Does anyone else not feel sympathy for Brittney Griner?

[atlsfinest]

I see a lot of disparate, spread out conversations about the Brittney Griner situation but I haven't seen an official threat about it so I decided to consolidate the conversation here.

This might be a controversial opinion but I have very little sympathy for Brittney Griner. With everything going on in the world, she chose to go to Russia and break their rules. Drug crimes are very serious in Russia. I've seen several threads on NT making fun of white Americans people for traveling abroad and feeling entitled to do whatever they want in foreign countries. This is exactly what Britney did. The fact that people are treating her as though she is a victim is bizarre to me. No one wronged Brittney.



We all understand that she is being used as a pawn in a larger geopolitical game but why put yourself in this position in The first place by going to a foreign country and breaking the rules there. Brittany has played international basketball for many years so she can't plead ignorance.

The end game was always going to be a prisoner exchange. Now we're going to have to swap an international drug runner who's directly responsible for the deaths of thousands just to free a basketball player.

If I were the Biden administration, I would make her eat the charge but I realize that they've been put in an impossible situation: either let her do time in a Russian prison and hear the media out cry from American prominent athletes or free her but let a gun runner go free.

 

[MetalMario]

Iono why she’s over there in the first place. So no.

 

[ahat]

Iono why she’s over there in the first place. So no.

Wasnt she playing in a Russian pro league?

To answer OP, no i dont feel bad for her.

 

[jaypesoz]

Iono why she’s over there in the first place…with weed-like substance. So no.

And while probably an extreme punishment, you just gotta be smarter than that.

 

[brendasdeadbaby]

Iono why she’s over there in the first place. So no.

Cause the wnba pays like **** and players get payed more overseas. With that said when traveling you should know better than to have any drugs in your bags.

 

[Mark Antony]

Do we know if she really did that though? Who knows when the geopolitical game involving her started. I'm sympathetic even if I think the swap is disproportionate.

 

[atlsfinest]

Do we know if she really did that though? Who knows when the geopolitical game involving her started. I'm sympathetic even if I think the swap is disproportionate.

She admitted to it but says it was a prescription (which doesn't really matter from a legal standpoint but could win her some sympathy)

 

[atlsfinest]

1. The idea that Brittney had to go to Russia because she  only makes $220k in salary playing with a WNBA is crazy. She's makes 4x What the average American worker makes. She has every right to go abroad and makes more money but framing it as though she had to go because she's barely making a living wage is misrepresenting issue.

2. The narrative that "If this were LeBron James" or "if this were a white person is ompletely untrue. There are many Americans sitting in prisons abroad (the majority of whom are white) who don't receive any fanfare or attention. Also, if it were LeBron in jail he would be an even more valuable exchange asset. They would probably ask for 3-4 human traffickers and drug runners in exchange for someone like LeBron.

 

[Coromanti]

You pretty much said it all. People learn real quick why a lot of developing countries aren't nice to live in because of their governments. Have a run in with the law and you're done.

 

[WASHED KING]

Watching this thread just for the chaos.

 

[heelsandeers]

Only in the sense that it's entirely possible that she's innocent

Her public statements don't mean much until she's back in the US

If she did it, it was obviously wrong and stupid

 

[DCAllAfrican]

If LeBron were detained, he would have been home 4 months ago.

 

[bale]

IDK if she really did it. Draconian laws against personal drug consumption are pretty gross TBH.

 

[WASHED KING]

If LeBron were detained, he would have been home 4 months ago.

You gah d*** right.

That would’ve been a NATIONAL EMERGENCY

 

[datznasty]

She was also forced to sign documents she said herself were written in a language she didn't understand. I absolutely feel sympathy for her, it was a vape cartridge for which she allegedly has a prescription, not look she was over there running a cartel. If it was me, I'm not getting caught with anything at an airport, but people make mistakes. We get it though, she's gay, she's black, she's masculine, she's not conventially attractive, she's not going to be as sympathetic of a figure. Whats funny is these Republican networks who also don't really give an f, were/are going to use it against Joey regardless. If he doesn't get her, he abandoned her, and now if/when he does they're going to get on him for Libs being soft on crime and making such a lopsided trade in terms of the danger of the individuals being released.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I feel sorry for her

Even if she did have it.

a) The Russians are clearly doing this as a geopolitical move. If relations were not so bad I doubt she would be facing the years she is facing

b) It is completely fair to take issue with draconian drug laws and punishments, even in a foreign country.

I dunno why people handwave stuff like this just so they can peddle "If you do the crime you gotta do the time" rhetoric.

Taking issue with Griner's actions, and taking issue with her potential punishment are not mutually exclusive.

She doesn't deserve to spend 7 years in jail for what the Russians claim she did. So yes, I feel sorry for her.

 

[solewoman]

I feel slightly bad for her. Agreed this is more of a political move.

I feel bad because I heard that she mistakenly left it in there when packing in a rush. Don't think it was intentional because she plays there every year. I also do understand the whole if this was somebody else comment for a few reasons:

1. Women are never viewed as equals to men, hence the pay gap. Lebron James wouldn't have to play overseas because he is more then compensated fairly here
2. A Living wage is subjective. 220k may not be a living wage based on your background and status. also she is only one in 14 women in the whole WNBA making over 200k. The avg wnba player makes 120k and thats not a lot of money at all. Granted the WNBA does suck and is wild boring but again: Gender/pay gap issues.

 

[atlsfinest]

If LeBron were detained, he would have been home 4 months ago.

You gah d*** right.

That would’ve been a NATIONAL EMERGENCY

1. I'd hope LeBron isn't dumb enough to do anything like this

2. LeBron would have been an even more valuable exchange asset. The Russians would love to have a truly famous American athletes last celebrity dumb enough to break laws in their country.

In order to get LeBron back on US soil, we would have had to give up every Russian drug runner, human traffickers and spy we have detained. I fully understand that Britney is being used as a trade chip in the geopolitical game but she put herself in the spot.

 

[atlsfinest]

I feel sorry for her

Even if she did have it.

a) The Russians are clearly doing this as a geopolitical move. If relations were not so bad I doubt she would be facing the years she is facing

b) It is completely fair to take issue with draconian drug laws and punishments, even in a foreign country.

I dunno why people handwave stuff like this just so they can peddle "If you do the crime you gotta do the time" rhetoric.

Taking issue with Griner's actions, and taking issue with her potential punishment are not mutually exclusive.

She doesn't deserve to spend 7 years in jail for what the Russians claim she did. So yes, I feel sorry for her.

I don't think anyone is arguing that the laws aren't draconian. The laws are totally backwards but before you hop on that plane, you need to realize that you're not in America anymore and the laws don't apply. She's played in Russia for the last 6-7 seasons, she knows the rules regardless of how draconian they are.

I've traveled to Malaysia where they basically have "one strike and you're out" laws where If your caught with even a small amounts of drugs you will do decades in prison and drug dealers gets life in prison and some get executed. Do these laws make sense in the 21st century? Of course not but I don't feel sorry for anybody who gets caught either.

Also, with everything going on between the US and Russia why even take the unnecessary risk?

 

[RustyShackleford]

I don't think anyone is arguing that the laws aren't draconian. The laws are totally backwards but before you hop on that plane, you need to realize that you're not in America anymore and the laws don't apply.

I've traveled to Malaysia where they basically have "one strike and you're out" laws where If your caught with even a small amounts of drugs you will do decades in prison and drug dealers gets life in prison and some get executed. Do these laws make sense in the 21st century? Of course not.

Ok fine

But when you say you don't feel sympathy for someone you facing a punishment you admit the laws are draconian, all you are doing is being on some "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time" steez. It implicitly handwaves how draconian the laws are.

Even if someone feels Griner should be punished, the punishment she is facing is ridiculous

So I feel sorry for her the same way I feel sorry for people that got long drug sentences and their lives ruined for a small amount of weed in America during the War on Drugs.

I don't know why some personal responsibility stuff needs to dominate the conversation

Feel how you want to feel but I feel sympathy for people that face punishments that far exceed their crimes. Griner falls in that category IMO.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I have a Bryan Stevenson/Cory Booker way of looking at criminal justice issues

Even in matters of guilt, people need to ask themselves if the punishment is proportional to the crime

Having mercy for someone doesn't undercut a feeling that people need to take responsibility for their actions.

Fine her severely, keep them in jail for 6 months, hell ban her from the country too. But don't send her to jail for 7 years.

 

[atlsfinest]

Ok fine

But when you say you don't feel sympathy for someone you facing a punishment you admit the laws are draconian, all you are doing is being on some "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time" steez. It implicitly handwaves how draconian the laws are.

Even if someone feels Griner should be punished, the punishment she is facing is ridiculous

So I feel sorry for her the same way I feel sorry for people that got long drug sentences and their lives ruined for a small amount of weed in America during the War on Drugs.

I don't know why some personal responsibility stuff needs to dominate the conversation

Feel how you want to feel but I feel sympathy for people that face punishments that far exceed their crimes. Griner falls in that category IMO.

I respect your points. I certainly feel terrible for the people doing major time and have to live with felony convictions for the rest of their lives because of minor drug offenses.

Maybe I feel differently because of the circumstances. Brittany has earned millions of dollars over the course of her career and she made the choice to travel abroad and take drugs with her. This certainly isn't a crime of necessity or desperation.

Generally speaking, I feel less sympathy for people with financial means and opportunities who commit crimes as opposed to when poor or disenfranchised commit those same acts.

If a poor black kid shoplifts, I feel sorry for them. If a rich white kid does the same thing I quickly turn into aepps20 "If you did the crime you should do the time". Not saying this is right but this is how I feel most of the time.

 

[picasso swerve]

I feel slightly bad for her. Agreed this is more of a political move.

I feel bad because I heard that she mistakenly left it in there when packing in a rush. Don't think it was intentional because she plays there every year. I also do understand the whole if this was somebody else comment for a few reasons:

1. Women are never viewed as equals to men, hence the pay gap. Lebron James wouldn't have to play overseas because he is more then compensated fairly here
2. A Living wage is subjective. 220k may not be a living wage based on your background and status. also she is only one in 14 women in the whole WNBA making over 200k. The avg wnba player makes 120k and thats not a lot of money at all. Granted the WNBA does suck and is wild boring but again: Gender/pay gap issues.

120k isnt a lot of money?

Lmk when I can send you my cashapp so I can get a dollar damn.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I respect your points. I certainly feel terrible for the people doing major time and have to live with felony convictions for the rest of their lives because of minor drug offenses.

Maybe I feel differently because of the circumstances. Brittany has earned millions of dollars over the course of her career and she made the choice to travel abroad and take drugs with her. This certainly isn't a crime of necessity or desperation.

There are plenty of brothers that came from decent households, had bright futures, bought some weed for personal use or to share with friends, got caught, and hit with a felony conviction because it was over a certain limit or was bagged up. It was not only people selling out of desperation whose lives got ruined

Someone can be mad at Griner's actions, he can be extra mad that someone in her class doing such a thing, that is totally reasonable; but I don't think that overrides the fact the punishment she is facing is unreasonable.

 

[boxer15]

Prescription or not, you gotta be mindful of drug laws when traveling. Seen too many people get hemmed up in the middle east for far less than a “prescription” vape.