NFL
By: Zachary Draves
Conventional wisdom is that Americans stick together. We are supposed to be “one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all”. Whenever the going gets tough, we are there to support one another. So one would think that when a fellow American is being held captive abroad by a hostile nation, we would rally the troops to ensure their safe return as a means of preserving our national motto. Unfortunately, if that American is WNBA legend Brittney Griner, then apparently she is not worthy of protection according to some who don the red, white, and blue with such blatant showmanship.
By now, most Americans should know about Griner’s detainment in Russia due to allegations of drug smuggling. Since her case became known in February, the WNBA have taken it upon themselves to advocate for her release and have done so throughout the course of this season. As a result, there has been a growing movement in sports and beyond that are taking up Griner’s cause and treating it with the seriousness it deserves particularly since her trial started on July 1. Regrettably, there has been a loud group of Americans, particularly on the right wing, who have taken this opportunity not to express a sense of urgency for her to be released, but rather to belittle, blame, and mock her.
Griner’s Outspokeness
For some it has to do with her political activism during the summer of 2020, after the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmad Arbery. While in the “Wubble” in Orlando, Griner called for the national anthem not to be played before games. In addition she and rest of the Phoenix Mercury joined the Los Angeles Sparks in walking off the court during the playing of the anthem to protest racial injustice, a tactic that continues in the league today. That alone has triggered some prominent conservative political figures.
Fox news host Tomi Lahren tweeted that she doesn’t “understand why there should be a big emphasis on getting her back to the USA when she clearly finds this country so awful.” Conservative commentator Todd Starnes said that President Biden should give Griner an ultimatum to either stand for the anthem or remain in custody. Conservative radio host and former California GOP gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder sarcastically brought Colin Kaepernick into the discussion to ask whether Griner will stand for the anthem when she returns. Former White House deputy assitant Sebastian Gorka tweeted “Bet she wants to hear the anthem now.” Conservative sports journalist Jason Whitlock equated her detaiment to that of the January 6 rioters and said that they “deserve freedom and sympathy”.
Keep in mind that these are the people who claim that they are more patriotic than everyone else. Why? Because they regularly fly the flag, sing the national anthem, and/or chant “USA! USA!”. As if those are the minimum requirements to be patriotic. At best, they performative patriots. Also, how is storming the capital in an attempt to overthrow democracy anywhere close to being wholeheardly American. The real patriot here is Griner herself.
She was exuding the most American thing that can be done which is to peacefully protest and speak one’s mind. As James Baldwin famously said “I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” In other words, when America falls short on its promises the most patriotic thing one can do is to demand that it do better. Never mind that she represented Team USA in two Olympic games (2016, 2020) in which she helped bring home the gold. Plus, her father Raymond is a Vietnam War veteran, so it is safe to say she knows a thing or two about service to her country on various fronts.
Respectability Politics
Others, such as former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling, are using respectability politics by saying that Griner should have “obeyed the law”. In other words, she got what she deserved therefore she gets no sympathy. As far as one could tell, that has never been used to describe any other American being held up in an authoritarian country. Nobody ever said that Otto Warmbier, the American college student who was detained in North Korea in 2016 on subversion charges, “got what he deserved” or that he should have “obeyed the law”.
Warmbier allegedly tried to steal a propaganda banner for a loved one which was considered subversion under North Korean law. Americans were rightfully outraged over what happened to him and worked tirelessly to bring him home. In June 2017, he was released but in a vegetative state and died as a result. Nevertheless, the effort and urgency to release him was there and deservedly so.
Furthermore, the whole game of respectability politics has often been used to pathologize black and LGBTQ+ communities. It suggests that if only a historically marginalized population behaved better (i.e. pull up your pants, practice monogamy) that their lives would improve. However, this approach can only go so far and means very little in the face of institutionalized discrimination whether at home or abroad. Just ask Dr. Henry Louis Gates, the renound Harvard professor who was infamously the victim of racial profiling in 2009.
Scoring Political Points
Then there are those who are using this for pure political gain. The House GOP Judiciary Committee had the gaul to post a tweet that said “If this were Trump, she’d be home”. There is such a smorgasbord of falsehoods here it is hard to figure out where to begin. First things first, under Trump’s watch, American soldiers Trevor Reed and Paul Whelan were held captive in Russia. Reed was released this April in prisoner exchange and Whellin is still in Russia as his fate has become intertwined with Griner’s. Reed himself has called out the GOP’s positioning.
It is also ironic for them to say such things considering that they along with the former President have long promoted anti-LGBTQ+ policies that have become law across various states. They are also implementing voter suppression bills that seek to disproportionately disenfranchise black communities as well as bans on the teaching Critical Race Theory as a means to curtail the teaching of realistic version American history Furthermore, have any of these GOP leaders ever bothered to reach out to Cherelle Griner, consulted with the WNBA, or used their social media to call for her release?
Still waiting.
On the most recent episode of The Shop: Uninterrupted, LeBron James questioned whether Griner would want to come back to America if her own country doesn’t seem to have her back. While he could have said it better, the gist of his argument isn’t absent of evidence. At the end of the day, Brittney Griner deserves to be back home with her family, friends, and teammates. The pseudo-patriotism, political gibberish, and holier than thou attitude of her detractors speak volumes about who they are and what they stand for.
In sports lingo, they should ride the bench.
#FreeBrittneyGriner
