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Brittney Griner sentenced to nine years ...


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No surprise that sista Brittney Griner was sentenced to almost the maximum.  She's a political pawn.   No worries.  She'll be home in a few months.   

 

The US government and Russia just have to work out details of the prisoner exchange. Exhibit A...Trevor Reed. 😎

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15 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

Part of me hopes that the United States will threaten to and ACTUALLY take military action against Russia for this, but.....we know how likely that is.

The situation definitely does not warrant such an extreme.  It takes a lot more than a bogus cannabis oil charge and a prison sentence to go to war. 😁

 

The wheels of diplomacy are still spinning and will prevail.  Don't sweat it.  Our sista will be home before the holidays.😎

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Unfortunately, she did not beat the rap. Her guilty plea and apology makes her appear to be some damned big time drug dealer atoning for a huge seizure. But it's what Putin wanted.

Will she be traded for that arms dealer? And whomever else the Kremlin wants freed? I hope so. 

I ain't gonna rag on her. She does not deserve it. She had a prescription for the cannabis oil, probably as a stress reliever.

When Brittney was in Russia, she apparently stayed aboard the yacht of super rich oligarch Roman Abramovich. Maybe he assured her that his connection to Putin would mean she would have no problem. Then Russia invaded Ukraine and everything changed.

We may never know. She's an American whom many in the U.S., including LeBron James, have spoken up for. Putin knows this. She's a bargaining chip.

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16 hours ago, Cynique said:

Her's is a cautionary tale. I hope others learn a lesson from her wreckless behavior.

Hey Greg...we want Cynique back immediately. 🤣

 

I'm curious to know what the cautionary tale is and how her behavior was reckless. 

 

None of this happens under difference circumstances i.e. no dust up between Russia and Ukraine and the US providing support. 

 

Otherwise, sista Brittney has no issues traveling back and forth to  Russia with her cannabis oil weighing less than a stick of gum and hooping to make extra bread in order to feed her family.  Besides, it's not like she was smuggling nuclear material into their country and/or stealing secrets from them.

 

In the grand scheme of things, the crime is totally ridiculous.  The punishment based on man-made *laws* and in this case political pressure, is a complete miscarriage of justice.

 

If I were to consider this a cautionary tale especially for athletes and entertainers...petition American employers to pay enough money for your talent that there is no incentive to leave the country in order to make money elsewhere. 

 

The WNBA should be paying its players enough money so that they don't have play overseas to make ends meet.  That's the fight sista Griner should take up when she gets back home.😎

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@ProfD

Thank you.

Many Black people are blaming Brittney Griner for her own imprisonment. But she is not blame. It is the Russians, not Brittney!

They needed a bargaining chip to keep the U.S. agitated and at bay while they ravaged Ukraine. Keeping a famous and well liked woman athlete as a hostage did the trick.

After I joined this Discussion Group many years ago, Troy Johnson and I enjoyed a discussion on how nutty China's rulers are. It was a few years ago. But I remember this because it dovetails what is going with Ms. Griner.

When the U.S. said it would put Chinese spies on trial for espionage, Beijing responded with a threat to immediately imprison U.S. citizens. Because he's busy and travels a lot, I am not sure if Troy remember this. But we both agreed this move on the part of China was insane.

But that is how some countries react to pressure. 

I am not blaming Brittney Griner one bit. What was in her suitcase was not a nuke, nor kilos of cocaine. She is not a sex trafficker and certainly not an intelligence agent. Just a young former Olympian and now professional basketball player who stayed on the yacht of rich Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. 

There is only thing about this case that intrigues me: The video of that airport security dude removing the supposed cannabis oil  from Brittney's suitcase. When was it taken? When she first entered the country earlier this year or when she was fixing to leave?

Because if it was taken when she first arrived, then the Kremlin knew about this and waited for the best time to use it. Par for the course when it come to bullies.

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Not sure about Russian law but her "guilty plea" was a bit deceptive to those not familiar with law in general.

An admission of guilt doesn't always mean you acknowledge you did something WRONG.
It's an acknowledgement that you did something that was ILLEGAL.....but perhaps you didn't know it was illegal at the time you did it.

For her to plead innocent MAY have gotten her in more trouble because that would have been saying she DIDN'T do what she obviously did regardless of her intent behind it.

 

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On 8/5/2022 at 9:51 AM, ProfD said:

I'm curious to know what the cautionary tale is and how her behavior was reckless. 

@ProfDThere is certainly a lesson to be learned from this incident. In the future, Americans taking up residence in Russia or any foreign country will hopefully have learned that to break the laws in these places can have consequences, especially when it comes to controlled substances. Don't depend on extenuating circumstances to get you off the hook. That is the "cautionary tale".

if Brittany is brought back here through a prisoner swap, she will not serve any more time and she has, in effect,  "beat the rap". 

 

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@Cynique

Brittney Griner had visited Russia before. Perhaps she thought she was becoming so well known and so well liked she could get away with certain things. 

I doubt her association with Paul Whelan is helping her. He's a former U.S. Marine accused of spying. She's a famous civilian hostage.

There is a lot of opposition to attempts to free Brittney. A lot of people said she deserves her sentence because she sided with Colin Kaepernick in his anthem kneeling protests. She's been accused of not liking her own country. 

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My saying that Brittaney Griner's story is a cautionary one does not negate the fact that she is a sympathetic character - who has subsequently become a political pawn paired up with an accused spy in a possible prisoner swap, which also makes her an example of politics making strange bedfellows.  Greg the troll made us well-aware that by demonstrating her support for Colin Kaepernik, Brittaney provided grist for the mill of her detractors, adding more weight to her burden

 

Can we all agree that Brittany Griner's situation is a multi-faceted tale of woe?  

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I understand the point Cynique is making. But I will not agree because the Russian justice system is a friggin' joke. 

Brittney Griner made a mistake. Who among us has not?

And now she is a civilian hostage. She is not a criminal and she is not a drug dealer. She does not belong in a cage. 

When Brittney finally comes home, I am hoping she can resume her career. But I bet she will hear angry shots of '"Druggie, Bi---!" in many areas of this country. Because some people will not let this go.

White celebrities get popped for illegal drugs all the time. They say awful things, get caught in compromising situations and do silly chit. They disappear in rehab until its safe to come out again.

Rush Limbaugh was addicted to pain killers. I don't remember vast multitudes lambasting him over his addiction, but for his nasty comments. He still had copious defenders.

Black people cannot get a break. 

It pains me that so many are beating on this young woman. I say, let her come home first before any recriminations begin. Because we know talk show hosts and op-ed writers will tear into her without remorse. 

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On 8/4/2022 at 9:22 PM, Pioneer1 said:

Part of me hopes that the United States will threaten to and ACTUALLY take military action against Russia for this, but.....we know how likely that is.

 

Now that would be a VERY bad move.

 

On 8/5/2022 at 2:51 PM, ProfD said:

The WNBA should be paying its players enough money so that they don't have play overseas to make ends meet.

 

The WNBA will not pay players what a Russian oligarch will pay them.  How many WNBA games have you (anyone here) paid to watch in you entire life time?

 

On 8/5/2022 at 8:07 PM, Stefan said:

Beijing responded with a threat to immediately imprison U.S. citizens. Because he's busy and travels a lot, I am not sure if Troy remember this. But we both agreed this move on the part of China was insane.

 

No I don't remember this, but I agree it does sound like a crazy tactic.  One I'm sure China did not engage in.

 

6 hours ago, Cynique said:

Can we all agree that Brittany Griner's situation is a multi-faceted tale of woe?  

 

Yes, it is.

 

None of really know all of the details and should not feel so confident in understanding what is truly transpiring.

 

No matter what happened ending up with a nine-year sentence in a Russian prison is a tale of woe.  That is not to say there are not many more tales of woe right here in this country.  

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