A Question of Brittney

I'm prepared to be blasted, but as a Libran I can't help looking at both sides of an issue. I may be the only person who doesn't understand what's going on with Brittney Griner but perhaps there are others.

I feel terrible that she's in a Gulag, no one would want to be there.  I've listened to the headline news on a variety of TV broadcasts, and heard Brittney's wife pleading her case and keeping the story alive, using advice from other hostage-relatives (she freely stated).  So why aren't we hearing their stories every day?

My question: Why, exactly, is Brittney in a Soviet slammer?  She tried to go through the airport with a couple of vape cartridges?  I know crossing borders with pipe residue can get you busted, or it could at one time, is it like that?  Haven't you people ever watched Midnight Express, a 1978 movie about American Billy Hayes; drugs; and a Turkish prison?  Certainly made in impression on my 20-something self.

But WHY would an intelligent person play Russian Roulette like that?  Or were the cartridges planted?  Did she have a prescription for them? I didn't hear.  I heard it was a small amount of drugs...small according to who?  Pot isn't even legal in all 50 states; isn't this a country-by-country thing?  Wouldn't you look up foreign rules?  You obey the rule of using 3.4 oz bottles on an airplane; why wouldn't you look up a drug policy, I'm just wondering.

Brittney's become a pawn for the Russians, but was she targeted or caught?  Supposedly Russia wants to swap arms dealer Viktor 'Merchant of Death' Bout.  However, if you were looking backwards to this day, after learning that Bout orchestrated an attack which slaughtered someone close to you, who would you choose?  I don't have children and most of my loved ones are already dead so I won't suppose; but how hard would it be to weigh that choice against someone in jail for a couple of vape cartridges?

Biden should have called Brittney's wife sooner, and his response was appropriately vague.  Putting everything out there, as people seem to demand, can sometimes cause more harm than good.  There are other issues involved, so I'll just ask this:  would you go to war with Russia over Brittney (when you wouldn't for Ukraine)?

Finally, I'm curious to compare the situations of hostages still hoping to come home, who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, with hostages who actually did something illegal in the country they're visiting, or doesn't that matter?  Back to my original question:  did Brittney do something wrong or didn't she?

Everything has consequences, or I used to think so.  I will blame my view on Mom, who always warned,

"You can't do wrong and expect right to happen."

I wish Brittney luck, as I do all the rest of the unhappy hostages around the world.  And I'm sorry if I've used the wrong pronouns, I'm old and obviously out of touch.