Judge Orders Release of Ex-Marine Detained Over Facebook Posts

Penurious Penguin writes "A few days ago, news of an ex-marine detained for his Facebook posts reached far and wide throughout the interweb. It was a hotly debated affair and considered from many perspectives. Today, a judge has ordered the release of Brandon Raub, citing a lack of facts regarding the detention. It's a strange case, undoubtedly, but perhaps even stranger when taking into account a few things. For example, Raub reportedly made claims that one of the psychiatrists involved in the case threatened him with forced medication. For history polymaths, government proposals of forced medication may not be a surprise; you may remember the case of Susan Lindauer. The situation may also remind of 2009, when Fusion Centers targeted Ron Paul supporters, certain universities, and conspiracy theorists as threats to national security, even logging anti death-penalty and anti-war activists into federal terrorism databases. Personally, I find myself wondering what sorts of epic dangers someone like Noam Chomsky might seem to pose after a stressful day and a few beers, if overheard by certain departments."

Comments

Ex-military, current paranoid schizophrenic

[crazyjj]

I don't know if this guy was ever a real threat to anyone or not, but he certainly isn't some super-patriot or free speech hero. He's mentally ill, and really does need help (even if you can't force it). The guy seriously believes that George W. Bush is living in a secret castle in Colorado where he rapes and sacrifices children. He also believes that Bush not only planned 9-11, but serves a world shadow government who also seem to spend most of their time raping and sacrificing children (when they're not planning world domination, I guess).

Whatever you think of the free speech issues involved, please don't celebrate this dude. He's very sick and needs help.

Re:Ex-military, current paranoid schizophrenic

[postbigbang]

Making observations based on superficial evidence is usually pretty dicey, but the opinions he ostensibly represents would lead one to believe that there are paranoid delusions being spouted, rather than random disinformation usually attributed to political parties.

In your case, being obviously preposterous is much different than being delusional. While professionals are the ultimate observers, we civilians can make reasonably educated guesses ourselves.

Re:Ex-military, current paranoid schizophrenic

[Hatta]

You're right the free speech issues here are minimal. The real problem is how we deal with the mentally ill in this country. He needs help, not prison.

Unfortunately, in this puritanical country mental illness is treated like demonic posession. That is, something to punish the victim for to make ourselves feel more righteous. That's even more sick than this guy is.

Re:Ex-military, current paranoid schizophrenic

[gmanterry]

I don't know if this guy was ever a real threat to anyone or not, but he certainly isn't some super-patriot or free speech hero. He's mentally ill, and really does need help (even if you can't force it). The guy seriously believes that George W. Bush is living in a secret castle in Colorado where he rapes and sacrifices children. He also believes that Bush not only planned 9-11, but serves a world shadow government who also seem to spend most of their time raping and sacrificing children (when they're not planning world domination, I guess).

Whatever you think of the free speech issues involved, please don't celebrate this dude. He's very sick and needs help.

Here is a link to what is supposed to be on his FaceBook page:

http://wtvr.com/2012/08/21/full-text-brandon-raubs-proclamation-take-our-republic-back/

I don't see any references to Bush or children and being a former Marine myself, I agree with what he says. If he was arrested for this, it is just wrong and they need to put me away too.

Re:Ex-military, current paranoid schizophrenic

[thedonger]

The "version" of this Bilderberg theory I hear is that Bush is dumb as dirt

I think there's enough video evidence from him speaking to prove that point.

Bush said an incredible amount of Really Stupid Things. I find it hard to believe anybody still believes he's anything but a drooling chimp.

Just curious, but when Obama said he had visited 57 states, did you see that as being stupid? How about the unbelievably numerous times he stammers in his non-teleprompter speeches, e.g., I-I-I-I-I-I don't- wha-wha-wha-what I mean; you see, the-the-the..., and so on? Or is he still The Great Orator? Genius, voice of a generation? And Haliburton is evil, but what about Obama's Goldman-Sachs chums in the administration?

We spend so much time complaining, yet it is us - the people, the voters - who opted to sit around and watch television and let politicians warp the constitution to serve their need for power. The right and the left serve the same master. But it isn't the people.

Expect more stories like this.

[Anonymous Coward]

More troops are coming home. A lot of them spent a lot of time overseas, and despite the intense media spin that says otherwise, we did some really messed up shit over there.

We took bright-eyed young people raised in an age of hope and peace and dropped them in to the middle of a secratarian human rights mess and forced them to watch the destruction of countless families and lives first hand.. And often by actions of their own hands.

Now that they're home we don't need them anymore, and we'll tell them to suck it up and deal with it. We're sorry you had to watch your buddies get blown up by a roadside bomb. We're sorry you had to watch some child bleed out and die in your arms. We just don't want to pay for the costs of treating your trauma.

Kafka

[arth1]

He should have an offer of the very best help possible, paid for by the same people who paid for him being a marine.

I'm not so sure that he should be forced into treatment until and unless he causes harm, not just talk. That opens up for Kafkanesque abuse.