August 29, 2012

Government Clampdown on Free Speech: Marine vs. Occupier

By M. Catharine Evans
In mid-August, government and law enforcement officials went to former Marine Brandon Raub's door with no warrant.  They questioned Raub about what they considered ominous Facebook postings, handcuffed him, and forced him to undergo a psych evaluation at a local hospital. The 26-year-old North Chesterfield, Virginia man was taken into custody by FBI and Secret Service agents as well as Chesterfield police for posting anti-government messages on his private Facebook page. Raub was released on August 23, but not before he was transferred to a veterans' hospital psychiatric unit 188 miles away from his home. John W. Whitehead, a constitutional lawyer and executive director of the Virginia-based Rutherford Institute, dispatched two of the group's attorneys to represent Raub at a mental health hearing.  Whitehead expressed concern that government officials were monitoring citizens' private Facebook accounts and targeting people with opposing views. For...(Read Full Article)