Many of the stories I write are centered around perceived injustices I see in the world around me. As everyone knows, I felt that Michael Vick's sentence for dog fighting was a joke- he never served a single day in jail for the actual animal cruelty, it was all for gambling- and "Dogs of War" was born. My way of finding some semblance of justice in a world where too often justice seems an intangible, impossible concept.
Another such situation, though not as severe, became newsworthy about two years ago when a pair of men, in unrelated cases, pretended to be ex-military. Now these men would claim that what they did was no big deal- they weren't trying to get employment or make money based on their lies. They will say it's no different than pretending to be a doctor or a lawyer or a movie star to pick up women. Play acting, they call it. No one gets hurt. And according to the law, they are right! If they aren't falsifying their history in an attempt to gain money or employment, it's not illegal. It's a free speech issue.
And, as much as it pains me to say it, these men are right. Their first amendment rights give them the right to say whatever they like, pretend to be whatever they want, as long as they are not mis-representing themselves for financial gain. It burns me. It really does. You want to lie about your job to pick up women or gain some general popularity, go ahead. Say you're a doctor or layer or movie star.
But don't you dare lie about being a soldier. Don;t you dare besmirch their honor and sacrifice.
Such an act is not illegal. And it shouldn't be, for the sake of all of our freedoms. But that doesn't make it morally right. And in "Stolen Honor", I explore what happens when a conman lies to the wrong person about his military service.
"Stolen Honor" is just one of the eleven excellent stories that are found in Pandora's Children The Complete Nightmares Book 2.
