But this Bridge Club is super gutsy…

In a fight reminiscent of the brouhaha over an anti-Bush statement by Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks in 2003, a team of women who represented the United States at the world bridge championships in Shanghai last month is facing sanctions, including a yearlong ban from competition, for a spur-of-the-moment protest.

At issue is a crudely lettered sign, scribbled on the back of a menu, that was held up at an awards dinner and read, “We did not vote for Bush.”

Wow, that is pretty cool in my book, the women explained themselves via a comment from their team captain:

“What we were trying to say, not to Americans but to our friends from other countries, was that we understand that they are questioning and critical of what our country is doing these days, and we want you to know that we, too, are critical,” Ms. Greenberg said, stressing that she was speaking for herself and not her six teammates.

It is definitely reminiscent of the whole unfortunate, blown out of proportion Dixie Chicks scenario. Some popular culture pundits claim it is trendy to speak out against the war and Pres. Bush and that it is more acceptable to do so (See massive articles about the latest slew of “anti-war” movies). I always doubted this and this whole incident shows that it is not A-OK to use our free speech rights. Anyone who says this is NOT about free speech, is badly misinformed.

I hope these Bridge players go unpunished and our further lauded for their courageous behavior and encouraged to continue to speak/act out against actions and figures they believe are UnAmerican.

I also love how this references voting, showing that these women participated in their duties as American citizens.