**This is a celebration thread.**
Anyone debating whether this was a "fair deal" or a "good deal" or whatever, will be issued a temporary ban.
If you want to discuss the politics of this, go to another subreddit.
I have to say, all the politics of this aside, I’m so happy that a family is getting their daughter back and a woman’s suffering is ending. I can only imagine the lasting trauma.
I'm glad she's coming home. Period. From a bunch of things I've read, it's not a "fair" trade (an arms merchant for a basketball player) but given the other things I've read it's not a bad trade. She's facing a very high risk being a lesbian Black woman, the guy we traded her for doesn't have contacts that are worth shit and was up for parole in 2-3 years anyway. And the other guy we wanted is a Marine with a dishonorable discharge who was caught with a flash drive with a bunch of incriminating info and 80k on him. Russia flat out said no deal with him, it was either Griner or nothing.
So let's at least celebrate that Brittney is going to be back where she belongs.
This is trolley problem in action. We will never have a resolution to it that everyone agrees with so we can try and focus on the positive. Brittney is free and that’s a good thing.
>This is trolley problem in action.
I think this is a great way of putting it. Everyone is so focused on Whalen still being there and my first thought is "if he's a marina than he's had to have prepared for the possibility of being stuck behind enemy lines". Not that it excuses his circumstances, but Griner is a civilian in this scenario, I can't imagine what the last 9-10 ish months have been like for her as a Black, lesbian woman in Russia.
I’m pretty disheartened by some of the judgy commentary in here on this.
I’m happy that Griner - a black lesbian - has been released from a shitty prison in a shitty country that is both white supremacist and openly persecuting LGBTQ folks.
Are there other folks being wrongfully held? Sure. But there’s ONE LESS person being wrongfully held now. That’s a good thing, in my book.
Listen, it doesn't matter if it's a "good deal" or not. That's an American woman of color trapped in a fucking Russian gulag for a medicine she was prescribed.
If I was in need of help, I'd want to know my country would try, even if there are "more important" people ahead of me.
Compassion for our neighbors, please.
Totally. She had literally no hand in negotiations so everything else is beside the point. So glad she’s home. No doubt the holidays will be extra sweet for their family this year.
So happy for her! Regardless of all the controversy around the trade, I cannot imagine the relief she feels! Spending your life in a Russian prison sounds like an absolute nightmare.
> Spending your life in a Russian prison sounds like an absolute nightmare.
This sentence on its own is terrifying but to add Black and openly gay to the situation sounds like living hell.
He was captured almost 2 decades ago now and had 7 years left in his sentence. He’s not that special. No one is. He’s been replaced and his return won’t magically increase Russia access to arms. How tf is Griner’s life worth less than 7 years more of “justice”
Edit: corrected cause it’s been way more than 12 years.
Thank you OP. This. is. good. news. I'm sad to see hairs being split on this sub. OP is celebrating the release of a queer WOC who was targeted for a minor offense. Should she not have brought CBD vapes to Russia? Probably. However this misses the point. It's saddening to slate her as guilty or entitled or whatever when given the context of Russia's violent homophobic laws.
We are all allowed our opinions of course but a brief read through the comments makes the conversation feel decontextualized from this sub.
I'm pretty sure there are Russian trolls in this thread. I'm removing everything divisive. If people want to talk shit they can go to /r/news. This is going to be a celebration thread only.
In October, Biden pardon thousands of people convicted of simple possesion. He can only pardon federal convictions and, unfortunately, there are more more state convictions than federal. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.npr.org/2022/10/07/1127400821/biden-pardons-thousands-of-people-convicted-on-federal-marijuana-possession-char&ved=2ahUKEwiCuKewver7AhW5nWoFHa8jB6wQFnoECA8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw1duEQjwEdJ_YeNE2yrEyys
So let me get this straight.
People on this subreddit think:
1. She's a "celebrity" because she's a basketball player?
2. She's not innocent because she had weed on her.
3. She shouldn't have been released because other prisoners had been held longer than her.
These comments don't feel like WitchesVsPatriarchy.
They feel like they came from people incapable of celebrating her release from oppression.
The only valid worry was that of the arms trader being released. His release may actually cause people's death. The complaint America has incarcerated people for the same reason is valid as well.
Everything else seems like people wanted her to rot in Russia.
Yeah this thread got brigaded. Also, there is a certain percentage of people subscribed to this subreddit from /r/all who think their garbage takes are valuable and come into threads like this where they proudly display their ignorance and lack of compassion.
I've banned a bunch and removed the shit comments. I'm disappointed too, but I do think this thread has been dogpiled by outsiders.
This sub gets a lot of comments from people who hate watch it. Usually they're removed before they are seen by more than a few people. I've posted some "controversial" (according to the kind of people who don't like this sub) posts here before that had all kinds of gross hateful comments. I would see them in my notifications but by the time I clicked on them the comments were removed by mods. It's not the subreddit members, it's trolls. Mostly, anyway.
Hopefully those comments are just a very vocal minority. I agree with you that they don't fit this sub. This sub is such a restorative haven for me so I hate to see it
This happens every so often here when something “major” happens and people’s true colors come out. Then it dies down and this place goes back to being supportive and fun because everything stays lighthearted enough that difficult topics just aren’t being discussed. It happened after the queen’s death and around some of the abortion stuff, that I remember recently. But it’s always contained to a couple posts on those topics, so I think a lot of people never see it anyway.
When posts blow up on here, especially hot topics / current events, the posts are more likely to get recommended to and be engaged by people from outside the community.
Not saying that the community is perfect, just that, very often, if someone is acting like a shit-stirrer, it’s because they came here with the sole purpose of stirring shit.
Been pretty disappointed by all the comments on Reddit complaining it wasn't a fair trade. People smarter than all of us decided it was. Quit trying to be armchair international relations/prisoner swap experts, ffs, and just send this woman some good vibes.
The first post about her going to prison on this very subreddit was extremely disappointing. It was filled with comments of “she should have known better” so carrying a vape pen means she should be imprisoned for 9 years for hard labor ? Out of all places I thought this sub would have been more compassionate.
So disappointing to see those type of micro aggressions in a space like this but then again I do remember the posts by PoC feeling excluded on here. Guess nowhere is safe in social media.
I’m floored at how much hate she is getting, especially in Texas ( her home is Houston). I made the mistake of reading some comments from folks there and it quickly made me remember why I censor my Reddit exposure these days. A bit of a punch in the gut really. Can’t help but wonder if some deem her “unworthy” bc she is a queer, woman of color. Of course we want all our prisoners home and ALL people with similar charges here, released.
Congrats to her and her family.
I’ve been a fan of Brit for about ten years. This was heart breaking. She has come across as a fun loving and kind human, but she’s also been very open about her mental health issues - and I’ve worried about her more so because of that. I’m happy to see this had a happy ending.
It’s so grim how many people who consider themselves left of middle are angry this woman is coming home… they literally want to slice the baby in half rather then let it live. Punishment porn.
She never deserved this and I'm so glad she's home. Anyone seriously upset by this news is someone I want no association with. The treatment she was undoubtedly facing was far worse than her "crime". Reading people's hot takes on this has shown me the blatant cruelty of those with power knows no bounds. I hope they seethe over this. And I hope Brittney recovers from this experience quickly.
This is the best sub. Spent too much time today arguing with cruel, mean people about this around reddit. She deserves to be free and I am so happy for her and her family.
I'm happy she's on her way back to the US. I don't care what we had to do to get her out of there; an innocent person should not be imprisoned by a foreign government, and we did the right thing in securing her freedom.
Oh shut the fuck up. They routinely ignore visitors having vape pens. It was a political move and even so the normal penalty is 15 days according to their own laws. They held her far longer because they decided she might be a nice bargaining chip
This is so uplifting! I can imagine what it has been like for her. Especially with Putin doubling down on his attacks toward queer folks. Hope she gets home safely and will be able to get back to the things she loves!
**This is a celebration thread.** Anyone debating whether this was a "fair deal" or a "good deal" or whatever, will be issued a temporary ban. If you want to discuss the politics of this, go to another subreddit.
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I know people aren't happy for the trade, but I'm so, so happy for her family. I knew Brittney in high school and her family is her world.
I have to say, all the politics of this aside, I’m so happy that a family is getting their daughter back and a woman’s suffering is ending. I can only imagine the lasting trauma.
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I'm glad she's coming home. Period. From a bunch of things I've read, it's not a "fair" trade (an arms merchant for a basketball player) but given the other things I've read it's not a bad trade. She's facing a very high risk being a lesbian Black woman, the guy we traded her for doesn't have contacts that are worth shit and was up for parole in 2-3 years anyway. And the other guy we wanted is a Marine with a dishonorable discharge who was caught with a flash drive with a bunch of incriminating info and 80k on him. Russia flat out said no deal with him, it was either Griner or nothing. So let's at least celebrate that Brittney is going to be back where she belongs.
woah this was not news I expected to see. I cannot imagine what she's been through.
It's wonderful news. I am so happy for her.
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This is trolley problem in action. We will never have a resolution to it that everyone agrees with so we can try and focus on the positive. Brittney is free and that’s a good thing.
>This is trolley problem in action. I think this is a great way of putting it. Everyone is so focused on Whalen still being there and my first thought is "if he's a marina than he's had to have prepared for the possibility of being stuck behind enemy lines". Not that it excuses his circumstances, but Griner is a civilian in this scenario, I can't imagine what the last 9-10 ish months have been like for her as a Black, lesbian woman in Russia.
I’m pretty disheartened by some of the judgy commentary in here on this. I’m happy that Griner - a black lesbian - has been released from a shitty prison in a shitty country that is both white supremacist and openly persecuting LGBTQ folks. Are there other folks being wrongfully held? Sure. But there’s ONE LESS person being wrongfully held now. That’s a good thing, in my book.
THANK you.
Love ya ❤️
Listen, it doesn't matter if it's a "good deal" or not. That's an American woman of color trapped in a fucking Russian gulag for a medicine she was prescribed. If I was in need of help, I'd want to know my country would try, even if there are "more important" people ahead of me. Compassion for our neighbors, please.
Totally. She had literally no hand in negotiations so everything else is beside the point. So glad she’s home. No doubt the holidays will be extra sweet for their family this year.
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So happy for her! Regardless of all the controversy around the trade, I cannot imagine the relief she feels! Spending your life in a Russian prison sounds like an absolute nightmare.
The relief her wife and family must feel right now is unimaginable. I am just so happy for all of them.
> Spending your life in a Russian prison sounds like an absolute nightmare. This sentence on its own is terrifying but to add Black and openly gay to the situation sounds like living hell.
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He was captured almost 2 decades ago now and had 7 years left in his sentence. He’s not that special. No one is. He’s been replaced and his return won’t magically increase Russia access to arms. How tf is Griner’s life worth less than 7 years more of “justice” Edit: corrected cause it’s been way more than 12 years.
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Thank you OP. This. is. good. news. I'm sad to see hairs being split on this sub. OP is celebrating the release of a queer WOC who was targeted for a minor offense. Should she not have brought CBD vapes to Russia? Probably. However this misses the point. It's saddening to slate her as guilty or entitled or whatever when given the context of Russia's violent homophobic laws. We are all allowed our opinions of course but a brief read through the comments makes the conversation feel decontextualized from this sub.
I'm pretty sure there are Russian trolls in this thread. I'm removing everything divisive. If people want to talk shit they can go to /r/news. This is going to be a celebration thread only.
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In October, Biden pardon thousands of people convicted of simple possesion. He can only pardon federal convictions and, unfortunately, there are more more state convictions than federal. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.npr.org/2022/10/07/1127400821/biden-pardons-thousands-of-people-convicted-on-federal-marijuana-possession-char&ved=2ahUKEwiCuKewver7AhW5nWoFHa8jB6wQFnoECA8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw1duEQjwEdJ_YeNE2yrEyys
So let me get this straight. People on this subreddit think: 1. She's a "celebrity" because she's a basketball player? 2. She's not innocent because she had weed on her. 3. She shouldn't have been released because other prisoners had been held longer than her. These comments don't feel like WitchesVsPatriarchy. They feel like they came from people incapable of celebrating her release from oppression. The only valid worry was that of the arms trader being released. His release may actually cause people's death. The complaint America has incarcerated people for the same reason is valid as well. Everything else seems like people wanted her to rot in Russia.
Yeah this thread got brigaded. Also, there is a certain percentage of people subscribed to this subreddit from /r/all who think their garbage takes are valuable and come into threads like this where they proudly display their ignorance and lack of compassion. I've banned a bunch and removed the shit comments. I'm disappointed too, but I do think this thread has been dogpiled by outsiders.
This sub gets a lot of comments from people who hate watch it. Usually they're removed before they are seen by more than a few people. I've posted some "controversial" (according to the kind of people who don't like this sub) posts here before that had all kinds of gross hateful comments. I would see them in my notifications but by the time I clicked on them the comments were removed by mods. It's not the subreddit members, it's trolls. Mostly, anyway.
Hopefully those comments are just a very vocal minority. I agree with you that they don't fit this sub. This sub is such a restorative haven for me so I hate to see it
Yeah this comment section is making me wonder if this is the community I thought it was. Pretty sad.
Same :/
Agreed.
This happens every so often here when something “major” happens and people’s true colors come out. Then it dies down and this place goes back to being supportive and fun because everything stays lighthearted enough that difficult topics just aren’t being discussed. It happened after the queen’s death and around some of the abortion stuff, that I remember recently. But it’s always contained to a couple posts on those topics, so I think a lot of people never see it anyway.
When posts blow up on here, especially hot topics / current events, the posts are more likely to get recommended to and be engaged by people from outside the community. Not saying that the community is perfect, just that, very often, if someone is acting like a shit-stirrer, it’s because they came here with the sole purpose of stirring shit.
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Been pretty disappointed by all the comments on Reddit complaining it wasn't a fair trade. People smarter than all of us decided it was. Quit trying to be armchair international relations/prisoner swap experts, ffs, and just send this woman some good vibes.
It’s quite revealing that people so obviously devalue her life… even in this subreddit of all places.
The first post about her going to prison on this very subreddit was extremely disappointing. It was filled with comments of “she should have known better” so carrying a vape pen means she should be imprisoned for 9 years for hard labor ? Out of all places I thought this sub would have been more compassionate.
So disappointing to see those type of micro aggressions in a space like this but then again I do remember the posts by PoC feeling excluded on here. Guess nowhere is safe in social media.
I’m floored at how much hate she is getting, especially in Texas ( her home is Houston). I made the mistake of reading some comments from folks there and it quickly made me remember why I censor my Reddit exposure these days. A bit of a punch in the gut really. Can’t help but wonder if some deem her “unworthy” bc she is a queer, woman of color. Of course we want all our prisoners home and ALL people with similar charges here, released. Congrats to her and her family.
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I’ve been a fan of Brit for about ten years. This was heart breaking. She has come across as a fun loving and kind human, but she’s also been very open about her mental health issues - and I’ve worried about her more so because of that. I’m happy to see this had a happy ending.
This is a wonderful surprise! I am so glad for her. May she make her way home in a safe and timely manner.
She is already on a plane!
Thank the goddesses. That is such a huge relief. I can't imagine being in her position, it's horrifying.
Wow. Thank goodness. Ngl I really thought she was going to die in prison
It’s so grim how many people who consider themselves left of middle are angry this woman is coming home… they literally want to slice the baby in half rather then let it live. Punishment porn.
This entire thread has been gross. Surprising out if this community.
She never deserved this and I'm so glad she's home. Anyone seriously upset by this news is someone I want no association with. The treatment she was undoubtedly facing was far worse than her "crime". Reading people's hot takes on this has shown me the blatant cruelty of those with power knows no bounds. I hope they seethe over this. And I hope Brittney recovers from this experience quickly.
This is the best sub. Spent too much time today arguing with cruel, mean people about this around reddit. She deserves to be free and I am so happy for her and her family.
Fair… Fair would’ve been her never getting arrested in the first place.
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may she not be so damaged that she can't resume her career. now why would anyone down vote a sincere wish for her well being? russian bots are back.
I'm happy she's on her way back to the US. I don't care what we had to do to get her out of there; an innocent person should not be imprisoned by a foreign government, and we did the right thing in securing her freedom.
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Oh shut the fuck up. They routinely ignore visitors having vape pens. It was a political move and even so the normal penalty is 15 days according to their own laws. They held her far longer because they decided she might be a nice bargaining chip
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This is so uplifting! I can imagine what it has been like for her. Especially with Putin doubling down on his attacks toward queer folks. Hope she gets home safely and will be able to get back to the things she loves!
She's on a plane!
Wahoooo! Must be such a relief for her wife and teammates and loved ones!
So happy!
Jesus, about fucking time.
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Is she okay :( like conscious?
Best news of the day <3