Russian hostages

Surely we can all agree that these Americans being held in Russian prisons are actually hostages, not prisoners.  Britney Griner and now Paul Whelan, are now the most visible of these Americans, but there are others.  Paul Whelan is being accused of espionage, Britney Griner of possession of cannabis oil.

Paul Whelan may or may not be guilty of the crime charged, and Griner has acknowledged possession but mitigates it as inadvertent.  Suppose they both are guilty, the problem is that a Russian imprisonment bears no resemblance to reasonable or fair.

The US has offered a huge prize, Viktor Bout to secure their release.  He is a vicious purveyor of death.  The US is negotiating with terrorists in an effort to rescue a basketball star who was stupid.  Whelan should have been included with Trevor Reed, and is hoping to be included with a Griner swap.  They are not the only Americans suffering in a Russian prison, as others are Names Forgotten whose sentences are most likely also far more oppressive than their real or imagined crimes.

Griner is a superstar who is underpaid because she is a woman.  She is not poor, she is underpaid.  She faced unfair and inexcusable market forces that caused disparity for all women's sports. The choices facing her were:  1.  Find a supplemental source of income not located in an oppressive regime at war with a free country, that is a friend of the United States and the European Union; or 2.  Choose to market your skill and talent inside the walls of that regime.  She chose Door #2 and says that she accidentally left her medicinal cannabis oil in her suitcase.  She made a stupid choice.  Most folks in jail have made stupid choices.  

It is laudable that America is negotiating for her release; but only if America is negotiating the release of all political and criminal defendants in Russian jails.  Once on US soil, the State Department, with the DOJ can sort out the details of the crimes and punishments.  

Every single one of them can say Thank You for being rescued, but especially Griner, who created her own mess in the first place, and the consequence may be that a death machine gets released to continue his deadly pursuits.

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