# Why no critical discussion on Brittney Griner's drug bust? {She's been released as of 2022-12-08} **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 27, 2022, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668 "2022-07-27T20:50:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/161 "2022-10-25T15:59:20Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > And a large part of the American people don’t even question that it is possible she is being set up because of their own prejudices. The American people? People right here in this thread don’t question that! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/162 "2022-10-25T16:09:43Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Either is plausible in this case. But who cares? There’s no justice here either way. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/163 "2022-10-25T16:24:49Z")
Sometimes celebrities forget they can be targeted by searches at airports. Paul McCartney got caught 1980 with weed in the airport in Japan. He could have gotten 7 years hard labor. He served 9 days in jail and paid a million pounds for cancelling the tour. [https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/paul-mccartney-recalls-being-arrested-for-weed-in-1980-and-facing-up-to-7-years-of-labor/ar-AAXNtZt](https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/paul-mccartney-recalls-being-arrested-for-weed-in-1980-and-facing-up-to-7-years-of-labor/ar-AAXNtZt) The Russian womans basketball league employs a lot of foreigners. Griner is the only one that got arrested. Its not like they threw a net and grabbed all the Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/164 "2022-10-25T16:25:56Z")
It’s mainly they enjoy seeing an outspoken female gay black athlete getting punished. The rest is irrelevant. It’s righteous comeuppance. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/165 "2022-10-25T16:37:45Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The Russian womans basketball league employs a lot of foreigners. Griner is the only one that got arrested. Its not like they threw a net and grabbed all the Americans. Why does that even matter? They only needed one to use as a pawn in their game, picking up more than one would have appeared too blatant. They picked the one that would cause the greatest divide in the arena of public opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/166 "2022-10-25T19:46:22Z")
> [@Chingon](#): > > It’s mainly they enjoy seeing an outspoken female gay black athlete getting punished. An outspoken female gay black _American_. Those so-called patriots seem to forget that when it’s convenient. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/167 "2022-10-25T19:53:54Z")
> [@Chingon](#): > > It’s mainly they enjoy seeing an outspoken female gay black athlete getting punished. The rest is irrelevant. It’s righteous comeuppance. I never even heard of Griner before this happened. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/168 "2022-10-25T19:56:15Z")
It is hard to believe you believe the account given by a ruthless, totalitarian government When all is said and done, you have no idea whatsoever what she packed in her own bag. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/169 "2022-10-25T22:31:50Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > I say they targeted her because she is known to use weed AND that she is a high profile black gay athlete that they could use to sow divisions in America public support. I don’t mean to single you out unparticular since this same sentiment has been said quite a few times in this thread, but I think you’re looking at the wrong target demographic for this charade of ‘justice,’ it’s for domestic consumption more than sowing division in America, any effect it has on America is purely a collateral bonus. Russian domestic propaganda is virulently anti-LGBTQ and anti-anything ‘corrupting’ from the decadent/progressive West. The laws and propaganda in Russia are extremely homophobic/anti-queer; it’s illegal to spread ‘[gay propaganda](https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/12/12/no-support/russias-gay-propaganda-law-imperils-lgbt-youth)’; think fundamentalists in the US being able to write laws combatting the ‘gay agenda.’ There’s even, I shit you not, a push against the ‘childfree’ lifestyle and laws proposed to ban the discussion of the ‘childfree lifestyle.’ For a look at just how fucking bizarre things are over there, [Russia’s New Anti-American Propaganda is WILD](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OlOUK7WlCE). ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2022, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/170 "2022-10-25T23:19:04Z")
Well it doesn’t have to be one or the other, in the real world it can be and often is a bit of both. Although the fact that this happened to an American at the same time they were invading a neighboring democracy that bore no threat to them speaks volumes of thier intent in my opinion. If it plays to the home crowd as well its just bonus propaganda and a safe move on thier part. It was a highly calculated move with benifits to them and little risk. A thug move. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/171 "2022-10-26T11:08:16Z")
I believe them because she didn’t deny it. She normally carries that stuff for pain, and she just forgot to check that it was not in her luggage for her Russian trip. She never claimed it was planted. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/172 "2022-10-26T12:15:04Z")
It’s odd that a lot of these responses have “known to use weed” as a criterion. It’s a rather old adage but the authorities, if properly motivated, will find something to book you on. In this case, they found a molehill they could blow up into a mountain. But even if there wasn’t anything to find, is there really that much doubt they would have either ‘found’ something anyway or simply found another target? ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/173 "2022-10-26T12:40:37Z")
Brittney Griner’s own wife, who lives in Arizona, **acknowledges that Brittney carried a controlled substance into Russia**. What Cherelle Griner takes issue with is that **the punishment is not at all proportionate to the crime**. “B.G. has truly suffered beyond her crime already.” (video 2:08 to 3:15) > ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/174 "2022-10-26T18:13:25Z")
> [@Chad\_Sudan](#): > > Brittney Griner’s own wife, who lives in Arizona, **acknowledges that Brittney carried a controlled substance into Russia**. I just listened to the interview and I am not hearing where her wife said she knew Brittney actually carried a controlled substance into Russia. Could you please point out the time where she said that? Also, did her wife receive this information from Brittney while she was in custody in Russia? Or was it before she left and Brittney like said “I’m going to Russia honey, please make sure to pack my cannabis oil”. Did her wife pack her bag? The point is, that anything coming out of Russia, even statements from Brittney to her wife have to be taken as under duress and thus very possibly not true so her captors wouldn’t take retribution on her. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/175 "2022-10-26T18:39:41Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > I believe them because she didn’t deny it. When someone is being held hostage they will say anything in order not to be “corrected” by there captors. These thugs have decades of experience in how to handle captives and coerce them into saying and doing whatever they want. They set the rules before they even nabbed her. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/176 "2022-10-26T18:49:31Z")
This is all assumption on your part. You have no actual evidence that she was framed. Question: If they were framing her, how and why did they come up with “Cannabis Oil”? I’d come up with cocaine and put her away for 50 years. I’d like to point out that the U.S. government has been admonishing American travelers for decades to be very careful with what they choose to pack for trips abroad. This type of thing has happened many times. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/177 "2022-10-26T19:00:17Z")
My assumption is based upon Russia’s past and present behavior and the timing of when they did this. They have not earned the benefit of the doubt. They take there time picking their victims and already know what would be a believable lie. She is not a known cocaine user, so that would be over the top. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/178 "2022-10-26T19:12:49Z")
1. Users lose drugs. 2. Putin is lying scum. I see no reason to think it’s particularly implausible either that she was framed, or that she wasn’t. Certainly the fact that, while sitting in a Russian jail, she isn’t claiming to have been framed, means nothing. And AFAIK, although her lawyers didn’t dispute the charges, I think Griner herself has admitted only that she MIGHT have accidentally packed them…suggesting that she isn’t ruling out other possible explanations. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/179 "2022-10-26T19:26:06Z")
> [@Chingon](#): > > It’s mainly they enjoy seeing an outspoken female gay black athlete getting punished. > [@Chingon](#): > > It’s mainly they enjoy seeing an outspoken female gay black athlete getting punished. It truly is unfortunate that you repeat this garbage despite having repeatedly been told that that is not the case. Your bias is more blatant than that of those you accuse. Keep repeating it. Good luck in convincing anyone. I would have felt the same has the idiot in question been white, male, straight, non-athlete… ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2022, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668/180 "2022-10-26T19:40:09Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I would have felt the same has the idiot in question been white, male, straight, non-athlete… Yes, but if the idiot in question had been white, male, straight, non-athlete, would you have heard of them? It took a black, female, gay athlete for most of America to know that there were _any_ Americans being held in Russian prisons. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-critical-discussion-on-brittney-griners-drug-bust-shes-been-released-as-of-2022-12-08/968668.md?page=10)