"In some cultures, some items are off-limits. Examples from Canada and the United States would be: military medals, Bachelor degrees (the actual diploma), and certain awards representing achievement in literature, music, or other fields. These items cannot be legitimately possessed or reproduced by just anyone, as they represent achievements earned according to a specific criteria. Yes, some people will mock these symbols. However in order to do this, they have to understand what the symbols represent, and then purposefully desecrate or alter them in order to make a statement. They cannot then claim to be honouring the symbol. Some people will pretend to have earned these symbols, but there can be serious sanctions within a culture for doing this. For example, someone claiming to have earned a medical degree (using a fake diploma) can face criminal charges, because that ‘symbol’ gives them access to a specialised and restricted profession."