Brittney Griner is Coming Home - If You Don't Like That It Might Be Deep-Seated Bias

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by Julian Spivey
Many Americans woke up to the news that basketball star Brittney Griner, who’d been serving time in a Russian penal colony following a drug conviction this summer, was on her way back to America after a high-profile prisoner swap between the United States and Russia in which arms dealer Viktor Bout, who had served 10 years of a 25-year sentence for conspiring to kill Americans, was returned to his home country.

Griner was arrested at a Moscow-area airport on February 17 while trying to enter Russia to join her club team in Ekaterinburg (WNBA stars often supplement their earnings by playing overseas during the offseason) when cartridges containing hashish oil were found in her luggage. Griner had admitted to the drugs, but denied intent to smuggle, saying she committed the crime out of carelessness while packing and had not intended on breaking Russian law. Griner had played basketball in Russia since 2014 and knew the laws were different from those in the United States. Still, the collegiate and professional champion and two-time Team USA Olympic gold medalist was sentenced to nine years in prison in a penal colony known for its harsh conditions. U.S. officials maintained the entire time that Griner had been wrongfully detained. But Russia finally had the high-profile American pawn they wanted.

While many, me included, were thrilled to see Griner rescued from Russia it led to an uproar by others online who disagreed with the prisoner swap for seemingly multiple reasons – whether it was they thought Griner “did the crime and should do the time” or they didn’t believe Griner for Bout was a fair trade.

Before I get to the main reason why I believe people didn’t want to see Griner released I’ll comment about the “fair trade” stuff. This isn’t a sport. There’s no general manager of a team trying to get an even deal. There was never going to be an even deal – if such a thing even exists when it comes to comparing lives – when it comes to Russia, a despicable country that has had a nearly year-long war with the peaceful country of Ukraine because it effectively wants to steal the country for itself and a country that American officials know played a role in trying to affect the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Yes, Russia got a horrible man to go along with its cache of other horrible men, but America had one of its own citizens being held on a bullshit crime returned in the process and that should make people happy, at least those who care about other human beings.

But what’s the real reason people wanted to see Griner suffer?

Well, I’m not sure anyone would admit this, but I think it’s because Griner is the Most Hated American possible. Griner is black, she’s gay, she’s a woman and she’s incredibly successful at what she does. In a country where nearly half the citizens (those who vote at least) are more than willing to vote for white supremacist politicians, that’s enough to make someone hated. Hated just for being who they are.

I think it’s really that simple. It’s not because people take a hard line on a drug that would be legal in many places in this country. Hell, if Willie Nelson had been arrested for pot in Russia many of these people wanting to see Griner complete her prison sentence (again in harsh penal colony conditions) would be demanding a SEAL Team rescue before you could finish singing “On the Road Again.” And surely it’s not because people respect the sanctity of Russian law – again it’s a country that’s killed women and children just because it has wet dreams of returning to Soviet glory. But then maybe some people here really do love Russia – after all, many of the Griner haters voted for Comrade Trump and have been brainwashed by Tucker Carlson and Fox News about how the Russian invasion of Ukraine isn’t so bad.

I can’t imagine the horrors experienced by Griner over the last almost 11 months. I’m happy she’ll be home soon – first she’s being flown to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and then I’m sure it’s off to her home in Phoenix and a reunion with her wife Cherelle.

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