Brittney Griner - Free at Last?
The words "prisoner exchange" have a double meaning to the WNBA star.
After nine months, Brittney Griner is free and heading back to America from a Russian prison.
Ms. Griner was released in exchanged in for noted black market arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The WNBA great is free from being held hostage as a pawn by a psychotic Vladimir Putin. Putin has been desperate for political leverage at a time when his invasion of Ukraine has turned into a political, military, and public relations disaster.
While basking in the news of the successful prisoner transfer, the current US political climate still manages to rear its Medusa head.
Reading reactions to the transfer is a mix of heady joy and judgmental tripe. Comments referring to the unevenness of the trade between a “pothead” and an arms dealer whose freedom will lead to many deaths.
And so on, and so forth.
It would be hilarious, but the hypocrisy is infuriating.
The same people who are mewing about her possession of cannabis in exchange for an arms dealer are the same sort who have been supporting Putin and his unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
They are fine with a megalomaniacal dictator attacking innocent people for his own twisted ends, but when someone – someone who is the wrong color and sexuality is freed from prison, they naturally have a problem.
In a perfect world, psychopaths wouldn’t snatch an innocent athlete up and throw them in prison to use them as a bargaining chip.
But as each day reminds us, this is far from a perfect world.
Innocent men, women, and children are dying every day in Ukraine.
People have been judged and condemned every day for using cannabis for purely medicinal purposes.
People who are a different race from the majority are judged and condemned.
People who love differently from the majority are judged and condemned.
And someone who likely uses cannabis medicinally, is the wrong color, and loves the wrong way is triply judged and condemned.
If Brittney Griner was a straight-edged, blonde, straight-woman, there would be no price too great to pay for her freedom.
Fortunately, a price has been paid, and Ms. Griner is free.
Free, and yet not free.
A plight shared by many others like her who will never see the inside of a Russian penal colony.