Snopes asks TAH about Sheriff Clarke’s Stolen Valor
Snopes reached out to us on the question of Sheriff David Clarke’s Stolen Valor;
But criticism of Clarke’s uniform is purely subjective. John Lilyea, a retired Army sergeant who runs the blog “This Ain’t Hell” which often deals with stolen valor cases, said he saw nothing wrong with Clarke’s pins, and thought the kerfuffle was much ado about nothing. In an e-mail, he told us:
I don’t see anything wrong with what Sheriff Clarke is wearing. None of it is military-related… The people in the Salon article were just having an emotional reaction to the sight of the Sheriff in his uniform rather than anything substantial.
Lilyea directed us to a blog post he had written on the topic (categorized under “Dumbass Bullshit”) in which he characterized the controversy as nothing more than partisanship:
The whole thing is childish and it’s a political attack. We’ve busted phonies here on both sides of the political aisle, irrespective of their politics because that’s the nature of stolen valor. I can’t find any articles on Salon that take [Democratic Connecticut Senator] Dick Blumenthal to task on his fake claims that Blumenthal was a Vietnam veteran.
Anthony Anderson, a staff sergeant who runs the web site “Guardian of Valor” and has taken on the task of busting military impostors, agreed with Lilyea. He told us by e-mail:
From what we can see there are no official military badges or insignia on this man’s uniform.
We see a bunch of pro-American and Law Enforcement pins. Not sure why anyone would approach this man and accuse him of Stolen Valor. Unless there is a background that we don’t know of, there’s nothing offensive or wrong with what he is wearing.
More important, perhaps is Sheriff Clark’s response;
You know they’re talking about some of the pins on my uniform, first of all they’re not medals, they’re pins. And they have very significant emotional and real value to me. Some of these have been handed to [me] by people who have lost sons and daughters in the line of duty, or a spouse.
Tiara boy scrambles to save a shred of his dignity. Too late.
Snopes concludes;
Actual “stolen valor” is a serious offense — it’s a federal crime to wear authentic military medals like a silver star, a Purple Heart or a Combat Infantryman’s Badge without having earned them. Although Clarke has a penchant for meticulously arranging his personal pins on his dress uniform, he never claimed to have served in the military and says the items are personal belongings, not military-issued medals or badges.
It may be a gray area for some, but the level of offense taken is in the eye of the beholder. Clarke does not misrepresent his past nor does he masquerade as a veteran of the armed forces.
Category: Who knows
*points-and-laughs*
Nice try, Salon.
The attack on the Sheriff is just another liberal, communist dumocrap wanting to bad mouth an American Patriot!!
Hey Lars…
Disco Stu says…
FUCK YOU!
BLAME ME Disco Stu, I BROKE the Lars T. on that climate thread! 😀
I never said it was stolen valor since the badges he wears do not require anyone actually earn them. I said that his purpose was to give the appearance of being a highly decorated and aggrandize himself to people.
Which is the same motivation as stolen valor.
That being said TAH is far too partisan to be a source on anything attempting to get to the truth. For example gave a pass for stolen valor when a republican congressman did it.
“I said that his purpose was to give the appearance of being a highly decorated and aggrandize himself to people.
Which is the same motivation as stolen valor.”
And sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Still have your head up your ass and your mind in Arkansas….He doesn’t represent himself as anything but what he is. Which is one hell of a lot more than you represent. Must be a bitch living in Mom’s basement. Doesn’t she give you a cookie cutter or two to wear on your jammies? Worthless POS
“That being said TAH is far too partisan to be a source on anything attempting to get to the truth.”
I find this amusing considering the individual in question is a fruitcake dude with a female tiara in his head preaching to the world that white people are bad and men treat women poorly.
TAH presents the facts, despite politics, when asked and they are “partisan”, yet Soup McCupcake can ramble on like he/she does and it’s cool.
No way did that individual service in the military. No chance in hell.
Commissar; Who told you that he wears them to aggrandize himself? I see you are able to read a mans heart…. Know what he is thinking? He said he wears them because they have personal meaning to him. The Sheriff is an honorable man! This is just an attempt to besmirch an honorable mans integrity. Get a life!
We’ve never been partisan on the Stolen Valor issue. We got that phony war hero chick tossed off the speaker roster at the RNC last year. The entire media was quoting us on the Malheur band of valor thieves. Most of the valor thieves we bust are Trump supporters, if you go by their FB postings. Are we partisan on politics – of course, but no more than anyone else. Including you, Gumball.
Well, there you have it. It is a tempest in a teapot stirred up by someone who doesn’t like law enforcement officers.
And has the audacity of hope to wear a tiara without earings!
Now others in the MSM have stepped up the assault on Sheriff Dave… based on “not enough quote marks” in his Masters degree thesis. Uh-huh, the one with over 350 referenced citations. Because to leftists, principled, accomplished, patriotic, outspoken Sheriff David Clarke is “just an Uncle Tom”.
Wonder how some of my friends will react, because Slopes is a left wing cabal of some sort (sarcasm).
Actually they Have been shown repeatedly to be something akin to that in anything remotely Clinton, Democratic or liberal. Other than that they might be legit, but You are or You ain’t all or nothing so I choose not to trust them at all.
It is almost as if many of these so called “journalists” are Yelp bloggers looking into people they randomly decide are meanie poo poo heads because they have a different opinion on something. Lilyea is right that they have never once brought up Blumenthal’s bullshit and never will. All they give a shit about is their hit pieces, causing division through their hit pieces, and self promotion. They are monumental pieces of shit to extreme levels.
Anyhow, of course Snopes couldn’t resist the quote below to try to keep reasonable doubt in play. I swear the amount of bullshit coming from these so called journalist or verification groups is truly remarkable. I seriously am at the point where I legitimately do not think they have even the first clue as to how to research simple primary sources or even know what a primary source truly is.
“It may be a gray area for some, but the level of offense taken is in the eye of the beholder.”
10-15 years ago I wouldn’t call Salon workers “journalists”, but these days journalists have no standards and no principles. They’ve all turned into gossipers.
So, Jonn, is the FOIA packet on Tiara boy back yet? (wink)
Agreed and that really is dangerous in my opinion. A legitimate press that upholds their duty to report facts to the people is utterly crucial as they are, in many ways, one of the first lines of defense to a country from rooting out corruption through dedicated investigative reporting to holding people accountable by the presentation of actual factual material. So, yeah, I agree a decade ago they would have been seen as nothing more than a bunch of goobers trying to make a buck by releasing off the wall but funny garbage “stories” like the National Inquirer or such. Now though these groups have a fairly legitimate following and even though their followers tend to be complete trainwrecks of human beings it still is never good to give the trainwreck of a human being false information to become more of a trainwreck of a human being and that is what they do. They literally have people convinced Trump is Russia’s puppet. They literally have convinced people of some white privilege or rape culture or pay gaps. They have caused so much damage it is truly incredible. If something was printed that was factually sound but went against something/someone I liked I wouldn’t give two shits about what I liked and would call for someones head if they did something bad. These people though just fabricate the most ridiculous shit, edit statements down to make it appear like something it wasn’t, rile up some non existent race hatred, never hold the real issues to account like ANTIFA or BAMN or anything important, and continuously try to degrade (so it seems) the country with their moronic and poorly educated statements. They legitimately believe there is some division and legitimately believe the left should dislike the right and the right should dislike the left. As someone else stated they don’t even try to mask their shit anymore either and have become a literal attack force for people already looking to blame others for their choices or errors. It is really despicable on many levels but I guess the security of the country,… Read more »
For better or worse, one isn’t needed, unless he claims otherwise. He served in A/1-3 IN (TOG) from around 2005-2008 (memory is rusty at best). Got accepted to USMA and ended up getting a medical drop. No combat service, no decorations higher than an ARCOM. Believe he made SGT before leaving for West Point (he was at least a team leader). Okay Soldier, good on a casket team, but liberal as all get out.
Of course he got a medical discharge… of course. For any of us who have actually served we know what that has a tendency to amount to. Of course there are people who legitimately are medically discharged but, in my personal experience, the vast majority are people who go in to the mental health department to claim they are either seeing purple elephants, have reconsidered their role and are now conscientious objectors, or are too lazy to work hard to get through the physical aspect and make up some story to make it appear like they have a serious medical issue.
That is a young and physically healthy man given he made it through MEPS and despite being a cupcake it’s obvious he was just lazy. Come to think of it…. given that he constantly writes about the academy I would speculate he never had the intention of going through the academy and somehow got the letter and inserted himself in there to gather information he could fabricate. Something stinks in this situation. Which politician wrote the letter of recommendation for him?
EXACTLY RIGHT CHRIS
To the pussy boys at Salon: FUCK YOU !!!
Hee-Hee. They said “kerfuffle”. (One of Judge Judy’s favorite words)
I think I caught a case of it (in 1975) after an all night window shopping spree in Amsterdam.
Good times.
“level of offense taken is in the eye of the beholder”. And that my friends is why this country has lost its mind. Offense taken? That is a personal problem the rest of the world doesn’t need to abide. If you are the type to try and find something offensive in everything I suppose that is your right. I have the same right to not care what offends you because your feelings are not the standard by which i govern my life because you are insane.
It seems the tides are turning whereas just being offended because someone is conservative is no longer the status quo. I don’t think it would be this way 5 years ago.
“I’m offended because Sheriff Clark is conservative!”
“Stop whining you little pussy.”
Pretty cool of you though Lilyea considering how much donkeyshit Snopes has kicked out over a good while when it comes to issues like this. Frankly I am really shocked they even asked you and Anderson.
So I have to give them credit for at least doing their due diligence but, again, they simply couldn’t resist that “eye of the beholder” shit, had to add it. Whenever it comes to anyone/anything that isn’t in their radical and demented writers view they have to sneak that reasonable doubt crap in just to make sure they give the facts but, at the same time, give people room to continue using it to attack someone.
They could have easily concluded with your statements and put it to bed as that was accurate but, nope, had to add the commentary because Snopes obviously has supreme experience with stolen valor frauds and know all about eye of the beholder.
No one was more surprised than me when I got that email from Snopes. I figured that the entry would turn out worse than it did last night. I think they got it exactly right – no amount of truth will make people change their minds about the subject one way or the other.
They got it right, except for your demotion…if Anderson is a Staff Sergeant, you’re a Sergeant First Class; if you’re a sergeant, then so is he. But yeah, that was obviously from ignorance and not malice…
I have to agree that Snopes is at least putting in a good faith effort.
We all have to realize that everyone has some sort of bias – even TAH posters. Trying to compensate for our personal biases is something we need to strive for. Learning to read through others’ biases is a skill we need to acquire.
I say good on Snopes for trying.
I am very proud of my biases and I plan to hold on them.
“Keep holding on….”
I’ve read Snopes for years. Yeah, they do often lean left, but they usually do a good job of fact-checking. As long as they give me the facts, I can take their interpretation with a grain of salt.
The problem is that leaning one way or another is fine and dandy when it comes to commentary, opinions, or editorials but when it comes to a fact checking service it should be non existent in totality. That is where I have an issue with Snopes or that gongshow Politifact.
Facts don’t lean, they simply are facts. Facts don’t give a shit about your opinion, they simply are facts. Facts don’t get offended by meanie poo poo heads, they simply are facts.
So leaning one way or another should never exist in either direction when it comes to a fact checking group if their aim is legitimately to be a fact checking group.
So, yeah, I am really surprised they even asked Lilyea or Anderson but, at the same time, the mere fact that I am shocked about that speaks volumes as it means I had expected them not to which should never happen when it comes to a fact checking group who should always seek the highest level of confirmation for what they do their due diligence on. More often than not they fail to do that and even with this they couldn’t resist putting the spin on it.
For what is what I ask myself. What purpose would they have to add that “eye of the beholder” garbage outside of only one logical conclusion which is to allow for a continuance of attacks to a man being wrongly accused of something. That alone is simply horrible. If Clark, or whoever, was a fraud he/she would be decimated on this site with no mercy but people like that or groups like that don’t see things that way. They see such things as an opportunity to push their ridiculous agendas which is terrible and especially terrible when it comes to the big picture and how much damage they cause by doing it.
I must agree with you, Chris.
Snopes (surprise, surprise!) was doing a lot better than I would have thought they would, until the last paragraph.
If their true desire was to be a REAL fact checker, they should have concluded with the last sentence of the last paragraph, ” Clarke does not misrepresent his past nor does he masquerade as a veteran of the armed forces.”
But no, they had to add the poison pill, “It may be a gray area for some, but the level of offense taken is in the eye of the beholder.” – This is purely opinion and nothing else.
A good Editor would have caught that.
As has been noted, everyone has their biases. How much we control them or they control us, is mostly decided by our personal integrity and our love of the truth.
Snopes needs to work on that, but kudos for their effort by contacting Jonn and Anthony Anderson to not only get their view, but it sounds like they reported it accurately.
Sure, if all you want is a plain-vanilla fact checking service, then Snopes will disappoint. But in their defense, Snopes is Snopes. They have always mixed fact-checking with commentary, and have always been open about it. As long as I don’t have any trouble distinguishing between the two (and I don’t), I have no problem with it. I appreciate their fact-checking, and take their commentary for whatever it’s worth.
I’m going to defend Snopes actions here.
They do try to identify all the pertinent facts in a story, and present those.
In addition, they present their understanding, or interpretation, of what those facts mean. We can say “facts are facts” – and tautologically that is true. However, in all cases we engage in an interpretation of those facts and what they “mean”. That Snopes does this from their worldview is neither a secret nor a scandal. The intelligent reader is left free to interpret the facts presented and determine, independently, what they mean.
This involves the understanding that for any person, their interpretation of the facts presented is influenced by other facts known to the individual but not included in the list of known facts, experiences that one may have that others may not, as well as assumptions one makes that another does not.
Part of being truly well-educated is having a broad enough base of knowledge and experience to be able to understand a deeper or fuller meaning behind a set of given facts.
In other words – each of us is responsible for not only acquiring facts, but being able to evaluate those facts and others interpretations of the meanings of them.
Snopes is actually REALLY good about 99.9% of things.
Most things that hit snopes are Yes or No type answers.
I can’t belive you guys are defending the communist cesspool Snopes is.
They are liberals. They want to teach my kids about gay marriage.
Fuck snopes and their fucking dog.
They are just jealous that they never earned or were awarded anything as an individual acomplishment. Individual effort does not com bic with these people. Everything is group this and group that. Pure jealousy at being unable to think or act for themselves.
But it is Salon. If Clark had his lips affixed to Obama’s ass for the last 8 years, they’d be talking about how awesome it is for him to wear all those pins and why.
He’s a conservative so they are offended, period.
Pretty much.
So what’d the sheriff do to merit this kind of story anyway? I’ve never heard of him before–should I have?
Strong support of the 2nd amendment and low tolerance for SJW princesses and snowflakes.
Clarke is a staunch and outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, and frequently stumped for him during the 2016 presidential campaign. He has controversially compared the Black Lives Matter movement to terrorists, and is also the target of several lawsuits dealing with prisoner fatalities in his jail system as well as and harassment of a private citizen. The Anti-Defamation League also cautions that Clarke has ties to two groups it classifies as extremist anti-government organizations: the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA), and the Oath Keepers.
“Clarke is a staunch and outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, and frequently stumped for him during the 2016 presidential campaign.”
RIGHT THERE is what lefties see as a Capitol Offense, He’s black and supportive of of President Trump who legitimately won the Office of POTUS on the GOP ticket, thus the leftist slimeballs are going to go apeshit on him just like they did on Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice for being part of the GW Bush Administration (Yes, I know Colin Powell turned political chameleon and supported President Trump’s predecessor,and note how his shit suddenly ceased to stink when he did).
The last few years he’s been urging Milwaukee residents to defend themselves with their own legally-owned firearms. His name has come up to lead the Department of Homeland Security in recent weeks.
For about 5 years now he’s been fairly outspoken about the Obama administration and their consistent response to attacks with firearms in the US. That being, “we need better gun control!” His response is very much to oppose that. (But but but, he’s black! He’s supposed to totes magoats support Obama!)
Them attacking him for his pins on his uniform is because they can’t find a damn thing else wrong with him.
Not only is he black, he’s literally -twice- as black as Obama, being the son of two black parents! Obama touted himself as the “first black president,” and even TvTropes stuck “But Not Too Black” in their article on him.
That’s why the dems hate him so much. If you’re black, you’re supposed to know your place and toe the party line…of the very same party that supported slavery and Jim Crow.
He has also legitimately worked his way up sans playing the PC “Gimme” race card.
” … he’s literally -twice- as black as Obama … ” – Now that is funny … and true!
” … the very same party that supported slavery and Jim Crow.” – This has perplexed me for many years. I have concluded that the old saying is true: “There are none so blind as those who refuse to see.”
Okay, this is shaking up a few brain cells and I recall hearing about him now–but really only from previous mentions on this site.
You need to get out more.
After living in Wisconsin for 30 years I am well acquainted with Sheriff Clarke and absolutely love the guy.
Sheriff Clarke also refuses to change party affiliation as he is a registered Democrat so there’s that to continue to stick in the eye of the #libidiots.
To watch him get every panty wadded moron left wing loon to blow their heads up is a true work of art.
He calls in a lot to WISN radio and others but WISN is the biggest radio station in Wisconsin for conservatives so that is where he spends most of his time.
He’s really good at pissing people off !!!
“He’s really good at pissing people off !!!”
Is it odd that I find that a redeeming quality?
Given the type of people that Sheriff Clarke sends into hysterics; No, that is not odd at all. That is rational.
OMG… you’ve got to get out of your cave more often!
He is the Milwaukee County Sheriff, runs as a democrat, reelected several times, supports the constitution and Pres. Trump, trash talks the left wingers, tough on crime, rides a horse and wears a cowboy hat sometimes. Oh, and did we mention that he is black? So I’m sure the left hates him…
Wonder how many other laws Snopes consider “in the eye of the beholder” issues.
Yeah, Snopes displayed a serious bend to the left for a very long time. They may still. I dunno. Their cop out on this one does nothing to improve my negative view of their opinions.
Slopes doing actual research? They get new management over there?
It’s a ruse….they plan on releasing a series lies about Trump and need something recent to refer to in an attempt to feign objectivity.
Not unlike the ACLU, which occasionally takes liberals to task over whatever. They can then point to this to demonstrate their impartiality. Yep …
It may be a gray area for some, but the level of offense taken is in the eye of the beholder.
What’s gray about it? If he’s not making any claims and he’s not wearing any military related badges, medal, or ribbons that’s not gray at all…it’s fucking black and white simple. No stolen valor, because he doesn’t claim anything.
Salon is, and always has been, mostly full of shit.
If Sheriff Joe is being considered for DHS, Snopes is sticking its oar in first. He’s so outspoken anyway that, should that happen, he may immediately become a target for the trash that has become the world of journalism.
He already has been their target for some time.
Fat-fingered the report button. Sorry.
It’s okay, TOW.
So his uniform contains no military medals. Yet it is somehow a grey area?
YGTBSM.
I live about 1 1/2 hours North of that cesspool called Milwaukee.
Sheriff Clarke has been a pain in the sides of liberals down there for quite a few years now.
What I think is humorous, is that he was first elected Milwaukee County Sheriff and then three times re-elected running as a Democrat. This really pisses of the Democrats down in that area.
Ain’t it grand !!!
Speakin’ of tiara boy, did he have any other Military Service other than his time as a Cadet?
Snopes is nothing more or less than a husband and wife team with a lot of time on their hands to Google stuff. Anything they put out that even touches on politics, religion, the military, etc. is almost always pure garbage based on their own decidedly left ideology. I quit relying on them years ago.
That being said, I’m shocked that they actually contacted Jonn and Anthony, and even more so that the resulting article was as even-handed as it was. It’s gratifying to see that even the likes of snopes recognizes TAH and GOV as experts on the subject of Stolen Valor.
It may be a gray area for some,
There is no “gray area” at all. The term Stolen Valor is in regard to claiming MILITARY medals and MILITARY service for personal gain.. Sheriff Clark has violated neither. of these provisions.
I had never even heard of this Clymer clown and haven’t been keeping up on stories of late due to being busy but I just read that initial post you made and it was amusing. Did he even serve like he claimed or is he about to get exposed? How hilarious would that be if he turned out to be a stolen valor fraud. Actually… given what I read I pretty much expect that to be coming as I really don’t see that guy in the service.
That picture though… dude has a seriously odd looking face. It’s like half of his face decided to be masculine while the other half decided to be feminine. The only thing that looks to be in working order is the tiara. Seriously it looks like ninety percent of his face starts at the nose downward.
The only face I can compare it to is:
https://imgur.com/a/Kira2
Christine her is a prime example of how Sheriff Clarke gets under the skin of the libidiots just by continuing to breathe !!!
You can always tell when they have lost the argument by calling names, making fun of someone’s looks and tossing out moronic comparisons.
I would bet dollars to donuts that Christine here is very familiar with Sheriff Clarke and simply cannot stand the fact that he is still a registered Democrat and is as conservative as anyone on this page !!!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!
Are you upset my friend?
Have been told that many police departments use the designs of lesser-known military awards as their own valor award – so a Galapagos Island Service Ribbon could easily be the Columbus, Ohio Meritorious Cop Award or something similar. Lots easier on departments to just buy existing ribbons than to have new and different ones printed up which may unintentionally mirror something existing. About all that would matter on Clarke’s uniform is whether anything on it is wrong per the Milwaukee PD’s dress code.
I have also heard that as well. ON the other hand, the Biologist Tanker in me wonders what I have to do to get the Galapagos Island Service Ribbon…maybe the device to indicate subsequent awards could be crossed lizards.
Sounds like the good sheriff is a GOOD Sheriff. I read further up the post he served in the Army. Right on.
OMG it would become the coveted Darwin Award….
Oh, sure, everyone wants the GISR now, but where you during Turtle Storm?
No one wants to do GISR stuff.
HOLY CRAP Jonn were there too? Remember when the space shuttle door gunners provided cover fire when the M114’s sunk and scouts were trying to outswim the zombie sea turtles and gooney birds?
You know there is a pretty funny story in there somewhere…
Remember when wearing the GISR, it goes on the inside of the right pocket, subdued versions are carried in the old style round plastic ear plug holder, on the left epaulette of the Olive Drab field jacket.
I would’ve volunteered for it, but I was assigned to the Pacific Command, not South America at the time.
I would’ve loved to get a GISR as opposed to dodging cases of VD in many parts of the Korean peninsula. You don’t know how hard it was there….
So the whole article could have easily been a simple “False. Clarke is not wearing military ribbons or awards” but instead we get a bunch of bullshit.
Typical left.
Here is his FB page: https://www.facebook.com/charles.clymer
That WAS his Facebook page. Now, deader than Osama bin Laden.
I am not a big fan of law enforcement pinning pseudo military pins and ribbons on their uniforms to look more official and soldiery but this is flat out bullshit. Clark never claimed they were medals never claimed military experience. Anyone that served can look at his uniform and see they are not military in the least. His explanation is as clear as it gets on this.
The leftest haters going after him hate him because he is black, supports Pres. Trump, supports The 2nd Amendment and is law enforcement. That’s why they have a hard-on against someone like Sheriff Clark.
Fuck you, haters