It’s a victory for free speech and American values.

The United States Bridge Federation has dropped its effort to punish six members of the women’s championship bridge team for holding up a sign that said “We did not vote for Bush” during an awards ceremony last month in Shanghai.

In exchange, the women have agreed to a statement recognizing the federation’s right to request that bridge teams representing the country refrain from using awards ceremonies for anything other than accepting medals. “I feel vindicated,” said Jill Levin, one of the players.

Jan Martel, the president of the federation, said the agreement ended an affair that had become “divisive” and “polarizing.”

What was divisive and polarizing, of course, was the federations attempts to punish the women—banning them from all bridge competitions for a year, followed by a one-year probationary period, followed by 200 hours of “community service.” Oh, and the federation also demand that the women reveal “which member had come up with the idea for the sign.” All that’s off the table—but at least one of the women doesn’t trust the federation.

Ms. Greenberg, winner of six world championships, said she wanted to talk to her lawyer, Norman Siegel, the former director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, before accepting the agreement.

“A stipulation of this agreement is that both the U.S.B.F. and the team will not take legal action against each other,” she said.

“Although I’m not vindictive and have no intention at this moment of suing,” she continued, “I don’t want to lose my right to sue in the future if, one, they do some harm to me that I’m not currently aware of or, two, that they feel free to write in their bulletin anything they want about me.”