Fair trade?
- Thread starter SHUSA
- Start date
Ah yes, we've discredited Whelan, too. I forgot to add that to my list. Marc Fogel is the other white male not worth bringing home.
Slightly different fact pattern. She argues that she did not intend to bring the oil canisters with her compared to Fogel who did not have the same argument with a half oz of weed. It's probably a harder sell when it is clearer that he was knowingly violating Russian law where at least Griner had the argument that it was an accident (whether we believe that or not)
That said, it's a good thing that people are talking about him now so public pressure can build and I hope he gets to come home soon as well.
Oh for cryin' out loud, that is ridiculous.
Same fact pattern/timing/etc., his was prescribed medical marijuana as well.
He's guilty of not being female, black, and gay.
Not the same at all.
She had 0.7 grams of oil. That is an administrative offense with a 15 day jail sentence in Russia based on the amount she had on her. Her charge was "intent to smuggle" and which the US deemed to be an unreasonable conviction because they can't really prove that it was her intent. Bringing it by accident is plausible (whether you believe it or not)
Fogel had about 17 grams of oil and weed on him (25x more than Griner) which unlike Griner, he actually brought in a criminal amount into Russia. Not only that but he wrapped it up and hid it. It is clear that his intent was to smuggle drugs into Russia.
That is the difference here. Intent to smuggle is the crime and it was easy to prove with Fogel but not as much with Griner.
Well, the only odd thing about the Fogel case is that he was not deemed "wrongfully detained" by the State Department. That could be a difference there. However, the cases are very similar and yes you can parse out slight differences with 17 grams being over a 1/2 ounce of marijuana. Both need to come home and his sentence was outrageous.
It would be because the state department believes that Griner did not intend to bring the oil with her and it was a mistake and was only being held for political reasons, where Fogel was actually trying to conceal his drugs so he was clearly guilty of the crime so it's harder to argue that Russia got it wrong in his case.
We've made a few trades with them over the years albeit most are spy for spy trades.
There's a good Netflix on the Greville Wynne saga.
The one on Gary Powers was good also.
There were many good points made in the posts here. The "only 7 years" does fit the sleeves out of your vest test. The optics are bad but we got her back.
I have not heard any statements by her but I am hoping she grew up a little while she was there and recognizes that our country is not all that bad.
Whelan's case seems a bit more complicated than Griner.
There's a good Netflix on the Greville Wynne saga.
The one on Gary Powers was good also.
There were many good points made in the posts here. The "only 7 years" does fit the sleeves out of your vest test. The optics are bad but we got her back.
I have not heard any statements by her but I am hoping she grew up a little while she was there and recognizes that our country is not all that bad.
Whelan's case seems a bit more complicated than Griner.
Last edited:
It was not a Dishonorable Discharge.
It was a Bad Conduct Discharge. It's one notch above Dishonorable.
He was court-martialed and convicted of larceny.
That being said, others who are posting that "we left a Marine" are likely unaware that Whelan is 52. He has not been a Marine since 2008
"In general, there are five different types of discharges from the Army: Honorable; General, Under Honorable Conditions; Under Other than Honorable Conditions; Bad Conduct; and Dishonorable."
Last edited:
Well this is an interesting piece of news I saw today related to this. Why was this woman's plight kept so under wraps?
abcnews.go.com
'Nobody ever came': American woman released same day as Griner recounts horror of Russian captivity
Sarah Krivanek was released Dec. 8, the same day that WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from Russian captivity.
She’s not a celebrity.Well this is an interesting piece of news I saw today related to this. Why was this woman's plight kept so under wraps?
'Nobody ever came': American woman released same day as Griner recounts horror of Russian captivity
Sarah Krivanek was released Dec. 8, the same day that WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from Russian captivity.
