Brittney Griner in jail

[Jabberwocky]

You wouldn't catch this American traveling to Russia while we're at proxy war with them. Especially not carrying contraband.

[Saiwania]

Griner also did nothing wrong.

She made a grave mistake in traveling to Russia. She could've told her employer that she was not going to play this specific match because it's hosted in a country she sees as too dangerous for her? Now that she's detained there, there are limited to no options for getting her back, unless if she can escape or gets back out of Russia somehow.

She's recently admitted to what she is being charged with but denies intent. Was this voluntarily or under duress? If she knows what she did and did that, it's pretty bad for her.

[Partybus]

What happened to the "good old days" when contraband to Russia was an extra suitcase filled with Levis' for bartering?

[Katganistan]

I don't know if she did the crime or not. Don't trust Russia. But also not too sympathetic.

She was foolish to come to that country if she knew of the geopolitical situation ahead of time. I don't care if the sports team would say you have to go, I'd tell them I'm not going or participating in that specific match/game because I can't trust that Russia won't try to detain me and hold me for ransom or as some bargaining tool against the US- because of war in Ukraine.

They could fire me or wait until I'm available for other matches/events in friendly territory, were I a pro-athlete.

I'd at minimum vet every government of every location I'm going to and their possible motivations or recent actions with regards to their foreign policy. If it's too risky/dangerous and they're effectively hostile to where I'm from, then I'd have to stay clear away from them. You don't go to North Korea for example, if you're American and so on.

She was detained February 17. The invasion started the 24th. I don't believe the US would have sent athletes there knowing that there would be an invasion.

Sounds like victim blaming to me.

[Katganistan]

Fuck her. She carried the drugs in, its fucking Russia, how stupid do you have to be to attempt that?

This is a woman who has claimed multiple times how shitty the USA is. Let her learn the difference 10 years in a Russian prison seems like justice to me.

Wait. She slammed the USA a lot and is now begging USA to help her after she was caught smuggling drugs?

Protesting police brutality by sitting out the national anthem is not calling the US shitty. It's calling police brutality shitty.

[Ethel mermania]

Wait. She slammed the USA a lot and is now begging USA to help her after she was caught smuggling drugs?

Protesting police brutality by sitting out the national anthem is not calling the US shitty. It's calling police brutality shitty.

You can call out police brutality without saying the country is a shithole.

[Katganistan]

Protesting police brutality by sitting out the national anthem is not calling the US shitty. It's calling police brutality shitty.

You can call out police brutality without saying the country is a shithole.

Still trying to see in your link where she said that.

[Katganistan]

The people detained in Rikers should be released too. Pre-trial detention should exclusively apply to those who pose a physical danger to others' safety, no one else.

They're closing down Riker's entirely. However, bail reform in NYC has done exactly what you say should be done and has led to the crime rate being higher than ever with a revolving door of people getting arrested, released and re-offending over and over.

[Khurkhogur]

You really gonna tell me that the laws of the Russian Federation hold some deep moral value such that to break them, no matter how inconsequentially, is an unquestionably an immoral act? I don't think you believe that.

It's not about morality, it's about whether the Russian state has the right to imprison/charge her. If she broke the law, it does. If she didn't (and she was charged anyway), then people would rightly see the Russian government as illegitimate because it would be overstepping its boundaries.
By your logic, you can ignore all the laws of every country. No set of laws has any intrinsic moral value.

[Ethel mermania]

The people detained in Rikers should be released too. Pre-trial detention should exclusively apply to those who pose a physical danger to others' safety, no one else.

They're closing down Riker's entirely. However, bail reform in NYC has done exactly what you say should be done and has led to the crime rate being higher than ever with a revolving door of people getting arrested, released and re-offending over and over.

Tbf though bail reform here was done quite poorly, and then we elected bragg.

[The Black Forrest]

Protesting police brutality by sitting out the national anthem is not calling the US shitty. It's calling police brutality shitty.

You can call out police brutality without saying the country is a shithole.

Funny thing that freedom of speech thing.

[Ifreann]

I'm sure that there are some people who can see a person facing ten years in a penal colony whose "crime" was really an administrative offence warranting no more than 15 days in jail and feel no outrage at all. It is no surprise at all to learn that some people are not moved by a clear injustice.

Smuggling is not an administrative offense.

Possession is.

---

Do you seriously believe the Russian government's version of events here? Like, fucking hell, why would she have even bothered selling hashish oil vape cartridges? She's a professional athlete playing for a team owned by a billion dollar mining company, she obviously doesn't need the money. And I can hardly imagine a less profitable drug dealing venture than selling hashish oil vape cartridges in Russia. She'd probably make more money driving an Uber.

No one said she was selling them.

Except the person to whom I was responding.

She was just getting high and possibly profiting selling drugs. She knew it was illegal but chose to do it anyway.

---

You wouldn't catch this American traveling to Russia while we're at proxy war with them. Especially not carrying contraband.

She was arrested before the war.

---

Griner also did nothing wrong.

She made a grave mistake in traveling to Russia.

She plays for a Russian team. She has played for a Russian team since 2014.

---

You really gonna tell me that the laws of the Russian Federation hold some deep moral value such that to break them, no matter how inconsequentially, is an unquestionably an immoral act? I don't think you believe that.

It's not about morality, it's about whether the Russian state has the right to imprison/charge her. If she broke the law, it does. If she didn't (and she was charged anyway), then people would rightly see the Russian government as illegitimate because it would be overstepping its boundaries.
By your logic, you can ignore all the laws of every country. No set of laws has any intrinsic moral value.

When the objection is to my statement that she did nothing wrong then in fact it very much is about morality.

[Rusozak]

You wouldn't catch this American traveling to Russia while we're at proxy war with them. Especially not carrying contraband.

To be fair this happened before the war started, but taking contraband into an authoritarian state known for its hostility towards people of your country is still asking for trouble.

[Saiwania]

She plays for a Russian team. She has played for a Russian team since 2014.

Playing for another country's team is treason. If an athlete has to not play for their home team, it may as well be with an aligned nation like Japan or the UK if she's from the US.

If she played for one of the enemies, she left herself open to being detained if there were any sudden fallouts between the US and them. Which is what happened with Ukraine war kicking off.

[Ethel mermania]

You can call out police brutality without saying the country is a shithole.

Funny thing that freedom of speech thing.

She certainly has that right. But that doesn't mean I can't find it ironic, or I have to support using extraordinary means to get her out. Even though I would support it for a proud American. After all words have consequences.

[Ethel mermania]

Smuggling is not an administrative offense.

Possession is.

---

No one said she was selling them.

Except the person to whom I was responding.

She was just getting high and possibly profiting selling drugs. She knew it was illegal but chose to do it anyway.

---

You wouldn't catch this American traveling to Russia while we're at proxy war with them. Especially not carrying contraband.

She was arrested before the war.

---

She made a grave mistake in traveling to Russia.

She plays for a Russian team. She has played for a Russian team since 2014.

---

It's not about morality, it's about whether the Russian state has the right to imprison/charge her. If she broke the law, it does. If she didn't (and she was charged anyway), then people would rightly see the Russian government as illegitimate because it would be overstepping its boundaries.
By your logic, you can ignore all the laws of every country. No set of laws has any intrinsic moral value.

When the objection is to my statement that she did nothing wrong then in fact it very much is about morality.

Her crime was smuggling. The sentence for possession doesn't really matter.

[Kerwa]

They're closing down Riker's entirely. However, bail reform in NYC has done exactly what you say should be done and has led to the crime rate being higher than ever with a revolving door of people getting arrested, released and re-offending over and over.

Tbf though bail reform here was done quite poorly, and then we elected bragg.

I feel for that old bodega guy. Bragg should resign and go live in a cave in Alaska.

[Ethel mermania]

Tbf though bail reform here was done quite poorly, and then we elected bragg.

I feel for that old bodega guy. Bragg should resign and go live in a cave in Alaska.

Bragg is responsible for people dying, in a just world he would be facing criminal charges for his decisions.

[Ifreann]

She plays for a Russian team. She has played for a Russian team since 2014.

Playing for another country's team is treason. If an athlete has to not play for their home team, it may as well be with an aligned nation like Japan or the UK if she's from the US.

She also plays in the WNBA for the Phoenix Mercury. She won Olympic gold representing America twice.

If she played for one of the enemies, she left herself open to being detained if there were any sudden fallouts between the US and them. Which is what happened with Ukraine war kicking off.

She was arrested before the war.

[Emotional Support Crocodile]

I doubt any more international sports stars will want to play for Russian teams after this. The risk of ending up a political pawn is too high.

[WayNeacTia]

The people detained in Rikers should be released too. Pre-trial detention should exclusively apply to those who pose a physical danger to others' safety, no one else.

They're closing down Riker's entirely. However, bail reform in NYC has done exactly what you say should be done and has led to the crime rate being higher than ever with a revolving door of people getting arrested, released and re-offending over and over.

The problem is, they tend to arrest people for piddly ass little shit, and those people can't make bail, thus clogging up the system. Putting addicts in jail doesn't help them.

I doubt any more international sports stars will want to play for Russian teams after this. The risk of ending up a political pawn is too high.

Convenient pawn more like it. She knew those vape cartridges were in there. In the video they are packed up in a padded envelope. Now I am not judging here and I smoke quite a bit myself, and beleive weed should be legal everywhere. But its not.... Trading a warlord for her would be like trading Stephan Curry for a used basketball. It will cause more harm to more people than it will help. I feel for her, I truly do. But fame only goes so far....

[The Two Jerseys]

What, you mean she doesn't want to stand on her principles and refuse the help of a racist shithole country like America?

Also, we know damn well that the government wouldn't do jack shit if it was some average Joe being locked up, so why does she deserve a prisoner exchange?

[Ifreann]

What, you mean she doesn't want to stand on her principles and refuse the help of a racist shithole country like America?

Also, we know damn well that the government wouldn't do jack shit if it was some average Joe being locked up, so why does she deserve a prisoner exchange?

April 2022, United States frees a Russian drug trafficker in exchange for an average Joe.

[Khurkhogur]

It's not about morality, it's about whether the Russian state has the right to imprison/charge her. If she broke the law, it does. If she didn't (and she was charged anyway), then people would rightly see the Russian government as illegitimate because it would be overstepping its boundaries.
By your logic, you can ignore all the laws of every country. No set of laws has any intrinsic moral value.

When the objection is to my statement that she did nothing wrong then in fact it very much is about morality.

Ok, then the issue you're discussing is completely subjective and what anyone believes about it holds literally no weight. The point is if she violated the law, it's her own fault if she gets charged. Whether what she did is immoral or not is unimportant.

[Luna Amore]

You can call out police brutality without saying the country is a shithole.

Still trying to see in your link where she said that.

I found exactly the opposite in a quote by her:

“I don’t mean that in any disrespect to our country. My dad was in Vietnam and a law officer for 30 years,” she said. “I wanted to be a cop before basketball. I do have pride for my country.”