Brittney Griner reportedly released from Russian prison 10 months after arrest

[Berkshire]

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Isn't the real point the guy that was exchanged for her? From all accounts a very dangerous guy for the US, and now even more reason to hurt the US.

Every American that dies because of him is now on Biden, IMO.

Hmmm....the guy sells guns (and assorted other weapons).  So the person selling guns is responsible for the deaths resulting from those guns?  So.....gun dealers/manufacturers in the USA are responsible for all gun deaths in America?  Strange as the right wing talking point has always been "guns don't kill people, people kill people."

[KhunLA]

17 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Hmmm....the guy sells guns (and assorted other weapons).  So the person selling guns is responsible for the deaths resulting from those guns?  So.....gun dealers/manufacturers in the USA are responsible for all gun deaths in America?  Strange as the right wing talking point has always been "guns don't kill people, people kill people."

mango & papaya comparison

 

USA legal gun seller ... sells to legal citizen allowed to buy gun, used for defense, not offense.

[Berkshire]

30 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

mango & papaya comparison

 

USA legal gun seller ... sells to legal citizen allowed to buy gun, used for defense, not offense.

I actually do get the difference....which is why Bout was in prison in the first place.  But to suggest that he's directly responsible for all the deaths resulting from his sale of weapons.....it's eerily similar to gun deaths in America if you look at it logically.  And note that he was in prison for gun-running, not murder.     

[Credo]

11 hours ago, KhunLA said:

mango & papaya comparison

 

USA legal gun seller ... sells to legal citizen allowed to buy gun, used for defense, not offense.

Hmmm .... so you are saying that all the guns sold in the US are only used for defense?  None of them are used in crimes?   I think that is a mango & papaya comparison.   

 

There is no doubt that Bout was not a nice person and that he has been a danger to US service personnel and many others.  He's been in prison for a long time.  He's most likely lost his connections and given the situation with Russia, the sanctions and the limits on his ability to legally travel, reconstituting his business will be a daunting task.  

 

He was exchanged.  He was not exonerated or pardoned.  If the US gets their hands on him again, he'll be right back in jail, just like if Griner decides to go back to Russia, she'll be right back in prison. His business is an international arms trader -- not easy to do if you can't travel.   

 

[Pattaya Spotter]

 But hey, Biden got the release of a "civil rights icon" who plays hoops in a league no one watches.

 

[Bout] trafficked weapons to rebels in Angola. He ran a criminal group that smuggled cobalt out of Congo. He delivered missiles, machine guns and military helicopters to Liberia, when it was in the middle of a civil war. 

 

While [being] greeted on his arrival back in Russia...as a “wonderful person,” many of the African victims of the conflicts he supplied with weapons are still enduring the trauma and awaiting any kind of justice. “This guy’s responsible for the murder, indirectly, of thousands of persons,” said Hassan Bility, director of the Global Justice and Research Project, an organization that documents wartime atrocities in his country, Liberia.

 

In Liberia and Across Africa, Viktor Bout’s Bloody Legacy Is Still Felt https://nyti.ms/3URlCy0

Edited December 15, 2022 by Pattaya Spotter

[thaibeachlovers]

17 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

 But hey, Biden got the release of a "civil rights icon" who plays hoops in a league no one watches.

 

[Bout] trafficked weapons to rebels in Angola. He ran a criminal group that smuggled cobalt out of Congo. He delivered missiles, machine guns and military helicopters to Liberia, when it was in the middle of a civil war. 

 

While [being] greeted on his arrival back in Russia...as a “wonderful person,” many of the African victims of the conflicts he supplied with weapons are still enduring the trauma and awaiting any kind of justice. “This guy’s responsible for the murder, indirectly, of thousands of persons,” said Hassan Bility, director of the Global Justice and Research Project, an organization that documents wartime atrocities in his country, Liberia.

 

In Liberia and Across Africa, Viktor Bout’s Bloody Legacy Is Still Felt https://nyti.ms/3URlCy0

But, but, but that was sooooo long ago and she is sooooo worth it. Of course, her release being popular in certain voting demographics never figured in the decision to trade her.

[bamnutsak]

On 12/14/2022 at 9:49 AM, Berkshire said:

So.....gun dealers/manufacturers in the USA are responsible for all gun deaths in America? 

Well they would be had Congress not passed the PLCAA in 2005.

 

To prohibit civil liability actions from being brought or continued
 against manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms
or ammunition for damages, injunctive or other relief resulting from the
misuse of their products by others.

 

https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/397/text

 

 

 

 

[Pattaya Spotter]

"Flop," depends on one's perspective...20 people showed up ????????????????

 

 

[Credo]

6 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

"Flop," depends on one's perspective...20 people showed up ????????????????

 

 

Waco, Tx is not her home.  Her home is Phoenix, AZ.  

[thaibeachlovers]

12 hours ago, Credo said:

Waco, Tx is not her home.  Her home is Phoenix, AZ.  

But, but , but she is such a wonderful person and totally worth swapping a notorious gun runner for that she should receive adulation wherever she goes in the USA.

[thaibeachlovers]

18 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

"Flop," depends on one's perspective...20 people showed up ????????????????

 

 

I looked at as much as I could tolerate of that ( about 1 minute ) and had to laugh at the stunned look on the face of the guy not talking.

Perhaps Biden should have shown up given he swapped a man responsible for American deaths for her.

[ozimoron]

The reality was that the US was going to get Griner back in exchange for Bout or nobody. That has been firmly established and links to that effect have been posted before. This mob of bigoted loons just thinks they got nothing because they got a gay, black woman in exchange for a defunct arms dealer.

 

Louisiana Republican Party objects to Brittney Griner prisoner swap

 

The Louisiana Republican State Central Committee voted Saturday to condemn the Biden administration’s prisoner swap with Russia that led to the release of basketball star Brittney Griner.

Members of the GOP committee attending their quarterly meeting in Lafayette supported a resolution condemning the Griner exchange through a voice vote. No members raised objections to the matter, once a reference to Griner being a “woke” gay woman was removed from the statement.

 

https://www.rawstory.com/louisiana-republican-party-objects-to-brittney-griner-prisoner-swap/