How are we going to get Brittney Griner back?

[EndlessWire]

Yes, it was stupid to be caught with anything that could be misconstrued, especially during this little walk in hell we are taking.

Does she get a Russian lawyer? What are they doing with her? If you wanted to help free her, what could you do? Give us Brittney Griner back, and we'll let you play?

It looked like she was just trying to leave. She is old enough to know better, but maybe it was innocent enough that she gave it no thought. What was she doing in Russia?

CBD doesn't work for me, but I admit I tried it, seeing as how I needed it. I am adamantly against anyone putting anything in their lungs except oxygen, but, c'mon, this is the modern age.

[PoliticAverse]

1. She was in Russia because she makes $ 1 million/season playing basketball there.

To get her back to the U.S. someone would have to make it worthwhile for the Russians to let her go.
Maybe give someone their seized yacht back?

[EndlessWire]

2. An excellent idea. n/t

[Jerry2144]

18. How about offering to return another asset to them?

I am thinking of something orange and Stupid from southern Florida. But we could also return a talking sphincter who used to wear a bow tie and works for a small rabid canine news network. How about returning both in exchange for her?

[RockRaven]

3. What she was doing in Russia was making five times as much money in the WNBA off-season

as she does during the WNBA season, according to the article in my paper a few days ago.

So when it comes to preventing similar situations in the future, maybe that is something to work on: improving WNBA salaries.

As to what to do to get her back... There isn't an obvious route beyond treating it like any other case when an American gets arrested abroad -- which happens all the time, all over the world, just to people whose names the public doesn't know beforehand.

But it seems pretty likely that Russia isn't going to behave honestly or fairly here and treat it like any other case (and even that is too generous; there is no reason to believe Russia's word on the charges in the first place), so that leads to the obvious question: how many Ukrainian lives or Ukrainian freedoms is she worth to you, if she's just a de facto hostage/pawn in this Ukraine invasion/massacre?

That's a tough question.

[EndlessWire]

4. I beg your pardon?

Yes, I do believe she is a hostage. But, I don't give a rat's ass what salary she makes--she's clearly in a higher tax bracket than I. I resent your equating Ukrainian lives to her being held hostage, or needing legal help. I don't see why she should have her life sacrificed for CBD oil. I would like to see her get home. Period.

You turned this into a sharp remark about Ukrainian lives and how many SHE is worth to me? Oh, you have to be kidding! That is a filthy thing to say.

E.O. conversation.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. She's spent a lot of time in Russia because she loves BB and...

money, both of which she gets there. Better than here, I figure. She also gets the adulation sports stars get anywhere.

But, somehow she didn't catch how while sports stars here often get off easy, over there they are often valued more for their usefulness as bargaining chips.

I bet she will be held as long as she is seen to be useful in sanctions bargaining.

[IcyPeas]

6. Here's an article from today:

https://abc7.com/brittney-griner-mugshot-russia-photo-wnba/11633227/

The arrest of two-time US Olympic basketball gold medalist Brittney Griner has left supporters anxious about her well-being and fearful that she might become a political pawn.

Russian authorities said Griner had cannabis oil in her luggage and accused her of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance -- an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Our diplomatic relationships with Russia are nonexistent at the moment," Democratic Rep. John Garamendi of California told CNN on Monday.

He also noted that "Russia has some very, very strict LGBT rules and laws" -- though it's not clear whether those rules and laws might impact Griner's case. Russia has passed LGBTQ-related legislation and outlawed the "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations around minors."

But the Biden administration is working on trying to get Griner out of Russia, members of the Congressional Black Caucus said after meeting with President Joe Biden on Monday.

"The best news we got today was that they know about it and that she's on the agenda," Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents Griner's hometown of Houston, told reporters.

[Hortensis]

8. This. White house/congress, last two paragraphs.

In addition to private groups and individuals of course, no doubt attempting to coordinate efforts.

[mitch96]

12. "it's not clear whether those rules and laws might impact Griner's case."

She is not putin's kind of woman. A beautiful, strong, tall, tattooed, lesbian, woman of color from the west. Everything he hates and I fear for her...
He has no problem killling people to make a political point.
m

[IcyPeas]

7. Another article from NY Mag asking why this isn't the biggest story in sports

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/03/why-isnt-brittney-griner-the-biggest-sports-story.html?utm_medium=s1&utm_source=tw&utm_campaign=nym

... She is the apex of her sport. She is the best of the best. She is a legend.

And for more than a month now, she has been in the custody of the Russian government. Yet until Russian officials released a statement over the weekend saying they had detained Griner after finding hashish oil in her airport bag, it seemed that nobody had noticed. And the reaction since the arrest has been stunningly quiet. One of the greatest athletes in American sports — a gold-medal winner, a superstar, a champion — was arrested in a dangerous and volatile country that has suddenly become a pariah on the world stage. Making equivalences between sports only takes you so far here, but seriously: Imagine if Tom Brady were being held by Russian officials right now.

[Hortensis]

9. Bad timing for one. Most times Russia smashing Ukraine's people

into jelly under piles of rubble, and threatening WWIII, wouldn't be sucking all the oxygen away.

Irritated impatience in more people than just me another? If she wanted to carry illegal substances into Russia and get arrested, maybe she could have done it when the government was less busy and it'd also be easier to arrange to get her out. This is a bit like that guy who needed emergency helicopter rescue twice from the same hiking trail when he shouldn't have needed it once. She's not exactly a shining light for sports in this role.

Female, black, and lesbian as others. No question mark. But not the whole enchilada by a long shot.

Anyway, it's only just become known. The sports world will rally to her. We'll all be waiting to hear she's coming home. At least she didn't get arrested in North Korea.

[PoliticAverse]

16. She plays for the WNBA so virtually no one knows who she is. n/t

[hlthe2b]

10. She will remain Putin's pawn until such time he can use her as his bargaining chip...

If there is any silver lining (and I use that term reservedly), it is that the lesson (apparently forgotten) about traveling to countries with authoritarian regimes or where cultural/religious indoctrination can make certain western-protected behaviors criminal offenses (Middle East), especially, but not limited to drugs, will now be front and center in discussions with traveling sports or other high profile figures. Apparently, she was not traveling on a WNBA-sponsored trip so my earlier questioning as to why they did not strictly counsel/educate her and others on this issue might not apply.

I hope for the best. But as one who has traveled and worked in some of these countries (and whose parents did so as well in one exceedingly controversial in recent decades), I learned that cross-cultural education about the destination country before departing --and respect upon arrival-- is not only a "nicety" but a NECESSITY. (Remember the sad case of Otto Frederick Warmbier in N. Korea? ) And sometimes it is necessary to hold ones' expressed beliefs--that defy the tyrant regimes of some countries-- until back on western soil. Not to mention the adage about carrying NOTHING that can be misconstrued and keeping luggage and bags under ones' own control continually before boarding that homebound plane.

She is in the worst of situations and we have little power to change that until Putin decides it is in his interest. Sad fact. I wish it were otherwise.

[LuvLoogie]

11. We won't until after he's gone.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

13. Lotta people on this thread taking the word of the Russian Customs Service at face value.

The first cop to abolish is the one in your head.

[Treefrog]

14. She was actually entering the country.

There’s a story about her arrest on CNN.

They describe the vapes as containing hashish oil.

She’s in deep do-do.

[rownesheck]

15. I hope she is released

soon and is safe.

First thing she should do if she is released is fire her agent/manager for either A. having her sign a deal to play in Russia, or B. not talking her out of it.

Even in the best of times, there are countries you should never step foot in (Russia, China, North Korea to name just a few.)

[LisaL]

24. As far as I can tell, she has been playing in Russia for years, and making a lot more money

than she does playing in US.

[gldstwmn]

17. I doubt whatever they say she had was hers to begin with.

[IcyPeas]

19. Story is being covered on MSNBC on Nicole's show now.

[Mr. Ected]

20. Weren't there 3 US basketball players that were detained in China after having allegedly shoplifted?

I can't remember the outcome of that, though China wasn't invading its neighbor at the time either.

[PoliticAverse]

21. The U.S. government negotiated their release. They admitted to shoplifting and apologized. n/t

[LisaL]

27. Right now there is no diplomatic relationship between US and Russia.

So that's not likely to happen.

[Calista241]

22. I think she's there for the duration of the current conflict and sanctions.

We're financing and supporting a proxy war against the Russian government. I heard a state department spokesman saying earlier on CNN that we have a 'non-existant' relationship with the Russian government presently.

[XanaDUer2]

23. Is she held in a Russian jail?

Scary

[LisaL]

25. Where else is Russia going to hold her?

Yes, she is in jail.

[XanaDUer2]

26. It was more of a statement. Shouldnt have used the ? Nt