Can the government detain you over Facebook posts?

Tiffany Madison

WASHINGTON, August 22, 2012 - 26-year old Brandon J. Raub, a pro-liberty activist, former U.S. Marine and Virginia resident, was arrested after authorities deemed his Facebook posts threatening. Citing an obscure statute allowing a citizen’s detainment for psychiatric evaluation, the FBI, Secret Service and local authorities swarmed Raub’s property to question and then seize him.

Without a warrant or recitation of his Miranda rights, Raub was taken into custody. After a quick hearing, government officials confirmed Raub’s Facebook posts necessitated his detention, refusing to acknowledge legal objections that the words were wrongly interpreted. The former Marine will undergo 30 days of evaluation at Salem VA Medical Center.

Since the incident, Raub has become an online hero as the arrest video and Facebook pages teeter on the verge of going viral. Citizens from all political persuasions, veterans, civil liberties advocates and the generally curious are discussing the political manifesto and detainment of Brandon Raub.

Read more: Can the government detain you over Facebook posts? | Washington Times Communities

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Tiffany Madison

Tiffany is a columnist for Communities @ Washington Times.com and Speak Liberty Now.  Her American ancestry dates back to the 17th century with founding fathers attaching her family name to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. An 8th generation Texan, Tiffany is passionately involved in local and state politics and online advocacy. She is a believer in open discussion, net neutrality, representative republican government and bi-partisan, logical, truthful and uncensored exchanges.

  

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