STOP-LOSS RAP SONG WRITER AND SINGER SENT TO
IRAQ FOR COURT MARTIAL
By Kevin Stoda, Germany (but off the US military bases there)
"A soldier put his anger at being sent back to Iraq in a rap song. The military, however, did not think it was fun or creative." So, the young soldier, Mark Hall, was arrested and his free speech banned.
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0110/693826_video.html
Why did the military leaders get so mad? Why did they overreact and put a creative rapper and soldier, Mark Hall, in jail?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmgx9WwDkOo
"Stop-Loss" is a policy of shanghaiing American soldier from one month to 14 month over the term of his contract. It is similar to impressment, a form of soldier slavery or kidnapping by which America and England got into the War of 1812. At that time, Americans were being kidnapped by the British and forced to fight in the wars against Napoleon, i.e. against the American sailor or soldier's will. [This kidnapping and involuntary military service was know as Impressment--i.e. the British "impressed" the young man to join their war effort.]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressment
I think Stop-Loss should be considered Impressment in the United States and banned by the courts, however, I do not have much faith in the Supreme Court right now to handle cases fairly. What do you think?
Admittedly, violence is advocated in the song, but many rap songs due that and are still played on military radio stations and barracks--even in Iraq. So, it sounds like a lot of drivel has been made into a dangerous flood of anger against Mark Hall, who had already served a term of duty in Iraq before he wrote the "Stop-Loss" rap.
http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0110/693826.html
Some of the threats included phrases, like ""Like Obama said, somebody be held responsible. But some of y'all gonna be held in the hospitals." I would call such phrases rather innocuous--even after the Ft.Hood massacre of last autumn.
By the way, that soldier who created the worst shooting massacre on a US military base in over a hundred years also wanted to not be sent to Iraq. I would say the military and Obama's DOD oversight committee do not get the rappers message: "Stop sending him to Iraq." No wonder Mark Hall sent the recording to the Pentagon to be heard after he made it. His speech needed to be heard by the powers-that-be. [They have had their hands over their ears for years.]
The case in defense of Mark Hall is the First Amendment. However, the spiteful military is now sending Mark Hall to Iraq to have the court martial take place out of sight of the U.S. media.
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