Iraq war veteran jailed over 'violent' rap song

[Bozita]

Source: Guardian UK

Iraq war veteran jailed over 'violent' rap song
Soldier says hip hop lyrics were protest against 'unending war' and military's forced extended service policy
Chris McGreal, in Washington
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 13 January 2010 17.52 GMT
Article history


An Iraq war veteran has been arrested and charged with threatening to kill his officers after recording a violent rap protest song and sending it to the Pentagon.

Marc Hall, a junior member of an infantry unit, wrote the song in protest at the US army's unpopular policy of involuntarily extending soldiers' service and forcing them to return to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Hall completed a 14-month spell in Iraq last year, expecting to be discharged next month, but was told he would have to go back to Iraq under the policy known as stop-loss.

The song includes lines saying the army "fucked me over", and a warning that he would shoot his officers and "watch all the bodies hit the floor".

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/13/marc-watercus-rap-song-pentagon

[thunder rising]

1. I'm a vet and I would never write such a song. But, I think I might just refuse to go back too.

Fuck it, throw me in jail. Chances are that the discharge will not be dishonorable since he did complete on tour and was protesting the stop loss.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cali]

15. yep, murder's a great way to make a point.

sigh.

[msongs]

2. threat to kill your commanding officers is not your smartest move nt

[quakerboy]

10. Depends on what your goal is

If its go along to get along, then no. If its a successful completion of your service, no. But if his highest priority is to avoid going back to Iraq, well, he might just get that.

[carla]

16. Tacit support

for "thought-crime" legislation. Nice. What one writes is nothing more than a narrative. It used to be that action was required in the commission of a crime. Now, you just have to think it...Cry for the lost nation!!

[zonkers]

3. Except for sending the Pentagon a copy, is this any different than Iced T singing Copkiller or NWA's

Fck the Police?

[DRoseDARs]

7. The difference is that was a civilian matter, and he did get a shitstorm over it. This is military.

Whole different world, the military is.

[Regret My New Name]

17. Not to mention the recent Fort Hood incident

[nvme]

5. which cell did they throw the 1st amendment into?

[DRoseDARs]

6. Singing about killing your fellow soldiers isn't something that'll win you a Grammy.

He brought this on himself.

[nvme]

11. singing it

is not the same as doing it.

[DRoseDARs]

12. Yeah, join the military, do what this guy did and tell us how that defense works out for you.

I'll break it to you thusly: Not well.

[ManiacJoe]

9. You are kidding, right?

When you join the military, you lose some of your civil rights.

[RaisedByWolves]

13. Patriot Act...gotta love it

I'm sooooooo happy my country has thought police! It makes me feel so safe!

[Angleae]

14. Has nothing to do with the patriot act, it's UCMJ.

Uniformed Code of Military Justice

[TacticalPeek]

8. Killing.

It's only ok sometimes.