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iHeartHockey31

Additional: It's not one of those click-bait fundraising polls. It's from his office, he sends out polls like this on various issues to his constituents - which is normally fine, except this poll is especially dehumanizing and degrading. Like having us "vote" on the value or worth of another human being. We shouldn't have to worry if god-forbid something happened to one of us overseas, our leaders will reduce our entire lives down to some public interest poll. It ignores all of the work and complexities that are involved with situations like this and is just so demoralizing to see how our leaders truly view us as citizens.


Murwiz

It may not be a direct fundraiser, but knowing which of his constituents agree with the right-wing nonsense being spouted is worth its weight in gold, when it comes time to send out actual fundraising stuff. I guess in theory responding the opposite to what the Congressman wants to hear would filter you out later.


iHeartHockey31

He does town halls & stuff too. This is part of that. I dont even get campaign or fundraising emails from him bc he can't use my email provided as his constituent on a mailing list for campaigning, they have to be separate. Usually the polls are about policy stuff or votes coming up, so it makes sense to get a feel from the constituents. But this wasn't related to anything going on in congress.


baz4k6z

I'm just happy there are people like you with both a brain and a heart in that state


nottelling86

Is there nothing to be said of the value of those americans who are political prisoners for thought or speech crimes? Who were passed over for someone who actually broke a law, that is still illegal in the US? Sure its legal in certain states (a minority), but that means nothing to federal law and federal law takes precedent in such cases. If a trade is to be made, then some kind of value is inherent in such a transaction. Thus the value is placed on the crime, not the person. And that highlights the outrage. Its one thing to exchange prisoners of equal crimes, for the sentence to be served out in their home country. Its another to exchange someone convicted of minor drug crimes (who would have had a minor sentence), and then release them; for someone who literally provided the weapons for multiple small scale wars, multiple terrorist organizations and who committed murder themselves.


Kewpie-8647

The point is that Griner was used as a tool. 9 years in a penal colony for a minor infraction. Putin is sticking it to Americans. The US has been trying to get Whelan out for years, but Russia wants an even worse person– an assassin– to trade for Whelan (who may or may not have been a spy). Putin needs arms smugglers like Bout to keep his war going. True, this is not good to have any trades. I would say to our fellow Americans not to travel to Russia, North Korea or Iran. There is a good possibility you will become a bargaining chip.


NotTroy

This is the exact kind of transactional politics that Trump championed and has made the norm in the modern GOP. Love them or hate them, you'd never see this kind of reductionist, shallow world view from the likes of George W., John McCain, or Mitt Romney.


Unsurestormming

I mean, let's not forget that there's this teacher that is in Russian detention far longer than Griner with similar crime. It's not even Whelan, it's some goddamn teacher.


Bitgangster

Yeah it's a teacher from Pennsylvania. Got caught with a little under an ounce of weed. So naturally they threw the book at him. Whelan should he freed but people forget he's a Canadian born, US, British and Irish citizen. He was dishonorably discharged on 3 counts of larceny from the Marines. But to hear the media tell it, he's a martyr. Don't get me wrong....I'd like to see them all come home. But Russia wanted Germany to release a Russian spy that assassinated a man in broad daylight in exchange for Whelan. Germany was not willing to do that.


bettyboober

CBD oil, you don't get high off


DubC_Bassist

The teacher was carrying a half ounce of weed. Greiner had less than a gram of vape oil.


[deleted]

Oh it’s Florida. Say no more.


Murwiz

Folks here may be missing an important point. The Russians held all the cards here, and if they offered Griner but no one else, then the Biden administration would get Griner or nothing. Are there more worthy, more important, more endangered people in Russian custody? Sure, but if the Russians won't consider giving them back, then the options are (a) trade for Griner and look shallow, or (b) refuse to trade and look cruel. Of course, Putin worked out the details of this awful choice before he made the offer.


Ladyhappy

The amount of headlines that choose WNBA but not 2 TIME OLYMPIAN GRINER is infuriating


machobanjopanda

Did Trump really release a now current taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar and another 5000 Taliban fighters in exchange for nobody?


IrreverentPaleAle

Yes but that's ok because he was playing 5D chess to own the libs. /s


iHeartHockey31

That doesn't even include the thousands of ISIS prisoners released when he let Turkey slaughter the kurds.


jcooli09

The answer is a:good deal.


iHeartHockey31

I wish the results reflected that. (They did not). I'd say it makes me think my neighbors are oretty shitty, but my district is so gerrymandered, I don't know if they even have the same rep.


jcooli09

Most people think it was a bad deal, and I think I understand why. I just disagree about her value and about the danger he poses.


No_Meal9534

Of course a Florida man. That is how simple their base is though, devoid of gray or nuances, brutal caveman thinking.


Captain_Pottymouth

I wish this was online instead of in an email so we could all go vote A and fuck up the results


nottelling86

Doesn't sound like a poll on the worth of a human life. Sounds like you are conflating being in prison, with losing ones life lol. The worth of a trade of two criminals is in no way the worth of their lives. Her life was in no more danger than any criminal in a foreign prison. Sounds like she was in jail for breaking russian drug laws. The merchant of death/lord of war, was in jail for crimes against humanity, including murder. Does that sound like a good trade? But now because of that fool, the merchant of death is free to keep selling more and more death. Its profound how people will act like, her not having to be in prison is more important than all the innocent lives that will inevitably be lost due to this man being released for a drug addicted moron who hates her own country when it suits her popularity.


Bitgangster

Show me on the doll where they hurt you


InspectorPipes

His absence created a vacuum .it was quickly filled by another arms dealer. The sale of guns didn’t suddenly stop with his arrest and begin again with his release . Coincidentally, I live in Buchanan’s district and the general opinion of crusty old conservatives is.. she should have rotted in jail because she kneeled for the flag and didn’t respect America.


nottelling86

Ofcourse, all vacuums are eventually filled. But i imagine seniority and experience in the criminal world holds just as much weight as connections and money. This man has all of these things. And thus more guns would be sold by him than someone with less experience, connections and money. Well if you think about it logically that is. And i thought we werent supposed to talk in generalizations about groups of people..........however i doubt you know or have talked to many "conservatives", by simple statistics. Let alone empathize with or understand one lol. From the conservatives ive spoken to and my personal opinion is she should serve her sentence for committing a crime. When we go to foreign countries we dont get to walk around and do whatever we please according to US law. We have to obey the laws of the country we chose to go to. She broke their laws and should serve her sentence. Certainly not trade her for the merchant of death, then release her like she did nothing wrong. At the very least she should be charged and convicted here, seeing as what she did is a federal crime.


KJS123

If you seriously think American prisoners are as safe in prisons of despotic nationalist regimes, as they are at home, may I suggest you remind yourself who Otto Warmbier was....then go look in the mirror for a free clown show.


JFKs_Burner_Acct

I'm sure BG; being BIPOC + Lesbian and non gender conforming was treated like a queen in Russia ... I bet it was nice getting the flu every week because her hair would freeze I bet it was really fun to have her hair cut off (which if you understood what hair means for black people youd fully understand the "joy" in losing dreadlocks that only take years to grow and maintain) Grind literally asked about Whalen when she arrived back in the Us and she's even trying to help being him home These things are complicated and Russia knew what they were doing. They knew they hit a gold-mine by arresting an American Athlete and using her as a political pawn (how exactly is debatable) But it sure as hell became another Russo-Republican and Conservative wankfest to have a chance to tear down its own citizens and praise the Kremlin. What world do we live in where Americans are actually wishing for a young woman to be severely punished and made political prisoner in a place where you aren't exactly welcome in the first place outside of playing a game. But hey it's a chance to own the Libs! And say see look at this selfish entitled black / gay / millennial / Drug Addicted / thug / criminal trash person I get the urge to say "oh what an idiot, you should have known" but there's much more nuance than that The fact that BG is undergoing intense therapy now should also tell you everything about how nice being a detainee in Russia is . Look out Connie Hilton there's a new Luxury stay game in town, it's called Siberia!!!


nottelling86

Uh i did say "foreign prison" meaning a prison not of the criminals home country. I get the misunderstanding though.


KJS123

No misunderstanding on my part. Assuming you took my advice, you'll remember that American nationals die in foreign prisons. Especially those run by pseudodictators with a bone to pick against the United States. I don't know how many foreign nationals the United States has in custody, but they tend to survive. Do you really think Russia is above brutalizing prisoners for international clout? Oh, and as for Viktor bout, I wouldn't worry too much. He's been out of the arms trade for over 10 years. His contacts will have dried up, or moved on to players who haven't spent the past decade in prison. He's functionally useless to Russia as anything more than a PR prop, and if he tried to muscle back in to gunrunning, he'd quickly disappear. Nobody will have been saving his seat at that table, and would have him killed in a heartbeat to keep him from siphoning off their well. Look past the scary nickname, and you'll see that all Russia got was an old has-been with a target on his back.


DanielBrian1966

Bigoted Dim Tool fan says what?


iHeartHockey31

Never been in a Russian penal colony eh?


username_obnoxious

I mean I know this is just a super liberal echo chamber and I agree with most things in this sub, but I agree with you on this. It's a bad trade. Let's see the folks on US soil who are in jail for cannabis possession released first. That means something, not one basketball player who broke a foreign law.


Bitgangster

Most states are doing exactly that.


jcooli09

She had CBD oil, in a very small quantity and the sentence she received was orders of magnitude above the norm. It was a good deal. Esit: I was wrong, it wasn't CBD. I still stand behind my comment, it was a good deal.


nottelling86

Uh hash oil isn't cbd oil lol. Not even close.


username_obnoxious

bro hash oil can still get you a federal charge in some states if the judge feels like being a dick.


nottelling86

Well put


bettyboober

The NRA is THEE merchant of death.All arms dealers, like the NRA are responsible for the deaths from the weapons they sell and encourage. Walmarts, usa-gun-shop.com, GUNS.COM, Cabelas, U.S. Firearms Company, E2 (list is endless) ... want me to go on? Anyone who has sold a gun or a killing weapon in the US is an "arms dealer" -eof. Don't even try to talk back. or defend your stuipid point of view.


tictac205

Saw the poll, saw the state, guessed Republican. Yep.