Abrasion on Brandon Raub’s back?
According to reports, Brandon Raub is a former, decorated Marine who came back from Iraq about a year ago. He reportedly made anti-government comments on Facebook. (There is something about making threats on Facebook that doesn’t quite compute. It seems a little like writing four-letter words on cupcakes.)
FBI and Secret Service interpreted Raub’s comments as threats of a “terrorist nature” and subsequently arrested him. Since his arrest, Raub has reportedly been shipped off for a psychological evaluation–apparently to discover if he was suffering for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder brought on by his tour in the Iraq.
So far, it appears that Raub’s been “detained” for allegedly resisting arrest–but not for making terrorist threats.
His mother and one other party allege that Brandon did not resist arrest. They imply that the FBI’s claim that Brandon resisted arrest is a lie.
But if you watch the first video, you’ll see a serious abrasion on Brandon’s back that appears to be fresh. This abrasion is consistent with some sort of struggle either immediately before or shortly after Brandon was “arrested” and might be evidence that Brandon did, in fact, “resist” arrest . . . or “detention” . . . or maybe he just resisted fascism. But there may have been some actual “resistance”.
The videos are chilling. They claim or imply that America has become a country where people can be arrested and taken to mental health facilities for merely criticizing the government. The Raub incident is disturbingly Orwellian–especially for people like me who spend a lot of time criticizing the government.
However, I do not yet know what Mr. Raub actually said on his Facebook account. Did he merely criticize the government or did he make clear, overt and violent threats? If he threatened the President, like it or not, he should have expected the Secret Service to come a-calling to investigate whether he’s just another loudmouth or if his threat was credible.
In fact, I have a friend whose son (about 35 years old), sent an email to Obama earlier this year that was critical of Obama. The government interpreted the email as making “terrorist threats”. My friend’s son sent the email on a Thursday, and on the following Monday–just four days after he’d sent the critical email–the Secret Service and local police arrived at my friend’s home, “detained” his son and ultimately shipped him off to the mental health facility at Terrel, Texas where he spent a month or six weeks.
I know my friend’s son and he’s no terrorist. He criticized the government and/or Obama, but he had no plan or intent to attack anyone. So his sudden arrest/detention also sounds Orwellian, doesn’t it?
But, in fact, my friend’s son was living with him because the young man was a little mentally-unbalanced. So, it wasn’t exactly a surprise when the gov-co shipped him off to Terrel, Texas, for a psychological “tune-up”. What was a surprise for everyone (including me) was that after the young man returned, it was undeniable that his psyche was dramatically improved as compared to his condition before the arrest/detention. Truth is, being arrested/detained by the gov-co turned out to be a blessing for my friend’s son.
My point is that–no matter how much I may despise what passes for “government” these days–not everything government does is wrong or scary or even “Orwellian”. Hell, not everything they do is even stupid. Much of what government does may be questionable, but is nevertheless, on balance, “OK”.0
I’m not saying that any mental health care will be beneficial for Mr. Raub. Back in the 1990s, I heard and believed reports about a brilliant individual who was highly critical of government and devised strategies to legally thwart government. He was “captured” and shipped off for mental health care and his brain was reportedly destroyed by government-issued drugs.
Mental health care is government’s last defense against dissidents. If gov-co has no legal basis for stopping dissidents, they can always allege the dissident must be nuts–and by the time gov-co is finished with a particular dissident he may well be too mentally impaired to function.
I’m no fan of government. Still, it’s important to recognize that some of what government does is . . . excusable. I’m not alleging that the government’s arrest of Mr. Raub is justified. I’m saying I don’t know whether the arrest was or was not even marginally “justifiable”. I’m not even arguing whether Raub’s arrest was right or wrong. (It was probably wrong.)
But whenever the subject of fear (or something scary) comes up, I’m reminded of Revelation 21:8 which includes a laundry list of those destined for damnation. The list includes several classes of people (murderers, liars, etc.) who you’d expect to be damned. But the top of the list is “those who fear” (or the “cowardly” in some Bible versions). Fear itself is ungodly.
Therefore, I don’t trust anyone who sells fear. More importantly, I’m not going to be stampeded into a state of fear by a couple of YouTube videos (below).
We live in difficult times. It’s hard to discover the complete truth about anything. It’s important that we keep our wits about us and not succumb to fear every time we see something that might be “Orwellian”.
Imagine that Ron Paul was elected President. Imagine that a group of radical Muslims threatened President Paul’s life. Would you want the Secret Service to quickly investigate and perhaps “detain” such radicals? Of course, you would.
Well, I know it’s hard to believe, but some people actually feel the same way about Obama. No accounting for taste, hmm? Nevertheless, whatcha gonna do? In this era, people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw threats.
Here are the two videos. Consider. Don’t succumb to fear.
video 00:04:20 Raub’s arrest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=c-57PzLmHp8
video 00:10:16 Mr. Raub’s mother commenting on her son’s “arrest”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UVWA_u6Uk_Q#!
Huey Campbell
August 18, 2012 at 9:31 PM
Here are the 5 articles from Brandon Raub on the Dont-Tread-On.Me site.
Property, Liberty, Jesus, and Our Country
What God Tried To Do
Richmond Liberty March
Economics 101
The Richmond Liberty Movement
Anon4fun
August 18, 2012 at 10:59 PM
When you hate the institution of government as such, the terrorists win.
Mr. Adask, thanks for not buying into the nutty hate-the-state anarchist line being sponsored by the post-Soviet-style oligarchy in waiting. They would rather We the People give up our instruments of political power, won at great price over centuries, and compete against them as isolated economic units: a game they have us beat at before we even start.
sue
August 19, 2012 at 10:50 AM
This Marine knows very well what would happen to him when he posts.
It seems that he was ‘asking for it’ by design.
If someone really wants to be effective with a message, I doubt very much if they would set themselves up to be arrested as it seems this Marine has done..as per the ‘Plan’ he will wind up in a cupcake prison and quietly released in a couple of months unbeknownst to the public.
Teddy Ottman
August 19, 2012 at 8:03 PM
Im a former Marine Grunt who sends critisizing emails to the Obama administration all the time and I’ve never even been contacted, much less arrested.
Adask
August 19, 2012 at 11:17 PM
Wait your turn, wait your turn.
liberty tree
August 20, 2012 at 12:35 AM
Huh? Not sure what was said, but I nonetheless dont like the way this is getting everyone used to just having folks disappear for critical speech. I do agree that I am suspicious of this incident for some reason, something doesn’t feel right.
William Dean A. Garner
August 20, 2012 at 12:59 AM
You all are missing a very important point about this case: “fighting words” are NOT protected under any Constitutional Amendment. In 1942, the US Supreme Court ruled in Chaplinsky vs. New Hampshire that fighting words were simply not part of free speech.
Plain and simple.
If you criticize the US government without making threats, you are probably under the radar of the FBI, unless you do it consistently and in a large public forum.
Those “conspiracy theorists” who have a large and very public forum, like Alex Jones, are protected because they are false opposition to the powers that be. They are controlled by them as a means for We The People to think we have a “voice” out there. Also used to corral We The People into a recognized and easily manipulated group. Controlled from within by the powers that be.
The FBI brought me to question me about my letter to Dr. Zbibniew Brzezinski two years ago. I did not use fighting words but my language was firm and to the point. No arrest was made and one of them even said to me, “I like you and your work.” Sincere? Who knows?
If you wish to critique the work of the powers that be, please do NOT use fighting words or threats. Take the smart path of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Ghandi, using peaceful yet very forceful words and actions.
Never take NO for an answer. . . .
–William Dean A. Garner
Draya
August 20, 2012 at 1:13 AM
Nothing he said was terroristic in nature. Also Id like to point out that there were 2 fb pages, 1 under the name Brandon J Raub (the one that is highly questionable) and the one under the name Raub Brandon, which I was friends with. He was a normal guy on that page, whereas the other page is way over the top. Im not buying it. I think it is a fake page to justify his arrest (and it still doesnt do that) Since when do people get arrested on the premisis of what they MIGHT do? lastly, the authors comparison to the ron paul threat is null and void seeing as Raub didnt threaten the president, just questioned and critisized his administration. This is the NDAA hard at work, even though it was ruled “Unconstitutional” But fuck it right, he’s the GD president. SMFH!
Yartap
August 20, 2012 at 9:42 AM
In order for Brandon Raub to be charged with “resisting arrest,” he must have been charged with another crime in order to be charged with resisting arrest. Either the officers witnessed him committing a crime or a warrant was issued for his arrest and that warrant must exist. Other wise, the government commits tyranny.
It would not surprise me that the only charge against him is “resisting arrest.”
But, more importantly is this: It you resist arrest for another charge, and both charges are placed upon you, and it is found that you are innocent of the arresting charge; the charge of “resisting arrest” still stands. Why?, because government wants to step upon our necks and control a sovereign people. This is Tyranny!
I remember the man in Alabama who escaped from prison with 2 months left on his 10 year sentence. I know – it does sounds crazy. Before they had him back in prison, it was discovered that he was innocent of the charge which placed him in prison. So, what did Alabama do? They charged him with “escape from prison,” which he had to serve two more years. Now, that is Tyranny!
Yartap
August 22, 2012 at 2:09 AM
__________ UP DATE _______
I love how the media said that Brandon was detained for posting “anti-government” speach. Was it anti-government or was it “anti-bad-government” speech? Those darn news-guys always get it wrong.
It seems that the state of Virginia as its own version of the NDAA. The state may “take” (not arrest) and temporarily hold people for psy-co evaluation on the word and recommendation of a state psy-co official without his or her evaluation of the subject person, first. This is done by warrant from a Magistrate.
The FBI stated that they did not spy on his FaceBook page, but rather, “received several” reports of his postings. The FBI basically said that we would want the FBI to prevent Brandon from shooting up a movie theater.
The “resisting arrest” charge was placed “at first” because Brandon did not want to allow them into his home without a warrant. Once the warrant was presented, he opened the door. That charge was dropped.
But guess what? The damn judge has already issued an order for an additional month of evaluation for Brandon. What has brought that about? Can you say it? Political Prisoner!
Yartap
August 23, 2012 at 6:36 PM
BRANDON IS RELEASED!
Daniel
August 20, 2012 at 4:21 PM
Source: http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2012/08/19/decorated-marine-committed-psych-ward-facebook-post-170471/
This site claims this was the original post:
“This very patriotic post made on Facebook on Friday, November 11, 2011 at 9:00am:
America has lost itself. We have lost who we truly are. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave. This is the land of Thomas Jefferson. This is the land of Benjamin Franklin. This is the land of Fredrick Douglas. This is the land of Smedley Butler. This is the land John F. Kennedy. This is the land of Martin Luther King. This is the land where the cowboy wins. This is the land where you can start from the bottom and get to the top. This is the land where regardless of you race and ethnicity you can suceed and build a better life for you and your family. This is the land where every race coexists peacefully. This is the land where justice wins. This is the land where liberty dwells. This is the land where freedom reigns. This is the land where we help the poor, and people help eachother. This is land where people beat racism.
The federal reserve is wrong. They have designed a system based off of gread and fear. They designed a system to crush the middle class between taxes and inflation. This is wrong, and it is unjust. It is wrong.
We have allowed ourselves to be devieced and seduced by the powers of the printing press. It is not a good system. It discourages saving: the foundation for all stable economic activity. The federal reserve is artificially manipulating interests rates and creating phony economic data. This thing has decieved our entire nation.
They created it 1913. They also created the income tax in 1913. They encouraged the growth of debt so they can tax you on it. There is interest on the debt. Your government is in bed with these people. They want to enslave you to the government so that they can control every aspect of your lives. It is an empire based on lies. They operate of greed and fear.
There is a better way. It’s called freedom. Freedom is called a lot of things. But there is a true meaning. It means very simply that you have the right to do whatever you want as long as you are not infringing on the feedoms of other people.
I firmly believe that God set America apart from the other nations of the world. He saved a place where people could come to to escape bad systems of goverment. This system we have created works. It really works.
There is evil going on all around the world. The United States was meant to lead the charge against injustice, but through our example not our force. People do not respond to having liberty and freedom forced on them.
Men and Women follow courage. They follow leadership, and courage. Our example has paved the way for people all around the world to change their forms of goverment.
Force is not the way because liberty is a powerful concept. The idea that men can govern themselves is the basis for every just form of government.
We can govern ourselves. We do not need to be governed by men who want to install a one world banking system. These men have machine hearts. Machine and unnatural hearts. They have blocked out the possibility of a better world. They fear human progress. They have monopolies on everything.
This life can be free and beautiful. There are enough resources on this earth to support the world’s population. There are enough resources on this earth to feed everyone. There is enough land for everyone to own their own land and farm, and produce their own energy.
These people have been hiding technology. There are ways to create power easily. There is technology that can provide free cheap power for everyone. There are farming techniques that can feed the entire world.
The bill of rights is being systematically dismantled. Men have spilled their blood for those rights.
Your sons and daughters, your brothers and sisters, and Americas best young men and women are loosing their limbs. They are loosing their lives. They are loosing the hearts. They do not know why they are fighting. They are killing. And they do not know why.
They have done some extroadinary acts. Their deeds go before them. But these wars are lies. They are lies. They decieved our entire nation with terrorism. They have gotten us to hand them our rights. Our Rights! Men died for those rights!
September Eleventh was an inside job. They blew up a third building in broad daylight. Building 7.
Your leaders betrayed you.
You elected an aristocracy. They are beholden to special interests. They were brainwashed through the Council on Foreign Relations. Your leaders are planning to merge the United States into a one world banking system. They want to put computer chips in you.
These men have evil hearts. They have tricked you into supporting corporate facism. We gave them the keys to our country. We were not vigilant with our republic.
There is hope. BUT WE MUST TAKE OUR REPUBLIC BACK.”
Paul
August 21, 2012 at 5:52 PM
IN THE VIDEO OF THE ARREST HIS BROTHER TOOK, YOU CAN SEE THEY THREW HIM TO THE GROUND WHILE HANDCUFFED…that is why he has that abrasion on his back.