We, the undersigned, are writing this petition to respectably request that the USBF ceases its attempts to punish members of the USA1 Venice Cup team. We believe that the controversy surrounding the sanctions has eclipsed the original incident. A politically charged battle that has rapidly spread into the mainstream media doesn\'t benefit anyone. We recognize that there is enormous controversy regarding the action of the USA1 team on the podium in Shanghai. However, the USBF Board had a number of alternative responses available which were more suited to the magnitude of the situation: 1. Noting that the behavior of the USA1 Team violated the WBF Code of Conduct. 2. Expressing regret toward the behavior of the USA1 Team and recognizing that the WBF might chose to impose sanctions. 3. Implementing its own Code of Conduct designed to avoid repeat incidents. The USBF BoD has the authority to take almost any action that it wants. However, the punishment should fit the crime, and we do not support the extremeness of the actions being considered toward the Venice Cup Team. Respectfully,

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