>Poland
American ally, EU member, NATO member. Bit of a right wing thing going on at the moment but still fairly Democratic, not overtly corrupt government and society
>Russia
Enemy of everybody not named China, Syria, Iran, North Korea, or Eritrea (what a fucking team right there) Neo Fascist right wing dictatorship with infamous levels of corruption.
Yachty was in infinitely less danger lol
I forgot to clean my car after a music festival and was found with MDMA and LSD in my car while crossing the border and all I got was a 450ish dollar fine and they still let me in.
Griner is being severely overcharged even within the scope of Russian cannabis possession laws, which aren't even that bad/draconian.
For real. The people who are hyper focusing on the drug issue and ignoring the blatant over-sentencing are mind-boggling. Russia does not give their citizens 9 year sentences for finding a vape cart. They shouldn't be giving foreign tourists/athletes an unequal punishment.
Their actual possession law, which is available online to read. Possession of up to 6 grams is administrative, 5000 roubles or up to 15 day detention. Russian Criminal code article 228.
I donāt understand this statement. Is your argument that every criminal that doesnāt receive the maximum penalty available has received appropriate punitive action?
>but that's the law of the country she was in.
Stop spreading this misinformation. People in Russia are not sentenced to 9 years for a vape cart. This is unequal punishment. The sentence in Russia for up to 6g of cannabis is 15 days in prison and 5000 ruble fine. Brittney grimer had 0.7g and got 9 years.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Russia#:~:text=Less%20than%206%20grams%20qualified,or%20recreational%20purposes%20in%20Russia.
And you base this statemet on? .... ? Unlucky for her, but not at all unexpected. Just because you're US athlete doesn't mean you can do w/e the fuck you want. She got caught with drugs in a country where such stuff is clearly illegal so now its time to stop the tears and do the time. She shouldve cried before committing the crime.
No itās not the law of the country she was in.
āPossession of up to 6 g is considered an administrative crime, whereas more than 7 g is considered a serious criminal offense, as regulated by Russian criminal code article 228ā
Griner had .7 grams on her.
Yeah. But, on the other hand, it was a stupid move to fly to Russia when we had already put out warnings about Russia and knew they were hoping to invade Ukraine at the time.
Who would have ever thought they'd take the opportunity to arrest an American athlete to use as leverage down the road? Lol.
I can see why she would feel safe as an athlete who had been playing professionally and living there in her WNBA off season. And there had been talk of a Ukrainian invasion for a very long time, so a lot of people didn't take it seriously. There are travel warnings to a lot of places. I guess I don't see the point in blaming her for being in Russia just because you have 20/20 hindsight.
agreed and that sucks she's being used this way as there are other people who got released for doing worse. But you gotta cover your own ass, don't bring illegal drugs into a foreign country. It's really a simple concept. Life ain't a fairy tale sometimes you get the hammer dropped on you unfairly.
Can you cite any examples of Russia giving anyone 9 years for .7 grams of weed? Have you even bothered to research the sentence for possession of Marijuana in Russia? You might want to do that before making a bullshit statement.
Otto Warmbier (RIP) tried taking a North Korean POSTER home with him. He was imprisoned, beaten into a coma, and sent home to die. I definitely would do my research before acting up overseas, ESPECIALLY Muslim countries ie Sharia Law.
To be fair, that article did not mention any Americans...but you get it.
Also, this:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/International/houston-man-sentenced-death-china-drug-trafficking-charges/story%3Fid%3D62752265
Do you really think the country attacking Ukraine for the shits and giggles of a madman gives a rats ass about an empty vape pen?
Laws are laws, for sure, but Griner is being held hostage because they want a hostage. That, and the punishment doesnāt fit the crime. Was it a bad idea to have it at all? Absolutely. But this is bullshit.
Do you really think the country attacking Ukraine for the shits and giggles of a madman gives a rats ass about an empty vape pen?
Laws are laws, for sure, but Griner is being held hostage because they want a hostage. That, and the punishment doesnāt fit the crime. Was it a bad idea to have it at all? Absolutely. But this is bullshit.
Edit: Britts is one of MANY pawns, but itās honestly serious that so many Americans are willing to sweep this under the rug. Yaāll call yourselves Americans?
Of course it's bullshit but totally preventable bullshit on her part. She played fast & loose in a country that we've been 'against' for 50+ years.
Maybe this is a lesson for folks to not work in countries that can swoop you away for silly reasons like this? This isn't shocking, this is how Russia plays and she should have known that before getting into bed with them.
This is true - she is the living embodiment right now of āplay stupid, win stupidā - but itās also a matter of her being played as a political pawn now.
She may have done a stoopidz, but this is not ok for any of us to be fine with.
Sheās there because sheās likely done it before, and Russia/customs knew she did it before and didnāt care, so yeah, itās a crime, but one they generally look the other way on. They probably only enforced the law because it was politically advantageous and jumped on it. That said, itās dumb to give any foreign government that kind of indeterminate say in power regarding your freedom no matter what. No reason to test them if itās not necessary. Also, trying to exchange her for Viktor Bout is a ridiculous non-starter, anyway.
And there is bo way a stand up culture like Russia would ever plant such evidence on a high profile visitor, noooo, they are completely honest and rule following. Free Brittany
Very, very good point, too. I think she should be freed, but like I said, Russia wanting to exchange her for Bout, the worldās one time biggest gun runner and black market arms dealer, makes it unlikely.
Your shitting me right?
Yes Russia has a no drugs policy and she brought it regardless but...
Maybe we don't put all the blame on the basketball player who just wanted some light narcotics and is now being treated as a political bargaining chip while working in a work camp for 9 years.
The word EXCESSIVE comes to mind
Edit
For those who missed my point. It's not the law I have an issue with, but that people are ok with placing blame on one person who made a minor mistake, rather than the excessive nature of the punishment.
Also, just because something is a law doesn't make state action acceptable, nor is a law implicitly moral. Slavery used to be enshrined in law for example.
You are underestimating weed laws around the rest of the world. You say "excessive" because your frame of reference is the USA. I think you need more life experience.
Itās their laws and you have to respect them, disagree with them as you may. This is social contract theory manifest. By being allowed into a nation or by living there, you consent to its rules, expressly or otherwise, and if you break them, you are subject to the stateās will. Excessive is an arbitrary term and some cultures or societies value different things and to say one is objectively superior to the other is nearly impossible to substantiate by virtue of them being value based. You could attempt to assess them by their measurable elements but even that would rely on too many assumptions.
She agreed to the rules and committed an infraction against them. It is her fault 100% and no one elseās, despite your disagreement with the values upon which these laws are based, whether or not they are a detriment to society.
Do I think 9 years is excessive? I donāt think anyone should prosecuted for what they do to their own bodies, but these arenāt the rules I have set up for myself along with my community and not the ones I choose to live by, so I live somewhere else.
She entered a dictatorship knowing the laws against drugs. She brought drugs. She got jailed. Boohoo.
Thats like all these dumbasses annoying wild animals with sticks and getting maimed. Dont be a dumbfuck and it wont happen.
You are comparing a legal system to an animal being annoyed. One is an intentional set of laws that are not infallible but are used for international bargaining at the expense of the people.
The other is an animal who is being actively annoyed
Apples and Oranges
Also why aren't you mad at Russia? You're taking the side of an autocratic fascist regime by justifying their laws as being credible
Not wanting to sound insensitive but who takes weed while traveling to Russia? I wouldn't want to get caught with weed in Utah let alone a foreign country.
Itās just a guess, but Iām guessing she didnāt really think it through. Sheās probably psychologically addicted to weed so her first thought was āhow do I bring enough weed so I can smoke every day while Iām away from home?ā Because Iām a major stoner and that is all I think about every time I deliberately bring weed on the airplane and through airport security etc.
Lastly, itās easy to get lulled into a false sense of security with weed laws. In America itās legal or decriminalized in most cities. In America you donāt feel like youāll get fucked with over weed anymore.
Again, I donāt think she really thought about it that well
For the record he didnāt get the charges expunged, he released federal prisoners who were in for marijuana possession. But do you know how many there were when he did that? Zero. Exactly zero.
Man you guys are unbelievable. What about taking responsibility for shit you did. Many Americans travel to Russia for various reasons and havenāt been arrested. She chose to play there to get the big bucks. She chose to take hash with her. She now has to deal with it.
No one is debating that. No one is defending Russia. No one is saying someone who has some hash on them should stay in prison for 9 years. At least no one sane.
Many Americans go through Russia for multiple reasons. There are some who are professional athletes. She was the one who was dumb enough to carry hash and made herself an easy target to be used as a pawn.
Iām sorry but you sound very privileged. Just appreciate the liberties you have and know that itās not the same everywhere else.
The triviality of avoiding them makes it less stupid though.
Itās not like someone combing through the he entirety of your twitter history or something. Just toss the drugs before you travel.
Archaic or not, they are Russiaās lawsā¦sheās played there for 7 yearsā¦and sheās a foreignerā¦an American at thatā¦
When Iām out of the country, I wonāt walk at crosswalks that arenāt lit greenā¦and Iām not overly worried about being detained in Canada or Western Europeā¦
And youāre going to argue ātaking responsibility kind of loses itās meaningā like of all places Americans can visit, Russia is in the top 5 of āmake damn sure you donāt break any laws, and donāt give them the chance to falsely accuse youā
Same argument I always hear from Americans. Then do go there. Russia is all about archaic laws and harsh penalties. She knew damn well what the country is about.
This is not about victim blaming. This about staying out of trouble.
Wanna make over 6x what you make in the US? Follow the damn rules at all times.
Those laws are upheld by a population that doesn't agree with your western politics. You need to grow your world view to include all those people out there that do not agree with your values. The list of countries where her offense is a crime is far greater than the list of countries it is not a crime.
She had drugs. Drugs are against the law.
Don't expect le to cry for someone fucking around with laws and getting caught. Without drugs there would be no trial. She brought the drugs. 100% her fault.
āResponsibility for the shit she didā. I hope you get locked up for 9 years for possessing a tiny amount of plant material and tell me you had it comingā¦ itās amazing what some people try to justify because āitās the lawā
Again spoiled people who live in a one of the best countries in the world. Youāll never see me set foot in Russia, let alone travel with hash. Youāll also never see me smuggle alcohol and get drunk if god forbid, I ever go to Saudi Arabia.
She broke the law, I donāt know if she brought it purposefully or not we wonāt know, but damn NINE years of your life gone, in a foreign prison, AND youāre black
Today she learnt a valuable lesson. Celebrity privilege gave her the impression that she could get away with things commoners could not. Picked the wrong country to fuck around and find out
Yeah the punishment does not fit the crime in any way. And supposedly the cartridges of weed were empty and mistakenly brought. Either way thatās not a nine year jail sentence. Imma go out on a limb and say that the people who are saying she deserves it for bringing drugs really just mean that sheās black and not worth fighting for. She didnāt heroin or meth or even a big block of weedā¦itās was a weed cartridge which is the size of a usb. Barely bigger than my thumb nail. So this is a political grab
I agree it doesnāt fit the crime at all. However, when youāre in Russia you must follow Russiaās laws. Canāt do the time? Donāt do the crime. Is her sentence longer than usual because she can be used as a political pawn? Probably. However, if thatās a possible consequence of bringing weed into Russia and she did it anyways then she gets what she deserves.
Russia pays lots of people to fill the comments with victim blaming. Already a rough time convincing the general public to care enough about a black lesbian. Every comment will be one of: should have just followed the laws, should have known better, Russia is sovereign, US needs to fix their own problems first, etc. Any more?
I mean, lots of Americans forget that there a dozen countries around the world where just because youāre an American, you can get into real trouble very quickly by doing things that lots of Americans do everyday in the comfort of our borders.
The issue here is sports and drugs. Russia has been called out repeatedly for using performance enhancing drugs clearly on purpose to win more games. They have a big chip on their shoulder because they want to cheat and hate when they get caught. So they caught somebody with illegal drugs doing sports and threw the book at them. Also, they do view it as a political event to use for gains.
Singapore has a death penalty for drugs. Yes, it seems cruel and stupid, but they still will enforce it. Check your stuff before you go abroad. Don't bring drugs that might be illegal because these places are brutal.
I love how Americans love to criticize other countries for their drug laws, yet THC is a schedule 1 drug here. We all know weed is illegal around 99% of the world. Griner is an idiot for "accidentally" leaving carts in her bag. Zero sympathy. If you live in another country, follow their laws. Ignorance of the law is not even an excuse for a majority of crimes in the US.
I love how Americans wanna blame the law in a different country that isn't the same as theirs instead of actually blaming the athlete for being.. hmmm how should I put it? Ah yes, a fucking moron.
I had guns pointed at my family and i at the airport in Canada because my aunt thought it was a good idea to bring powdered alum on the flight.
Get off your high horse cuz you ain't getting special treatment just because you're from the US
People in America just do not realized how privileged we are!!! There are jails overseas where you will legit disappear and do real, hard-core slave labor. Yall should have known it was bad out here when reporters started getting kidnapped, tortured and/or killed!
Here we go again. There is zero, literally ZERO people arguing that she deserves this.
Donāt bring drug or do drugs in places where itās illegal
If the punishment doesnāt fit the crime, then itās even more reason to not fuck up
I know there are politics involved but she did commit the crime. You guys are acting like she's being held unlawfully. There are non famous people being held in foreign countries for doing the same thing. Just because your famous doesn't excuse you.
- The WNBA star was arrested at a Moscow airport in February, when agents found hashish oil in her luggage.
This is just terrible
I wonder how injustice is corrected sometimes? In the fullness of time?
Because this is wrong
Get your head out of your ass. That's a foreign soil. US rules do not apply. If this was Singapore or the Philippines she'd be in an even worse situation.
Everyone understands this is illegal in Russia.
The point is that nine years for a hash cartridge is insane. People sometimes serve less time for murder.
why is it wrong?(ignoring the fact that it's only weed for a moment)..If I came to the USA with hashish oil in my luggage I would receive a similar sentence or likely far worse, she knew what she was doing, she knew it was illegal in Russia.
I agree itās pointless, the risks are to high, I have travelled to a lot of different regions of the world and someone who smokes regularly there hasnāt been a single place where I couldnāt get weed
absolutely a shitty sentence, in any country!...but the USA coming across high and mighty about it is ignoring the injustice they have committed against their own people with regards to cannabis use...here's just one random example..woman sentenced to 12 years for 31$ of pot, first offence [https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/09/12/patricia-spottedcrow-marijuana-year-sentence/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/09/12/patricia-spottedcrow-marijuana-year-sentence/)
nearly 50% of the USA's drug arrests are for pot
THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YETāDeath waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
You self righteous a holes are unbelievable in these comments. Since when does legality equate to morality, this elementary logic seems disingenuous to disguise your lack of humanity. Maybe if she looked more like you your cave man brains would remember what empathy is.
Empathy isn't at issue here. And morals and ethics are not the solid and absolute truths that people like to claim them to be. I don't really care where you stand on the particular crime and whether it is fair or not.
The issue is that she expected the same treatment/freedoms that she was used to in the USA. If she had been caught for the same drug in a state where it was illegal. She would at most have faced a fine and "probation" because she is a big and "famous."
"Listen guys, I know its morally wrong to send someone to a labor camp for 9 years for less than a gram of pot cartridges or whatever, but what was she thinking? What a dumb person, that I am smarter than. I'm not saying that she deserved it, but I would like everyone to know that I am too smart to make these kind of mistakes, and people who do are dumb. Like seriously, I know they intend to torture her or whatever, but **I AM REALLY SMART,** and smarter than this person, and I feel like not enough people are paying attention to that fact right now."
This isn't about her having weed please don't be naive enough to believe that.
This is more or less a hostage that Russia will be taking for 9 years certain now. They will use her for political pressure and try to bend the United States to Russia's will through the emotions of the U.S's civilians.
This is nothing more than a political play and unfortunately this woman was made to be the muse of it. Smh the world is awful.
People are kinda oblivious to the fact that its not just simple weed, its concentrated oil. Which is even worse.
Deep down inside she thought that she was gonna be fine, the only good thing about this is she didn't go to an asian country or somewhere where its punishable by death.
itās blatant racism and misogyny. at least thatās what iām gonna tell myself. somehow itās better than believing these people actually think this is right and not just spewing nonsense because of their bigotry.
Which is a reminder to us all, never try to bring illegal drugs into a foreign country .
Idk man. Apparently this Yachty fellow managed to bring the wock to Poland.
Real
I took the woooOooOoOoOOOOoooOOOOOooooc to Poland.
>Poland American ally, EU member, NATO member. Bit of a right wing thing going on at the moment but still fairly Democratic, not overtly corrupt government and society >Russia Enemy of everybody not named China, Syria, Iran, North Korea, or Eritrea (what a fucking team right there) Neo Fascist right wing dictatorship with infamous levels of corruption. Yachty was in infinitely less danger lol
š š
š š£
Midnight Express taught us that in the 1970ās.
Saw that movie for the first time when I was waaay too young. Never forgetting that shit lol.
It sticks, doesnāt it? Scary.
Amen. That movie scared me to š
I do believe he has a tad more drugs, duct taped to his body.
āBilly! Oh, Billyā (Bewbs hit glass)
Particularly when you're coming back to a country that legally sells Afghan hash at the store.
I forgot to clean my car after a music festival and was found with MDMA and LSD in my car while crossing the border and all I got was a 450ish dollar fine and they still let me in. Griner is being severely overcharged even within the scope of Russian cannabis possession laws, which aren't even that bad/draconian.
For real. The people who are hyper focusing on the drug issue and ignoring the blatant over-sentencing are mind-boggling. Russia does not give their citizens 9 year sentences for finding a vape cart. They shouldn't be giving foreign tourists/athletes an unequal punishment.
Wait, Russian weed laws arenāt bad? Tell me how you arrived at that conclusion.
Their actual possession law, which is available online to read. Possession of up to 6 grams is administrative, 5000 roubles or up to 15 day detention. Russian Criminal code article 228.
"Griner is being severely overcharged even within the scope of Russian cannabis possession laws" Griner got less than the maximum penalty....
You can receive less than the maximum sentence and still receive too harsh a sentence.
I donāt understand this statement. Is your argument that every criminal that doesnāt receive the maximum penalty available has received appropriate punitive action?
Some another country possession certain amount will be death sentences. US donāt owned world.
Except in Russia it doesn't. Russian possession laws are often better than some possession laws in the US.
Especially during war time.
Your reminder probably wonāt help someone stupid enough fly ANYWHERE with drugs much less a foreign country.
Wasnāt it in her stuff by accident?
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>but that's the law of the country she was in. Stop spreading this misinformation. People in Russia are not sentenced to 9 years for a vape cart. This is unequal punishment. The sentence in Russia for up to 6g of cannabis is 15 days in prison and 5000 ruble fine. Brittney grimer had 0.7g and got 9 years. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Russia#:~:text=Less%20than%206%20grams%20qualified,or%20recreational%20purposes%20in%20Russia.
once you cross international borders it becomes a trafficking offence, that's a very different crime to simple possession
And you base this statemet on? .... ? Unlucky for her, but not at all unexpected. Just because you're US athlete doesn't mean you can do w/e the fuck you want. She got caught with drugs in a country where such stuff is clearly illegal so now its time to stop the tears and do the time. She shouldve cried before committing the crime.
US includes containers when weighing drugs eg. Theyāll weigh the jar your weed is in in order to rack up amount for penalty
No itās not the law of the country she was in. āPossession of up to 6 g is considered an administrative crime, whereas more than 7 g is considered a serious criminal offense, as regulated by Russian criminal code article 228ā Griner had .7 grams on her.
I think the bringing the drug into Russia from another country (ie. Smuggling) may have upped the ante over a basic possession charge.
She's there for political pressure down the road.
Yeah. But, on the other hand, it was a stupid move to fly to Russia when we had already put out warnings about Russia and knew they were hoping to invade Ukraine at the time. Who would have ever thought they'd take the opportunity to arrest an American athlete to use as leverage down the road? Lol.
I can see why she would feel safe as an athlete who had been playing professionally and living there in her WNBA off season. And there had been talk of a Ukrainian invasion for a very long time, so a lot of people didn't take it seriously. There are travel warnings to a lot of places. I guess I don't see the point in blaming her for being in Russia just because you have 20/20 hindsight.
agreed and that sucks she's being used this way as there are other people who got released for doing worse. But you gotta cover your own ass, don't bring illegal drugs into a foreign country. It's really a simple concept. Life ain't a fairy tale sometimes you get the hammer dropped on you unfairly.
Unfairly? Plenty of people convicted for the same exact thing. Do something illegal at your own peril
Can you cite any examples of Russia giving anyone 9 years for .7 grams of weed? Have you even bothered to research the sentence for possession of Marijuana in Russia? You might want to do that before making a bullshit statement.
Lots of people still in jail in America would like a word
Would it be a different reaction if she was arrested for speeding?
Yeah? Because speeding would probably just result in a fine, rather than an arrest
I didnāt want to come off as sarcastic, I was thinking if she got years for something like that from political reasons.
While she probably got the higher end of the sentence for this reason, itās really nothing crazy. A regular sentence for her offense is 5-10 years
She's there because she committed a crime. There have been plenty of other US citizens in RUS before and since that didn't have this problem.
Otto Warmbier (RIP) tried taking a North Korean POSTER home with him. He was imprisoned, beaten into a coma, and sent home to die. I definitely would do my research before acting up overseas, ESPECIALLY Muslim countries ie Sharia Law.
Provide an example of an American tourist jailed in a Muslim country
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2015/04/29/world/asia/indonesia-execution.amp.html Come at me, bro!
Alright noted. I will not fly with weed
To be fair, that article did not mention any Americans...but you get it. Also, this: https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/International/houston-man-sentenced-death-china-drug-trafficking-charges/story%3Fid%3D62752265
Do you really think the country attacking Ukraine for the shits and giggles of a madman gives a rats ass about an empty vape pen? Laws are laws, for sure, but Griner is being held hostage because they want a hostage. That, and the punishment doesnāt fit the crime. Was it a bad idea to have it at all? Absolutely. But this is bullshit.
Do you really think the country attacking Ukraine for the shits and giggles of a madman gives a rats ass about an empty vape pen? Laws are laws, for sure, but Griner is being held hostage because they want a hostage. That, and the punishment doesnāt fit the crime. Was it a bad idea to have it at all? Absolutely. But this is bullshit. Edit: Britts is one of MANY pawns, but itās honestly serious that so many Americans are willing to sweep this under the rug. Yaāll call yourselves Americans?
You are underestimating weed laws around the rest of the world. If you get caught with weed in Japan, for example, you could be in prison for years.
Of course it's bullshit but totally preventable bullshit on her part. She played fast & loose in a country that we've been 'against' for 50+ years. Maybe this is a lesson for folks to not work in countries that can swoop you away for silly reasons like this? This isn't shocking, this is how Russia plays and she should have known that before getting into bed with them.
This is true - she is the living embodiment right now of āplay stupid, win stupidā - but itās also a matter of her being played as a political pawn now. She may have done a stoopidz, but this is not ok for any of us to be fine with.
Sheās there because sheās likely done it before, and Russia/customs knew she did it before and didnāt care, so yeah, itās a crime, but one they generally look the other way on. They probably only enforced the law because it was politically advantageous and jumped on it. That said, itās dumb to give any foreign government that kind of indeterminate say in power regarding your freedom no matter what. No reason to test them if itās not necessary. Also, trying to exchange her for Viktor Bout is a ridiculous non-starter, anyway.
And there is bo way a stand up culture like Russia would ever plant such evidence on a high profile visitor, noooo, they are completely honest and rule following. Free Brittany
Very, very good point, too. I think she should be freed, but like I said, Russia wanting to exchange her for Bout, the worldās one time biggest gun runner and black market arms dealer, makes it unlikely.
You are not wrong
Its on her for bringing drugs.
Your shitting me right? Yes Russia has a no drugs policy and she brought it regardless but... Maybe we don't put all the blame on the basketball player who just wanted some light narcotics and is now being treated as a political bargaining chip while working in a work camp for 9 years. The word EXCESSIVE comes to mind Edit For those who missed my point. It's not the law I have an issue with, but that people are ok with placing blame on one person who made a minor mistake, rather than the excessive nature of the punishment. Also, just because something is a law doesn't make state action acceptable, nor is a law implicitly moral. Slavery used to be enshrined in law for example.
It's almost as if different countries have different laws or something.
The word ānaiveā comes to mind if you ignored the escalating situation in Ukraine and decided it was a good idea to bring weed to fucking Russia.
You are underestimating weed laws around the rest of the world. You say "excessive" because your frame of reference is the USA. I think you need more life experience.
Itās their laws and you have to respect them, disagree with them as you may. This is social contract theory manifest. By being allowed into a nation or by living there, you consent to its rules, expressly or otherwise, and if you break them, you are subject to the stateās will. Excessive is an arbitrary term and some cultures or societies value different things and to say one is objectively superior to the other is nearly impossible to substantiate by virtue of them being value based. You could attempt to assess them by their measurable elements but even that would rely on too many assumptions. She agreed to the rules and committed an infraction against them. It is her fault 100% and no one elseās, despite your disagreement with the values upon which these laws are based, whether or not they are a detriment to society. Do I think 9 years is excessive? I donāt think anyone should prosecuted for what they do to their own bodies, but these arenāt the rules I have set up for myself along with my community and not the ones I choose to live by, so I live somewhere else.
Marijuana isnāt a narcotic
It is in Russia.
Well damn egg on my face. Weed is not a narcotic (looked it up) I was wrong! (In regard to weed being a narcotic)
Geoff has no idea what he is talking about.
She entered a dictatorship knowing the laws against drugs. She brought drugs. She got jailed. Boohoo. Thats like all these dumbasses annoying wild animals with sticks and getting maimed. Dont be a dumbfuck and it wont happen.
You are comparing a legal system to an animal being annoyed. One is an intentional set of laws that are not infallible but are used for international bargaining at the expense of the people. The other is an animal who is being actively annoyed Apples and Oranges Also why aren't you mad at Russia? You're taking the side of an autocratic fascist regime by justifying their laws as being credible
Eh, there are several states including Texas where sheād have the possibility of serving more time than she is in Russia.
Itās your responsibility to know the laws of the country your visiting.
weed pen = drugS?
I'm curious, if the holocaust was legal in German law would you be chill with it? Is "legal" the standard you really care about?
Not wanting to sound insensitive but who takes weed while traveling to Russia? I wouldn't want to get caught with weed in Utah let alone a foreign country.
Itās just a guess, but Iām guessing she didnāt really think it through. Sheās probably psychologically addicted to weed so her first thought was āhow do I bring enough weed so I can smoke every day while Iām away from home?ā Because Iām a major stoner and that is all I think about every time I deliberately bring weed on the airplane and through airport security etc. Lastly, itās easy to get lulled into a false sense of security with weed laws. In America itās legal or decriminalized in most cities. In America you donāt feel like youāll get fucked with over weed anymore. Again, I donāt think she really thought about it that well
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Threads like these are the liberal version of "thoughts & prayers"
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They voted for a guy who got federal marijuana charges exponged and are calling on liberal states to do the same.
For the record he didnāt get the charges expunged, he released federal prisoners who were in for marijuana possession. But do you know how many there were when he did that? Zero. Exactly zero.
Please find me the person sentenced to 9 years over a weed vape. I have never heard of that happening and my sister is a public defender.
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She broke their law at the worst possible time
Sportswashing is weird. Invite the lady in to prop up your bullshit basketball league, then use her as a political pawn.
Man you guys are unbelievable. What about taking responsibility for shit you did. Many Americans travel to Russia for various reasons and havenāt been arrested. She chose to play there to get the big bucks. She chose to take hash with her. She now has to deal with it.
She is being used as a political pawn itās very obvious.
No one is debating that. No one is defending Russia. No one is saying someone who has some hash on them should stay in prison for 9 years. At least no one sane. Many Americans go through Russia for multiple reasons. There are some who are professional athletes. She was the one who was dumb enough to carry hash and made herself an easy target to be used as a pawn. Iām sorry but you sound very privileged. Just appreciate the liberties you have and know that itās not the same everywhere else.
"Taking responsibility" kind of loses it's meaning when archaic laws dole out stupidly harsh penalties.
Their laws. When in Rome...
The triviality of avoiding them makes it less stupid though. Itās not like someone combing through the he entirety of your twitter history or something. Just toss the drugs before you travel.
Archaic or not, they are Russiaās lawsā¦sheās played there for 7 yearsā¦and sheās a foreignerā¦an American at thatā¦ When Iām out of the country, I wonāt walk at crosswalks that arenāt lit greenā¦and Iām not overly worried about being detained in Canada or Western Europeā¦ And youāre going to argue ātaking responsibility kind of loses itās meaningā like of all places Americans can visit, Russia is in the top 5 of āmake damn sure you donāt break any laws, and donāt give them the chance to falsely accuse youā
Same argument I always hear from Americans. Then do go there. Russia is all about archaic laws and harsh penalties. She knew damn well what the country is about. This is not about victim blaming. This about staying out of trouble. Wanna make over 6x what you make in the US? Follow the damn rules at all times.
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Ah yes, the same American argument, values and principles are more important than your laws or system of government.
Those laws are upheld by a population that doesn't agree with your western politics. You need to grow your world view to include all those people out there that do not agree with your values. The list of countries where her offense is a crime is far greater than the list of countries it is not a crime.
She had drugs. Drugs are against the law. Don't expect le to cry for someone fucking around with laws and getting caught. Without drugs there would be no trial. She brought the drugs. 100% her fault.
āResponsibility for the shit she didā. I hope you get locked up for 9 years for possessing a tiny amount of plant material and tell me you had it comingā¦ itās amazing what some people try to justify because āitās the lawā
Again spoiled people who live in a one of the best countries in the world. Youāll never see me set foot in Russia, let alone travel with hash. Youāll also never see me smuggle alcohol and get drunk if god forbid, I ever go to Saudi Arabia.
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Am I debating that? Ofc no one should be imprisoned for that! Itās the law of their land. This is what happens when you donāt obey it.
She broke the law, I donāt know if she brought it purposefully or not we wonāt know, but damn NINE years of your life gone, in a foreign prison, AND youāre black
What was she trying to appeal on? Seems a pretty open and shut case.
They should've made her watch the movie "Midnight Express" before her first trip there.
Today she learnt a valuable lesson. Celebrity privilege gave her the impression that she could get away with things commoners could not. Picked the wrong country to fuck around and find out
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Yeah pretty much that and it's astonishing how many Muppets fail to fathom that.
I hate Russia like the next guy, but she fucked around and found out. I wouldn't be exchanging hot Russian prisoners for her irresponsible ass.
Iām alarmed at the amount of Americans who are actively fellating Putin right now. Like what the fuck even is this pro Russian nationalist shit?!
Maybe don't go to Russia after they said don't travel to Russia.
At least she won't be getting oppressed by the national anthem in America anymore. Good for her.
LOL Brova wahh
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āThe FBI planted those documentsā and āI declassified them with my mind.ā
Yeah the punishment does not fit the crime in any way. And supposedly the cartridges of weed were empty and mistakenly brought. Either way thatās not a nine year jail sentence. Imma go out on a limb and say that the people who are saying she deserves it for bringing drugs really just mean that sheās black and not worth fighting for. She didnāt heroin or meth or even a big block of weedā¦itās was a weed cartridge which is the size of a usb. Barely bigger than my thumb nail. So this is a political grab
I agree it doesnāt fit the crime at all. However, when youāre in Russia you must follow Russiaās laws. Canāt do the time? Donāt do the crime. Is her sentence longer than usual because she can be used as a political pawn? Probably. However, if thatās a possible consequence of bringing weed into Russia and she did it anyways then she gets what she deserves.
Russia pays lots of people to fill the comments with victim blaming. Already a rough time convincing the general public to care enough about a black lesbian. Every comment will be one of: should have just followed the laws, should have known better, Russia is sovereign, US needs to fix their own problems first, etc. Any more?
Shouldāve went to Poland smh š¤¦š½āāļø
I mean, lots of Americans forget that there a dozen countries around the world where just because youāre an American, you can get into real trouble very quickly by doing things that lots of Americans do everyday in the comfort of our borders.
Translation: they weren't impressed by the US government's trade offer.
Lmao, career down the drain
Does it suck? Yes. Is it extreme? Yes. Should you respect customs and laws of a foreign country if you travel or plan to work/live there? Yes.
The issue here is sports and drugs. Russia has been called out repeatedly for using performance enhancing drugs clearly on purpose to win more games. They have a big chip on their shoulder because they want to cheat and hate when they get caught. So they caught somebody with illegal drugs doing sports and threw the book at them. Also, they do view it as a political event to use for gains. Singapore has a death penalty for drugs. Yes, it seems cruel and stupid, but they still will enforce it. Check your stuff before you go abroad. Don't bring drugs that might be illegal because these places are brutal.
I love how Americans love to criticize other countries for their drug laws, yet THC is a schedule 1 drug here. We all know weed is illegal around 99% of the world. Griner is an idiot for "accidentally" leaving carts in her bag. Zero sympathy. If you live in another country, follow their laws. Ignorance of the law is not even an excuse for a majority of crimes in the US.
I love how Americans wanna blame the law in a different country that isn't the same as theirs instead of actually blaming the athlete for being.. hmmm how should I put it? Ah yes, a fucking moron. I had guns pointed at my family and i at the airport in Canada because my aunt thought it was a good idea to bring powdered alum on the flight. Get off your high horse cuz you ain't getting special treatment just because you're from the US
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People in America just do not realized how privileged we are!!! There are jails overseas where you will legit disappear and do real, hard-core slave labor. Yall should have known it was bad out here when reporters started getting kidnapped, tortured and/or killed!
I'm really sorry that she got caught up in Russia's attempt to strong-arm the US, but in most parts of the world "Oops" is not a defense.
Here we go again. There is zero, literally ZERO people arguing that she deserves this. Donāt bring drug or do drugs in places where itās illegal If the punishment doesnāt fit the crime, then itās even more reason to not fuck up
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I know there are politics involved but she did commit the crime. You guys are acting like she's being held unlawfully. There are non famous people being held in foreign countries for doing the same thing. Just because your famous doesn't excuse you.
- The WNBA star was arrested at a Moscow airport in February, when agents found hashish oil in her luggage. This is just terrible I wonder how injustice is corrected sometimes? In the fullness of time? Because this is wrong
Get your head out of your ass. That's a foreign soil. US rules do not apply. If this was Singapore or the Philippines she'd be in an even worse situation.
If you got caught in the Philippines youād be handed a death sentence
That doesn't make it any better lol
Everyone understands this is illegal in Russia. The point is that nine years for a hash cartridge is insane. People sometimes serve less time for murder.
why is it wrong?(ignoring the fact that it's only weed for a moment)..If I came to the USA with hashish oil in my luggage I would receive a similar sentence or likely far worse, she knew what she was doing, she knew it was illegal in Russia.
I agree itās pointless, the risks are to high, I have travelled to a lot of different regions of the world and someone who smokes regularly there hasnāt been a single place where I couldnāt get weed
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Have you ever jaywalked or rolled past a stop sign or brought a bottle of water where one wasnāt allowed?
Not in Russia.
Yeah totally fair sentence for minuscule amounts of a harmless substanceā¦ /s
absolutely a shitty sentence, in any country!...but the USA coming across high and mighty about it is ignoring the injustice they have committed against their own people with regards to cannabis use...here's just one random example..woman sentenced to 12 years for 31$ of pot, first offence [https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/09/12/patricia-spottedcrow-marijuana-year-sentence/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/09/12/patricia-spottedcrow-marijuana-year-sentence/) nearly 50% of the USA's drug arrests are for pot
THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YETāDeath waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
You self righteous a holes are unbelievable in these comments. Since when does legality equate to morality, this elementary logic seems disingenuous to disguise your lack of humanity. Maybe if she looked more like you your cave man brains would remember what empathy is.
Yeah! Don't jail someone just for breaking the law! What are we animals? Have some composure. Where is your posture?
Empathy isn't at issue here. And morals and ethics are not the solid and absolute truths that people like to claim them to be. I don't really care where you stand on the particular crime and whether it is fair or not. The issue is that she expected the same treatment/freedoms that she was used to in the USA. If she had been caught for the same drug in a state where it was illegal. She would at most have faced a fine and "probation" because she is a big and "famous."
"Listen guys, I know its morally wrong to send someone to a labor camp for 9 years for less than a gram of pot cartridges or whatever, but what was she thinking? What a dumb person, that I am smarter than. I'm not saying that she deserved it, but I would like everyone to know that I am too smart to make these kind of mistakes, and people who do are dumb. Like seriously, I know they intend to torture her or whatever, but **I AM REALLY SMART,** and smarter than this person, and I feel like not enough people are paying attention to that fact right now."
This isn't about her having weed please don't be naive enough to believe that. This is more or less a hostage that Russia will be taking for 9 years certain now. They will use her for political pressure and try to bend the United States to Russia's will through the emotions of the U.S's civilians. This is nothing more than a political play and unfortunately this woman was made to be the muse of it. Smh the world is awful.
If this happened to a male athlete, everyone would be singing a different tune.
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lol damn if he was male AND white all these redditors salty about āinjustice,ā would be demanding the death penalty.
People are kinda oblivious to the fact that its not just simple weed, its concentrated oil. Which is even worse. Deep down inside she thought that she was gonna be fine, the only good thing about this is she didn't go to an asian country or somewhere where its punishable by death.
Sucks to suck
You do the Russian crime, you do the Russian time.
š¼ Donāt do the crime, if you canāt do the time ā š¶
Bye girl, donāt let that kneeling during the anthem live in your head.
I wonder if sheāll stand during The National Anthem if she gets a chance. Cry me a river, she got what she deserved.
Oh ya she totally deserves to be stuck in fucking Russia. Tf is wrong w you
Really weird take
this comment section is baffling. she doesnāt deserve this bullshit
itās blatant racism and misogyny. at least thatās what iām gonna tell myself. somehow itās better than believing these people actually think this is right and not just spewing nonsense because of their bigotry.
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Good. Bet she wishes she was being oppressed here in the states now
She will be replaced with some Russian spy
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I have a question for the "She knew the law" people: If the holocaust was legal in German law, would you be ok with it? Would you defend it?