Brandon Raub, The Government and The Facebook Generation

BY VINNY MURPHY AND CANDACE RIVERA

Iraqi veteran Brandon J. Raub is speaking out, after his recent detainment in a Virginian psych ward earlier this month. Raub, a decorated Marine, was arrested outside his home after law enforcement received complaints about Raub’s social media posts.

“It made me scared for my country the idea that a man can be snatched off of his property without being read his rights,” Raub said during an interview posted on “The Rutherford Institute’s” website. In the interview Raub cites how a combined team of secret service, FBI agents, and local law enforcement arrested him without reading the Miranda Rights and without formal charges. “I think that should be extremely alarming to all Americans.”

Raub was sentenced to a psychiatric commitment of up to 30 days. By August 23, Raub was released from custody via Judge Allan Sharrett’s order. The judge determined the government had no grounds to hold Raub, citing that the case “is so devoid of any factual allegations that it could not be reasonably expected to give rise to a case or controversy.”

“Fiction has become fact. We are living in an Orwellian society,” said John Whitehead in an interview with Raub posted on “The Rutherford Institute’s” website. Whitehead claims that Raub’s arrest for his Facebook posts is in direct violation of the first amendment and similar to author George Orwell’s novel Ninteen Eighty Four. The novel tells the tale of a society being continually watched and controlled by the government.

Under Virginia law, emergency custody is allowed if the person in question is suspected of having a mental illness that could lead them to “cause serious physical harm to himself or others as evidenced by recent behavior causing, attempting, or threatening harm and other relevant information,” “is in need of hospitalization or treatment, and is unwilling to volunteer or incapable of volunteering for hospitalization or treatment.”

The Rutherford Insitute’s 20 minute interview revealed how Raub felt during his detainment in a psych ward. Raub called his lawyer, Whitehead, stating that he was being threatened with brainwashing by psychiatrists, as well as being asked if he heard voices.

The FBI confirmed that Raub was detained due to perceived “threatening posts” on Facebook. FBI spokeswoman Dee Rybiski clarified that Raub was not under any type of surveillance, but that the concerns came from public complaints. Rybiski, in a Huffington Post interview, also stated, “Given the circumstances with the things that have gone on in the country with some of these mass shootings, it would be horrible for law enforcement not to pay attention to complaints.”

Raub’s Facebook page consists of a post published on August 13 at 11:38 a.m. saying: “Sharpen up my axe; I’m here to sever heads.” The quote was later revealed to be a song lyric, and was apparently part of a “game” being played on Facebook. No mention of this was made in the post itself.

Two days later on August 15, Raub posted, “The revolution is here. And I will lead it.”

Raub’s Facebook page reveals months of comments of revolution and 9/11 conspiracies, frequently paired with movie trailers, video game clips and music videos. In November of 2011, Raub wrote an 845 word piece claiming that the public had been betrayed by the government, and calling upon citizen’s to “take our republic back.”

Raub’s attorneys are now preparing to file a civil lawsuit against government officials who were involved in the August 16 arrest.

  Afghanistan, facebook, Iraq, rockland county, social media, social media and the law, veterans