. Balanced coverage seems to have eroded the fabric of the Constitution and one-party blog publishing cannot be considered credible.
The reader, not the fact checker, makes the decision according to the Doctrine of Double Effect, which was built by Philosopher John Rawls.
Conclusion
How is the Clarion protecting unbiased coverage governed by a community college who turns a blind eye to bigotry, and free speech double standards enforced by Title IX? Does journalism integrity exist, or are we as student veterans required to ignore our buy-in being cancelled? I ask our leadership to consider the liability of hyperbole and ensure all voices on campus are welcome, not just the liberal majority.
“The Stolen Valor Act is meant to help protect service members and their reputations and identities,” an article written by the Armed Forces Benefit Association stated on Feb. 24, 2024. “It’s also a defense against any false claim of military decoration, stopping people from lying about awards, medals or other recognitions. However, like most legislation, the Stolen Valor Act is an ongoing story — one that’s about to get more complicated.”
Madison College is a technical school boasting its liberty as a military-friendly institution. Does the topic of stolen valor even meet the list of the editor’s coverage agenda and how can we spotlight the value of student veterans who transfer only to receive bias from the institution?
Stolen Valor is an important discussion topic amongst student veterans who require the respect they deserve starting with unbiased coverage.