The Last Word on Brittney Griner

ESPN.com

Brittney Griner was found guilty of drug possession and smuggling by a Russian court and she has been convicted and sentenced to up to nine years in a Russian prison.

Her story has divided Americans for several months now. 

-Many are saying she has to do the time because she did the crime.

-Some are saying she is only there because female athletes aren't paid as much as male athletes (even though WNBA players are like paid higher than 90% of all Americans)

-Some are saying she is being used as a political pawn (well duh, this will be the case because of all the hype we have built around the story. Did we even hear anything like this in the media about all the other Americans who have been in Russian prison for years, some with made up charges?).

-Some are saying she/he does not like America, so she/he can stay there. (Others are saying when she/he gets back she/he will be protesting more about America than before).

-Some are going to the extremes of bringing up the points that Griner is African American, she identifies as a male, she is married to a woman, and everything else she identifies with, besides the fact that she actually committed a crime in Russian soil. And she should know better. 

-Depending on what political color we subscribe to, that is probably the side we will be on in this case.

Stupidity

Now what Russia has been very upset about is how America, American politicians, the media and Americans are telling Russians how to enforce their laws within Russian soil, and that they are actually holding Griner illegally. Way to go. Way to make matters worse.

Fact

Griner is on trial in Russia for supposedly bringing hashish oil (in vape cartridges) into Russian territory upon entry into an international airport outside of Moscow.

In case, we need to be educated, this is a major offense in that country and in every other country, even in the U.S.

It is a no brainer really, Brittney violated Russian laws and claimed doing so by accident. The arrest isn't entirely illegal or without merit. And it's their country, it's their laws that people need to follow while they are in their territory.

Common sense, when in Rome, we do as the Romans do. 

What They Should Have Done

What should have been done is to keep this story on the down low. And, most importantly not to anger Russia and to come up and put up a defense that will actually get her out. The defense was just undescribable. And everyone played the political game, the trial by media route, the let's make this story big and try to get us brownie points and make us popular, make us look good as we make the Russians look bad, blah blah blah, not a good plan.

Put Up A Real Defense

Then in the end they plead guilty (so they can do a prisoner swap). But at the same time, in the media, Griner is insisting innocence, or the Russians are holding her illegally, or their story keeps on changing. Just be quiet already. They have the right to be silent and they should have.

So as mentioned they plead guilty so they can do a prisoner swap. But then they announce the deal publicly and mentioned who the people involved are. And this is just all so wrong. Who does that? If anything they would have made this as quiet as can be, unless of course if there was another agenda.

U.S. politicians are using this issue to get votes in the coming election. And the media is continuing to milk and make money off of this story. This is just stupid, plus the fact that everyone else is jumping onboard this train wreck. They made this case into a let's fight for female athletes, let's fight for Black athletes, let's fight for gay rights, equal rights, let's fight for this, let's fight for that. Normal Americans do not need to fight for professional athletes. These athletes get paid huge amounts compared to normal Americans.

Russia is just waiting on the perfect "American" who is really "important" to U.S. politicians who they can use to swap with their most notorious criminals being held in U.S. prisons. And now they found one.

Thank you Griner, now you can soon go free in exchange for the most dangerous Russian criminals held in the U.S. Now this should be the last word in this saga. Americans have been played again by the media and by politicians. Russia didn't even have to do anything but enforce their laws. American people have been conned again. What else is new?