'Stop loss'
Rap song titled “Stop Lossed” was written and performed by Spc. Marc Hall, also known as rap artist Marc Watercus. Hall, who also calls himself the “first hip hop president of the world,” markets music and expresses his political views on his personal Web site. The rap song containing the alleged threats follows:
Now this is real days
When [expletive] hit the airwaves
Somebody gotta say
[Expletive] you colonels, captains, E-7s and above
Think you’re so much bigger than I am
I’ve been too good of an American stop-lossed, stop movement, got me chasing
If I do drugs, I’ll get kicked out
But if my time is out I can’t get out
So the good die young I heard it out your mouth
So [expletive] the Army
And everything you’re all about
Like Obama says “Somebody be held responsible”
But some of ya’ll gonna be held in the hospitals whenever possible
To pursue my own journeys in life, through my own main obstacles
Since I can’t pinpoint the culpable
They want me ’cause misery loves company
I’m gonna round them all up
Eventually, easily, walk right up peacefully
And surprise them all
Yes, yes ya’ll up against the wall
Turn around, I gotta a [expletive] magazine with thirty rounds
On a three round burst, ready to fire down
Still against the wall I grab my M-4
Spray and watch all the bodies hit the floor
I bet you never stop loss nobody no more
In your next lifetime of course, no remorse
Yeah, you don’t stop till the Army is the only military branch
That still got the stop loss in effect
So the only thing I got to say
Is prepare for the consequences
When people want to get out, let them get out.
Correction
An early version of this story said Jim Klimaski is legal counsel for Hall. The attorney, however, is to be retained if Hall supporters can raise enough money. The story has been changed to reflect that. The Courier regrets the error.
Army Spc. Marc Hall, with the 2-7 Infantry Battalion, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd ID, was charged Dec. 17 with three counts of violating Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Conduct .
“Spc. Hall’s chain of command reacted accordingly in response to song lyrics allegedly written by Hall that allege threats against his chain of command and fellow soldiers, specifically shooting them,” said Kevin Larson, a spokesperson with Fort Stewart. “Spc. Hall followed his song lyrics with similar verbal threats made to multiple soldiers within his unit. The legal process will continue to move forward and Spc. Hall will be afforded all the rights he is entitled to under the UCMJ. The chain of command has a legal obligation to the citizens of the United States to investigate and deal fairly with Spc. Hall’s alleged misconduct. Anything less would be irresponsible to our citizens and soldiers.”
Hall is being held at the Liberty County jail until an Article 32 (preliminary) hearing can be held. Jim Klimaski, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney, is being recruited to represent Hall.
Klimaski was recently interviewed on the TV news show Russia Today. A clip of the interview can be found on Youtube.
Klimaski stated his client was angry and depressed because he was issued stop loss orders. The attorney said Hall had returned home from a tour to Iraq and did not want to deploy again because he and his wife just had a baby.
“The actual fighters, the infantry, the cavalry and the artillery are a small segment of the military and they’re always short these people. And that’s where he (Hall) is; and so they have these people stop-lossed.”
Klimaski added Hall was not alone in wanting to leave the army.
“A significant number don’t want to go back (to Iraq and Afghanistan), they want to get out,” he said. “They get to war and they don’t like it.”
Hall’s attorney stated in the interview the law requires a specific threat be made, such as against a building or organization.
“This is a generalized threat and therefore is not necessarily a criminal offense,” Klimaski said.
Hall’s attorney commented the soldier’s company and battalion commanders “overreacted.”
Klimaski said he understood the Army’s concerns, particularly in light of the shooting at Fort Hood in November, but stressed his client was merely exercising his right to freedom of speech.
“Music is a powerful means of communication but I don’t think it’s going to destroy the American military, particularly this one song,” he said.
According to a posting on Hall’s Web site, he was allegedly scheduled to leave the Army in February 2010 but had orders to deploy to Iraq with his unit last month.
The Department of Defense announced in March 2009 it intended to end the Stop Loss program in January 2010, just weeks after Hall was set to deploy with the 1st Brigade. Hall criticizes the stop loss program on his Web site http://marcwatercus.com (the site is not suitable contains curse words).