| # | Name | Location | ACBL Player Number | Comments |
|---|
| 51 | Lynn Johannesen | Saratoga, CA | K018020 | |
| 52 | Charles | Raleigh NC | M711459 | I'm signing this under the stipulation that I think the USBF BoD should not cease all attempts to punish the members of the USA1 Venice Cup Team, but that the BoD cease in their attempts to harshly punish the VCT, as appears to be the case.
Let the punishment fit the crime. A stern warning or lengthy probationary period should suffice. |
| 53 | Anonymous | Anonymous | Q075999 | the punishment should fit the crime. |
| 54 | Michael Andresen | St. Paul, Minnesota | Q109281 | |
| 55 | Anonymous | Anonymous | 9856811 | |
| 56 | Chuck Chang | Evanston, il | 3274489 | If the board is really concerned about losing funding, it should also consider how it's own action in this matter would affect future fund raising effort. |
| 57 | Felix Zimmermann | Germany | | |
| 58 | Gloria Peston | Australia | | |
| 59 | Tom Edwards | Grand Prairie, TX | N688868 | |
| 60 | Andrew Lewis | Berkeley CA | Q257183 | |
| 61 | Dale Johannesen | Saratoga, CA | K681161 | A Board member expressed the opinion that a pro-Bush statement would be "equally wrong", but I do not believe the same thing would be happening in that case. |
| 62 | Will Shepherd | Chicago | 1222333 | |
| 63 | Kiturah Humphrey | California USA | )294278 | |
| 64 | Paul Cornelius | Redwood City, CA | Q712336 | The mission of the USBF is to select the best players to represent the US in international bridge. The actions being considered do not further that purpose. Banning the best US players for such a trivial reason diminishes the USBF and calls its legitimacy into question. The magnitude of the punishment being considered far exceeds the punishment given to professional athletes for physically assaulting spectators. As such is it not merely excessive, it is ridiculous. |
| 65 | Andy Chung | Hong Kong | | |
| 66 | Mike Oliver | Texas | 1984101 | everything about this is idiotic: Attempts to impose thought control on the membership is itself far more damaging to bridge than anyone's free expression |
| 67 | Josh Sher | Woodland Hills, CA | | |
| 68 | Alex Kolesnik | Calabasas, CA | K512440 | |
| 69 | Anonymous | Anonymous | N936861 | If we are keeping out of politics..why are the USA troops in Iraq on the June 05 cover? |
| 70 | Paul Birnbaum | New Jersey, USA | P482019 | Although there is a reasonable argument that making any statement at an awards ceremony other than thanking people for helping you to have gotten there is "inappropriate behavior" let's really address the behavior in context with the message.
"We did not vote for Bush" is no slap at the US. It is a personal expression of disapproval for the policies of the Bush Administration, along with a disassociation from the actions which put it into power. It may insult those who support said administration, but it expresses no offense.
It is reasonable to have rules in place to prevent profane or absolutely offensive (a fine line, to be sure: is "The Holocaust is Jewish Propaganda" offensive? Is "Nuke the Arabs"?)
But let any proposed punishment fit the actual offense: Personal, political expression of an non-offensive nature at an awards ceremony. (Actors have often used such a platform: Sasheen Littlefeather not accepting an Oscar (tm) for Marlon Brando comes to mind. No one thought twice about sanctioning either for the choice of forum or the message.)
Leave it alone (aside from possibly formulating some specific rule to govern such conduct in the future) and it will more likely just fade away. |
| 71 | William J. Kass | Albuquerque, NM | M540565 | |
| 72 | Anonymous | Anonymous | 9791450 | I felt that the display of anti-Bush sentiment was brave, and showed that many Americans disapprove of US Foreign policy. |
| 73 | Bob Heller | Decatur, GA | m827767 | |
| 74 | Curtis Hastings | Bethesda, MD | Q502234 | |
| 75 | Marc Umeno | Seattle, WA | j363182 | |
| 76 | cynthia meyerson | Oklahoma city, ok | | |
| 77 | Andrew Garnett | St. Pete, FL | R014527 | |
| 78 | Carol Frank | Burbank, CA | n969360 | |
| 79 | James Slinger | Corralitos,CA | M640322 | |
| 80 | Jamie Radcliffe | Lincoln, NE | Q229708 | |
| 81 | Guy Green | Los Angeles | N969662 | I didn't vote for Bush either, I'm proud to say. |
| 82 | Ryerson Schwark | West Linn OR | | I'm glad it's resolved, but I'm still appalled that an off-hand political comment could result in such responses. |