Here’s to the ladies who make money playing cards
I can’t even imagine such a thing. But anyway, a friend emailed me this story the other day. Seems these ladies were accepting their prize at the World Bridge Championships in Shanghai, and one of them held up a little sign that said, “We Did Not Vote for Bush.” Then all hell broke loose. They’ve received emails accusing them of treason and sedition, and there’s a chance they will be sanctioned, which would hurt them financially because at least one of them says she earns her living playing bridge. (Wow.) It’s the old free-speech vs. “you are representing our organization and not authorized to speak” question, which seems to be coming up so much lately.
The ladies wanted to explain their political position, because they had been getting some pointed questions from other countries’ bridge players, along the lines of what this summer’s pot-smoking French exchange student kept saying: “We do not understand how America can vote for Bush twice.” (See, fella, it’s like this. The guy you vote for doesn’t always win the election! I think y’all have a similar system over there.) Yeah, the French exchange student was something of a PITA, but his countrymen have redeemed themselves in my eyes by their emailed statement of support for the bridge players:
“By trying to address these issues in a nonviolent, nonthreatening and lighthearted manner, you were doing only what women of the world have always tried to do when opposing the folly of men who have lost their perspective of reality.”
Is that not great? The hand that runs the salon rules the world! Or at least makes lighthearted comments about it. And vive la différence!
November 15th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Love the quote! What a hoot!
November 16th, 2007 at 1:00 am
This is a really neat story. One of the people offended by the sign said “It’s not that I don’t forgive them, but I still think they should be punished.” They made a trivial goodwill gesture at an international event and this guy is going to insist on punishment? Totally bass ackwards priorities.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:50 am
Perhaps that person does not know what “forgive” means. Seems to me that if you think someone should be punished, then you have by definition not forgiven them.
November 16th, 2007 at 9:17 am
Great post, Del. Treason and sedition, huh? Only if these idiots believe that George W. Bush has somehow become the United States of America.
Chet, I saw one of the Shakesville trolls left a comment at your post saying the women’s appearance on Countdown confirmed his opinion that they were traitors. That’s before Melissa edited him to read:
“They’re on Olbermann tonight. I just love him. He’s so smart and sexy.
And she was even kind enough to correct his spelling.
November 16th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
The husband wonders if they paid their own way to the tournament, or if their tickets etc were bought by the association that is now trying to sanction them. I think the charges of sedition and treason are ludicrous, of course, but I do think there is the possiblity that they were not entitled to entirely “free” speech in that venue. If, for example, one of the women had made a racist remark, no one would be disputing appropriate punishment. What is interesting is that the “world of bridge” (would that be the bridge community?) is so uniformly pro-Bush that this small sign has created such a ruckus. Perhaps we have found our 28%.