Stop-lossed soldier sits in Jail

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After over a month of confinement, Army Specialist Marc Hall still sits incarcerated in the Liberty County Jail near Fort Stewart, GA. The U.S. Army jailed Hall on December 11, claiming that the lyrics of his hip-hop song, “Stop-loss” amount to the “communication of a threat.” Hall, an Iraq War veteran, recorded the song last summer, expressing his anger over the Army’s Stop-Loss policy, which involuntarily extended his contract for a second Iraq deployment. We believe that Spc. Hall’s right to free speech is being violated with the Army’s actions. How you can help Spc. Hall IVAW and Courage to Resist are working together to raise awareness about Marc’s situation and demand his immediate release. Here’s how you can help Marc today: 1) Write a letter to Marc in jail letting him know he has your support. Send letters to: Marc Hall Liberty County Jail 180 Paul Sikes Dr. Hinesville, GA 31310 2) Donate to Marc’s legal defense fund by clicking here. Listen to Marc’s song “Stop-loss” Spc. Hall planned to leave the military at the end of his contract (Feb 2010) to spend more time with his family, but the Army issued a stop-loss order last summer preventing his separation. He recorded the song “Stop-loss” and mailed it directly to the Pentagon sometime in July. Hall claims the Army took little action at first. In a recent statement Marc said, “My first sergeant called me into his office to discuss the song’s nature. I explained to him that the hardcore rap song was a free expression of how people feel about the Army and its stop-loss policy. I explained that the song was neither a physical threat nor any threat whatsoever. I told him it was just hip-hop.” Marc goes on to say, “My first sergeant said he actually liked the song and that he did not take it as a threat. He and my commander at the time just recommended me for mental counseling and evaluation.” Over the next few months Hall continued expressing uncomfortable feelings to his chain of command about his upcoming Iraq deployment. When he returned from two weeks leave on Dec. 7, 2009 he informed his chain of command that he could not in good conscience deploy again to Iraq. Four days later the Army placed him in the Liberty County Jail in Hinesville, GA claiming that hi hip-hop lyrics amounted to the “communication of a threat.” Jim Klimaski, a Washington D.C. attorney closely following the case, argues that Hall’s chain of command took excessive action in the wake of the Fort Hood shootings and those actions against Hall violate his first amendment right to free speech. “[The Army] decided they didn’t want to send him back to Iraq, but didn’t want to admit that they should let go. So they created this situation; I think Hall’s commanders overreacted when they listened to the song and put him in jail. Music is a powerful means of communication but a song is not going to destroy the American military, particularly this song.” Specialist Hall’s unit deployed to Iraq without him in mid-December. The Army is currently deciding whether it will keep Marc Hall incarcerated until his court martial in five months. As Specialist Hall awaits that decision, the Army continues to implement its stop-loss policy despite President Obama’s promise to end the unfair practice. According to the Pentagon 120,000 soldiers have been affected by stop-loss since 2001 and 13,000 are currently serving under stop-loss orders.

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