Brittney Griner

[raeoflyte]

This is paywalled but there are dozens of similar articles. I'm very concerned for her and the teacher being detained. The scariest part of watching stranger things this season was the Russian prison. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/04/brittney-griner-russia-court/

[billisonboard]

Something that has stuck with me for many years is a quote from The Fisher King movie:

Jeff Bridges as Jack Lucas: "I wish there was some way I could just pay the fine and go home."

When we fuck up, there is usually a price to pay. And when we do it big time, that price can be high.

[bean29]

I understand she just had a vape cartridge.  They are charging her with drug smuggling, which to me is just wrong.  

I heard recently that the US really needs to change our drug laws re: Marijuana, and yes, we really do, otherwise we look like hypocrites.  Change the law.  It is less harmful than alcohol from what I understand.  We should not have it legal in some states and not in others.

[raeoflyte]

Aug 4, 2022 11:17:19 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Something that has stuck with me for many years is a quote from The Fisher King movie:

Jeff Bridges as Jack Lucas: "I wish there was some way I could just pay the fine and go home."

When we fuck up, there is usually a price to pay. And when we do it big time, that price can be high.

I wouldn't say this is a big fuck up, it was an oversight. And we're assuming it's legit. She didn't have the choice to say not guilty and get a fair trial.

[billisonboard]

Aug 4, 2022 11:33:07 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Aug 4, 2022 11:17:19 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Something that has stuck with me for many years is a quote from The Fisher King movie:

Jeff Bridges as Jack Lucas: "I wish there was some way I could just pay the fine and go home."

When we fuck up, there is usually a price to pay. And when we do it big time, that price can be high.

I wouldn't say this is a big fuck up, it was an oversight. And we're assuming it's legit. She didn't have the choice to say not guilty and get a fair trial.

I accept it was an oversight on her part. An American "celebrity" flying into Russia with any drugs with any explanation in early 2022 was a big fuck up. As far as the legit issue, I find it hard to believe that the Russian authorities won't have made the offense more significant if they were making it up out of whole cloth. I have no problem believing she, like many Americans, is a casual recreational drug user who wasn't adequately careful.

[Tiny]

IDK,   9 years sounds kind of harsh... 

I'm likening this all to:
If the country has zero tolerance for alcohol and you go thru customs with 2 or 3 of those little single serving alcohol bottles that are 50ml.  and get caught.    I have no idea of how that qualifies as anything more than having the containers confiscated and letting the person continue on with a warning.      Or, just confiscate and fine them...     


I'm guessing there wasn't an area before the line to get into the country with lots of signage and whatnot advising people to MAKE sure they didn't have anything not allowed and places to your stuff if you had some on you. 

Maybe it's because I'm a woman... and can remember back in the "olden days" being turned away from an event because I was "inappropriately dressed"... as in my skirt was too short (it was at my knee - not below my knee).  And to the best of my knowledge there were plenty of young women who once inside suddenly had shorter skirts - but nothing was done about them... 

I've got LOTS of stories about how laws/rules get selectively invoked.      That's why I'm pretty sure this whole thing has very little to do with her breaking a law and more about the politics of it.  And that makes it worse. 


ADDED:  I wonder how much money Russia spends on keeping illegal drugs out of their country if they have so much time and energy and expense to get a conviction for a small fish?? 

[Artemis Windsong]

My GrS keeps posting how Brittney said she hated the national anthem, wanted it silenced at game, and claims to being oppressed in the U.S.  I couldn't find her exact quotes on his FB page.  Edit:  This is on youtube.

How do you like America now?

[dondub]

Aug 4, 2022 18:46:10 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

My GrS keeps posting how Brittney said she hated the national anthem and being oppressed in the U.S.  I couldn't find her exact quotes on his FB page. 

How do you like America now?

As a gay Black woman do you think there has been oppression in her life and others like her? Are you attempting to make some kind of point?

[Artemis Windsong]

Aug 4, 2022 19:09:31 GMT -5 dondub said:

Aug 4, 2022 18:46:10 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

My GrS keeps posting how Brittney said she hated the national anthem and being oppressed in the U.S.  I couldn't find her exact quotes on his FB page. 

How do you like America now?

As a gay Black woman do you think there has been oppression in her life and others like her? Are you attempting to make some kind of point?

Nothing more than what she has spoken out about.  Remember, I didn't bring up your first points.

[dondub]

Aug 4, 2022 19:13:01 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

Aug 4, 2022 19:09:31 GMT -5 dondub said:

As a gay Black woman do you think there has been oppression in her life and others like her? Are you attempting to make some kind of point?

Nothing more than what she has spoken out about.  Remember, I didn't bring up your first points.

Oh so any oppression would have been for other reasons, like just being a woman? Or do you and your Grs have other categories you forgot to share so in my inimitable fashion I chose some obvious ones.

[Artemis Windsong]

She is a professional athlete.  Her personal choice in living are hers.  She could keep those to herself.  The cards she has played are oppressed black gay woman which are not working well in Russia.

Also oppressed are white hetero working males and females. 

I won't play this game with you anymore dondub.

[billisonboard]

Brittney Griner: National anthem has no place in WNBA, sports

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

She believes that the anthem doesn’t represent Black Americans.

“I personally don't think it belongs in sports. ... Black people didn't have rights at that point,” Griner said of the creation of the Star-Spangled Banner. “It's hard respecting a song that didn't even represent all Americans when it was first made.”

[Opti]

Aug 4, 2022 19:23:51 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

She is a professional athlete.  Her personal choice in living are hers.  She could keep those to herself.  The cards she has played are oppressed black gay woman which are not working well in Russia.

Also oppressed are white hetero working males and females. 

I won't play this game with you anymore dondub.

I think you shouldn't have brought it up in the first place. She didn't choose to be black or gay. Those choices were made for her as she came into this world. Just because she had made money and is an athlete does not mean she didn't experience some bad stuff. 

I don't know much about her, but I do know being gay and black can be a very tough road. I honestly don't understand why what she feels or does not feel about America has anything to do with her current situation. She wasn't careful in what she packed going to a foreign country. She's been paying for that choice, and I think the lesson will stick if she travels out of country in the future.

[tallguy]

First, let me say that she brought it on herself by making the mistake in the first place.  That being said, I absolutely believe that the length of the sentence is not based on the crime itself, but on trying to extract more advantageous terms for her release.  Russia reportedly wants Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer, released from prison in the U.S. and sees Griner as an opportunity to do that through prisoner exchange.  A nine-year sentence puts more pressure on the Biden administration to make the deal, thus giving Russia what they want.

One does wonder if Griner played for the Russian team in Moscow instead of Ekaterinburg whether it would have been as easy to get this through.  Or whether the billionaire oligarch owner of that team is close with Putin or not.  Those probably pale in comparison to the aforementioned state aims, but who knows?

[djAdvocate]

Aug 4, 2022 19:30:17 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Brittney Griner: National anthem has no place in WNBA, sports

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

She believes that the anthem doesn’t represent Black Americans.

“I personally don't think it belongs in sports. ... Black people didn't have rights at that point,” Griner said of the creation of the Star-Spangled Banner. “It's hard respecting a song that didn't even represent all Americans when it was first made.”

seems like a person worth rescuing, if our flag means anything.

[raeoflyte]

Aug 4, 2022 19:23:51 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

She is a professional athlete.  Her personal choice in living are hers.  She could keep those to herself.  The cards she has played are oppressed black gay woman which are not working well in Russia.

Also oppressed are white hetero working males and females. 

I won't play this game with you anymore dondub.

That is such bullshit. What you're saying is that someone who speaks out about inequities here had it coming? Give me a fucking break. We can fight for change here and still know- and fight for people who have fewer rights.


Eta...And comparing straight white peoples "oppression" to a black, gay women? Come on.

Straight white people have struggles. Some have super crappy lives. But white men are not oppressed. This country and honestly the world give them a leg up. Doesnt mean they have everything, but the world is nade for them. Women are still fighting oppression, to gain the same rights and status as their male counterparts but even to compare a white and black women's journey and say it's the same is tone deaf, bullshit, and torn directly from the Karen manual.

Be better than this.

[raeoflyte]

1 vape cartridge and she's sentenced to 9 years of hard labor in abusive conditions with dehumanizing surveillance.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/05/brittney-griner-russia-penal-colonies-prison/

This is outrageous.

[tbop77]

Aug 5, 2022 8:22:58 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Aug 4, 2022 19:23:51 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

She is a professional athlete.  Her personal choice in living are hers.  She could keep those to herself.  The cards she has played are oppressed black gay woman which are not working well in Russia.

Also oppressed are white hetero working males and females. 

I won't play this game with you anymore dondub.

That is such bullshit. What you're saying is that someone who speaks out about inequities here had it coming? Give me a fucking break. We can fight for change here and still know- and fight for people who have fewer rights.


Eta...And comparing straight white peoples "oppression" to a black, gay women?[img src="https://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff155/JiminiChristmas/ymamsmiles/idunno.gif" alt="" src="//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/huh.png" class="smile"] Come on.

Straight white people have struggles. Some have super crappy lives. But white men are not oppressed. This country and honestly the world give them a leg up. Doesnt mean they have everything, but the world is nade for them. Women are still fighting oppression, to gain the same rights and status as their male counterparts but even to compare a white and black women's journey and say it's the same is tone deaf, bullshit, and torn directly from the Karen manual.

Be better than this.

The MAGA crowd is all about free speech, unless you gay, a woman, black, etc.....

[weltschmerz]

Aug 4, 2022 20:13:01 GMT -5 tallguy said:

First, let me say that she brought it on herself by making the mistake in the first place.  That being said, I absolutely believe that the length of the sentence is not based on the crime itself, but on trying to extract more advantageous terms for her release.  Russia reportedly wants Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer, released from prison in the U.S. and sees Griner as an opportunity to do that through prisoner exchange.  A nine-year sentence puts more pressure on the Biden administration to make the deal, thus giving Russia what they want.

One does wonder if Griner played for the Russian team in Moscow instead of Ekaterinburg whether it would have been as easy to get this through.  Or whether the billionaire oligarch owner of that team is close with Putin or not.  Those probably pale in comparison to the aforementioned state aims, but who knows?

Under Putin, gays are severely punished in Russia.

[weltschmerz]

Know the laws of the country you're travelling to. 

Under Duterte in the Philippines she would have been summarily executed.

[billisonboard]

Aug 5, 2022 12:22:36 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Know the laws of the country you're travelling to. 

Under Duterte in the Philippines she would have been summarily executed.

Good to be aware of the global political climate as well. Not sure she had much choice going to Russia because potentially under contract to play, but something people should consider if possible.

[Artemis Windsong]

Where is the manual for dos and taboos around the world.  I used to have one but the world has changed.  There are too many nuances in social situations with foreign countries.

[Tennesseer]

Aug 5, 2022 12:22:36 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Know the laws of the country you're travelling to. 

Under Duterte in the Philippines she would have been summarily executed.

Just last week.

Trump in DC speech calls for death penalty for convicted drug dealers

Former President Trump on Tuesday voiced support for imposing the death penalty as punishment for convicted drug dealers as part of a speech in which he laid out a series of drastic measures to curb crime.

“The penalties should be very, very severe. If you look at countries throughout the world, the ones that don’t have a drug problem are ones that institute a very quick trial death penalty sentence for drug dealers,” Trump said at the America First Policy Institute.

“It sounds horrible, doesn’t it? But you know what? That’s the ones that don’t have any problem. It doesn’t take 15 years in court. It goes quickly, and you absolutely — you execute a drug dealer, and you’ll save 500 lives,” Trump continued.

“It’s terrible to say, but you take a look at every country in this world that doesn’t have a problem with drugs, they have a very strong death penalty for people that sell drugs,” he said.

Trump’s comments calling for a crackdown on drug dealers, which included praise for quick trials in other countries, came as part of a broader vision for harshly cracking down on crime.

The former president painted a picture of a bleak and dystopian country, highlighting instances of civilians being attacked in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.

He called for police squad cars to be parked on every corner.

Trump suggested moving encampments of homeless people out of major cities and to “large parcels of inexpensive land at the outer reaches of the city” and creating tents with medical professionals.

Rest of article here: Trump in DC speech calls for death penalty for convicted drug dealers

[djAdvocate]

he is STILL saying that?  jesus.

actually, what he says is not true.  drug abuse/death tends to inversely follow poverty.

the country with the MOST relaxed drug policies is Portugal, where drug use is decriminalized.  the death rate in Portugal is about 3% that of the US.  this death rate is actually LOWER than the Philippines and 90% lower than Russia.  Malaysia, which has the death penalty for possession, has 2x the death rate of Portugal.

so, yeah, it is complete bullshit.  nonsense.  but the ditto-heads just nod to it as if it were gospel.

[djAdvocate]

decriminalizing might not work in the US because our social infrastructure sucks.
if we had socialized medicine, then drug addicts could seek help without fear of
incarceration, AND get treatment.  as it is, with one leg of that chair missing,
the alternative to addiction is lacking.

[djAdvocate]

Aug 4, 2022 11:58:17 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Aug 4, 2022 11:33:07 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

I wouldn't say this is a big fuck up, it was an oversight. And we're assuming it's legit. She didn't have the choice to say not guilty and get a fair trial.

I accept it was an oversight on her part. An American "celebrity" flying into Russia with any drugs with any explanation in early 2022 was a big fuck up. As far as the legit issue, I find it hard to believe that the Russian authorities won't have made the offense more significant if they were making it up out of whole cloth. I have no problem believing she, like many Americans, is a casual recreational drug user who wasn't adequately careful.

drug use is decriminalized in Russia, according to what i read today.


www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-that-have-decriminalized-drugs.html


so i am not even understanding how this happened at this juncture.

[bean29]

Aug 4, 2022 11:33:07 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Aug 4, 2022 11:17:19 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Something that has stuck with me for many years is a quote from The Fisher King movie:

Jeff Bridges as Jack Lucas: "I wish there was some way I could just pay the fine and go home."

When we fuck up, there is usually a price to pay. And when we do it big time, that price can be high.

I wouldn't say this is a big fuck up, it was an oversight. And we're assuming it's legit. She didn't have the choice to say not guilty and get a fair trial.

Completely agree, I am more inclined to think it is bogus.

[bean29]

Aug 4, 2022 19:23:51 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

She is a professional athlete.  Her personal choice in living are hers.  She could keep those to herself.  The cards she has played are oppressed black gay woman which are not working well in Russia.

Also oppressed are white hetero working males and females. 

I won't play this game with you anymore dondub.

How do you figure that?

We have freedom of speech as long as we agree with you?
You can live your life any way you want, as long as you live within my set parameters?

[Artemis Windsong]

After my karen comments.  When I heard Brittney speak, my heart broke for her.

Why?  The expression on her face and voice inflection reminded me of one of my GDs.  I'm also in a tender frame of mind recently.

[tallguy]

I applaud your willingness to re-examine.