Brittany Griner

[schmidlap]

Im confused by the narrative/expectations surrounding this story for a number of reasons.

Let me say that I want this woman to be returned to the US swiftly and safely. She's a US citizen, and our government should be working to get her returned home.

That said.

1. She did break the law (Russian law) allegedly by having cannabis oil in her carry on. I'm not spun up on what the punishment for that type of crime is in Russia but like it or not we have to accept their legal process. Is the contention that she didn't have cannabis oil in her baggage? I haven't heard anyone say that she didn't.

2. This couldn't be going on at a worse time. Russia has no motivation to negotiate with the US right now.

3. Her wife made the assertion that she was in Russia playing because the WNBA doesn't pay her enough. She makes 220k a year from the WNBA a sum of money most people can live on. A league that runs a 10 million dollar a year deficit and wouldn't even exist if not for the largess of the NBA. I'm not sure how much money a person can expect to make from a failing business venture that only continues to stay afloat due to the charity of another super lucrative business. Making 220k a year playing a game in a league that hemorrhages 10 million dollars a year seems pretty good to me.

4. Im not sure how fast everyone expected her to be returned to the US. If we use the recently released Reed as a gauge she might be in Russia for a year or more. He was held for 3 years I think, it doesnt seem reasonable to assume she would be released before her trial has concluded.

Hopefully this issue is resolved quickly and Brittany gets to come home safe to her family both immediate and her American family but it's likely going to take a year or more for that to happen.

I am unaware whether pleading guilty to having cannabis oil that was prescribed by a doctor in one's luggage normally carries a sentence of nine year in a penal colony in Russia, but it seems obvious that this woman who won two Olympic gold medals for the United States was targeted for political purposes.

Her release is an achievement that should be celebrated, and I hope it leads to more Americans who are political prisoners being released.

The price exacted was the release of a convicted arms dealer who had served fifteen years of his sentence. If he had served only the ten months Griner had, the exchange would not have been made.

Unfortunately, there are haters in America who do not know her and applauded her suffering and shared Putin's plan to extend for nine years, but Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, who helped secure the basketball star’s release, stated:

“I was left with the impression this is an intelligent, passionate, compassionate, humble, interesting person, a patriotic person. But above all, authentic. I hate the fact that I had to meet her in this manner, but I actually felt blessed having had a chance to get to know her.”​

MSN

www.msn.com

​

For the haters, she is only a symbol, as she was for Putin.

 

[Fiero425]

I am unaware whether pleading guilty to having cannabis oil that was prescribed by a doctor in one's luggage normally carries a sentence of nine year in a penal colony in Russia, but it seems obvious that this woman who won two Olympic gold medals for the United States was targeted for political purposes.

Her release is an achievement that should be celebrated, and I hope it leads to more Americans who are political prisoners being released.

The price exacted was the release of a convicted arms dealer who had served fifteen years of his sentence. If he had served only the ten months Griner had, the exchange would not have been made.

Unfortunately, there are haters in America who do not know her and applauded her suffering and shared Putin's plan to extend for nine years, but Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, who helped secure the basketball star’s release, stated:

“I was left with the impression this is an intelligent, passionate, compassionate, humble, interesting person, a patriotic person. But above all, authentic. I hate the fact that I had to meet her in this manner, but I actually felt blessed having had a chance to get to know her.”​

MSN

www.msn.com

​

For the haters, she is only a symbol, as she was for Putin.

We're all going to just have to forgive Griner's stupidity of putting herself in jeapardy, but it was an all or nothing trade! She was lucky an obsolete prisoner was available! Supposedly this "Merchant Of Death" doesn't have the connections we thought after his many years locked up! I'm gonna try to get over this imbalanced trade! We're lucky Putin had enough sense to take advantage of the photo optics since Russia so isolated! Internationally he's being crushed and they're included in nothing as his athletes are being banned from competing in many events around the world! The Russians were definitely missed on the Figure Skating Grand Prix that ended today! Wimbledon was punished when players banned from Russia and Belarus! There were no ATP points awarded to this past Wimbledon Champ. in July!

 

[Polishprince]

I am unaware whether pleading guilty to having cannabis oil that was prescribed by a doctor in one's luggage normally carries a sentence of nine year in a penal colony in Russia, but it seems obvious that this woman who won two Olympic gold medals for the United States was targeted for political purposes.

Her release is an achievement that should be celebrated, and I hope it leads to more Americans who are political prisoners being released.

The price exacted was the release of a convicted arms dealer who had served fifteen years of his sentence. If he had served only the ten months Griner had, the exchange would not have been made.

Unfortunately, there are haters in America who do not know her and applauded her suffering and shared Putin's plan to extend for nine years, but Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, who helped secure the basketball star’s release, stated:

“I was left with the impression this is an intelligent, passionate, compassionate, humble, interesting person, a patriotic person. But above all, authentic. I hate the fact that I had to meet her in this manner, but I actually felt blessed having had a chance to get to know her.”​

MSN

www.msn.com

​

For the haters, she is only a symbol, as she was for Putin.

What "political purpose" could that be?


The Russian Federation just doesn't approve of grass, regardless of Ms. Griner's or your sensibilities.

And they are not the only government with that attitude, similar treatment can be expected for foreigners who try to bring drugs into the Tremendous Republics of Singapore and Indonesia as well.

 

[schmidlap]

What "political purpose" could that be?

If you want to trust Putin and believe that an American who won two olympic gold medals for America was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony for having medically-prescribed cannabis oil in her possession had no political motivation, you can, of course.

 

[Wild Bill Kelsoe]

If you want to trust Putin and believe that an American who won two olympic gold medals for America was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony for having medically-prescribed cannabis oil in her possession had no political motivation, you can, of course.

View attachment 738116​

It was hashish oil and it's a schedule 1 drug in The United States.

 

[schmidlap]

It was hashish oil and it's a schedule 1 drug in The United States.

Griner’s defense team submitted to the Russian court a letter from a US medical center issuing a permit in Arizona in 2020 for the use of medical cannabis for Griner to treat her chronic pain caused by sports injuries. She acknowledged that she had vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage.

According to the Russians, Mr Griner allegedly packed hashish oil in her bag.

Some prefer to believe Putin to an American.

In any event, in Russia, an individual possessing less than 6 grams of cannabis or two grams of hash can be fined or jailed for up to 15 days. Possessing any more than that becomes a more serious criminal offense.

Ms Griner was accused of having less than one gram.

 

[Fiero425]

Griner’s defense team submitted to the Russian court a letter from a US medical center issuing a permit in Arizona in 2020 for the use of medical cannabis for Griner to treat her chronic pain caused by sports injuries. She acknowledged that she had vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage.

According to the Russians, Mr Griner allegedly packed hashish oil in her bag.

Some prefer to believe Putin to an American.

In any event, in Russia, an individual possessing less than 6 grams of cannabis or two grams of hash can be fined or jailed for up to 15 days. Possessing any more than that becomes a more serious criminal offense.

Ms Griner was accused of having less than one gram.

We complain about how harsh Putin and his idea of justice is, but according to statistics, we're worse by imprisoning people for minor stuff; usually racially or socially motivated BS! The South still can't act right!

 

[schmidlap]

We complain about how harsh Putin and his idea of justice is, but according to statistics, we're worse by imprisoning people for minor stuff; usually racially or socially motivated BS! The South still can't act right!

It is especially disturbing when there are Americans who agree with Putin that an American should serve nine months in a penal colony for a minor infraction.

 

[Fiero425]

It is especially disturbing when there are Americans who agree with Putin that an American should serve nine months in a penal colony for a minor infraction.

Well it's to be expected! We've been caught up in a vortex of stupidity & selfishness! People are encouraged to ask fro severe consequences of others while always looking for a loophole of the finger's pointed at ourselves!