By Doug Newman

I got on the internet in 1996 and have been a blogger since early 1997. All this time, I have been fully aware l whatever I say can be read by someone somewhere who might not approve.

I can approach this one of two ways: either cower in fear of Big Brother, or use the most powerful educational tool the world has ever seen to, in the words of John F. Kennedy, “inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mold, educate and sometimes even anger public opinion.”

Yesterday, Brandon Raub, who had served two combat tours with the Marines, was sentenced – without a trial – to 30 days in a Virginia psychiatric hospital over some anti-government Facebook remarks. This is taken from a page in Leonid Brezhnev’s playbook.

Some folks are responding to this saying, “Get off of Facebook!”

If this is the case, why not just get off the web altogether? Something doesn’t have to be on Facebook to raise the eyebrows of the authorities.

Now is the time to play offense, not defense. Now is the worst possible time to tuck tail and run. In the words of the abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison: “I will not equivocate — I will not excuse — I will not retreat a single inch — and I will be heard.”

If Brandon Raub can be sentenced without trial to a psychiatric hospital for exercising his rights, why can’t you?

Google Brandon Raub.

Free Brandon Raub!

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