Abel Fields: Unnecessary Or Necessary?

In the year of 2011, Abel Fields attended a city meeting about public safety. Where he claimed that his military experience gave him the knowledge to speak with authority about public safety issues. He also claimed that he had received the Purple Heart during his eight year of serving in the military. The problem is that everything he said was false. Abel Fields was then convicted under the Stolen Valor Act, and was sentenced to pay a fine of $1,000. However, Fields appealed his decision arguing that the act was unconstitutional because his rights to free speech has been violated. His argument is completely invalid because his lies were made intentionally so it should not be protected. Fields should still be convicted since he has never
even served in the military let alone receive a Purple Heart. The Court of Appeals claims that Fields did not harm another person through his claim. This statement is false because lies about the award damage the integrity of the award. Also, since he has lied about the award this leads to up to a year of imprisonment for speaking a false claim. Therefore, Fields should be guilty and face fines and imprisonment.