slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Chris Smith

Why was releasing Brittany Griner more important than releasing veteran Paul Whelan?

I’m a Vet, I can go down to the VA today and receive benefits given out to Veterans. I have my house on a VA loan. I’ve used my GI bill. Whelan… nope. He’s banned from any of those services me and my fellow Veterans have available by the VA.

If you got a punitive discharge after being convicted in a court martial while serving and were kicked out involuntarily after being sentenced…, you are the lowest of the low. You let your fellow soldier/marine/sailors/airmen down and likely fucked them over in doing so (as in Whelan’s case).

Whelan was convicted by a court martial while in the Marines for attempted larceny, three specifications of dereliction of duty, making a false official statement, wrongfully using another’s social security number (to c***t on his advancement exams), and ten specifications of making and uttering checks without having sufficient funds in his account for payment.

As a Squid, and specifically a sand Squid, I have a HUGE respect for Marines both current and former and have served with them many times. Whelan got the Bad Chicken Dinner (Bad Conduct Discharge). Once a Marine, Always a Marine… But once you get convicted in a court martial for fucking over the Corps and get confinement (prison) and kicked out for it, piss off, that’s the bottom of the barrel.

There’s a reason Trump and republicans in Congress didn’t mention him for 2 straight years while he was there too and only came up with this now.

There's a false equivalence claim here. It’s not “this or that”. Russia said they would be willing to release Griner and Griner only for Bout, just like earlier it was Yaroshenko for Reed, and it’s Krasikov for Whelan. The US doesn’t have Krasikov, Germany does. It’s a separate deal there, and out of Biden’s hands for that one, even though he fought for him and was unable to get it done here.

I’m glad we got an American home. That is AWESOME. Don’t try to throw in logical fallacies to make that into something it isn’t.

Now that said… he’s a US citizen (and British… and Irish… and Canadian). I hope we, or Ireland, or the UK, or Canada gets Whelan home someday too.

I like how Paul's brother David Whelan called it out. I think that what President Biden did was to take care of an American who was in peril and bring home the American that he could bring home. So it's disappointing that a former president would have that sort of perspective". As he said “Biden made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen.”

But if you want to know a Veteran's opinion of someone who got a BCD and the boot… It’s not good.

WEBCO

Should have left Griner in Russia. Sge was charged, sentenced, and convicted on drug charges. She even admitted that she was guilty, so why give up anybody to get her back?

Rose42

Releasing Griner wasn’t more important. The call was made for political reasons, nothing more.

BigJim

Neither was worth ransoming. Griner went out of her way to disrespect the US, so she did not deserve any respect.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

While in accord with every above comment posted, I stand with Mr. Smith's arguments.

"I’m glad we got an American home. That is AWESOME. Don’t try to throw in logical fallacies to make that into something it isn’t.

Now that said… he’s a US citizen (and British… and Irish… and Canadian). I hope we, or Ireland, or the UK, or Canada gets Whelan home someday too."

dtucker300 Loc: Vista, CA

I can relate to how you feel. Well said. However, "I’m glad we got an American home," doesn't cut it for someone who doesn't like America. What we gave up for her was a lose-win exchange. We lost and Russia won.

elledee

And Griner made him look like a choir boy

AlexT

A purely political r****t ransom.

krhealeo2 Loc: Oklahoma

If what you said is true, then I thank you for saying it. Not knowing enough to make intelligent decisions about what needs to be done is the major reason for so many stupid things being done.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Yep...and, thanks.

Smedley_buzkill

I have no use for Whelan either. At the same time I don't think Griner was worth a convicted arms dealer and KGB operative. Griner is black and gay. THAT'S why Biden went to those links to get her released. He was pandering. Would YOU trade a mass murderer for a small time doper? That's what Biden did, buddy.

Smedley_buzkill

The intelligent thing would have been to leave both of them there and not free a mass murderer in exchange for a black t****y doper. Whelan got an Other-Than-Honorable Discharge for screwing fellow service members. Most generally when people are convicted of Whelan's crimes there are a lot more that didn't get discovered.
Griner KNEW what she did was illegal and did it anyway. She apparently thought her celebrity status would insulate her.
It would not have been worth it to exchange twenty Griners for this arms dealer. Now he is free to smuggle more arms and get more innocent people k**led so some entitled basketball player can throw a ball through a hoop.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

What Mr. Smith wrote says a lot more about Whelan than Griner. I concur with your first sentence in response to Krhealeo2...the best thing would have been to leave both of them there.

dtucker300 Loc: Vista, CA

This demonstrated the arrogance of some American leaders.

Ronald Hatt Loc: Lansing, Mich

POLITICAL INSANITY...DEMONCRAT INSPIRED STUPIDITY...FAIR?

DO NOT LOOK FOR "FAIR"...SENSIBLE...LOGICAL...PATRIOTIC...LEGAL...CONSTITUTIONAL...DECENT...FOR ANYTHING DEMONCRATS ARE INVOLVED IN! [ NO?...ASK H****R]