2023 -- H 6173

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

WELCOMING THE GOLDEN RULE SAILBOAT TO RHODE ISLAND IN SUPPORT OF A

NUCLEAR-FREE WORLD

     Introduced By: Representatives Stewart, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Alzate, Morales,
Chippendale, Sanchez, Cruz, Voas, and Henries

     Date Introduced: March 21, 2023

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, The dangers of nuclear war have been known to the world since August 6,

1945, with the destruction of Hiroshima; and

     WHEREAS, An interfaith group was established in June of 1957, an ad hoc committee

named Non-Violent Action Against Nuclear Weapons (NVA); and

     WHEREAS, The Quakers in Britain, led by Harold Steals, attempted to sail to Christmas

Island, 1,000 miles South of Hawaii, to witness in protest, the British use of the Island for nuclear

weapons testing, but did not get further than Japan; and

     WHEREAS, In the United States, there were announcements in September of 1957, that

the United states would conduct a series of nuclear weapons testing at Eniwetok, in the Marshall

Islands, in April of 1958; and

     WHEREAS, The Quakers led vigils, letter writing, and public protests against the

proposed nuclear testing, all of which went unheeded and, in many cases, unacknowledged; and

     WHEREAS, A Quaker, Albert Bigelow, a 30-year veteran of the United States Navy, a

sponsor of several Hiroshima Maidens, felt the calling of need for nonviolent action and proposed

sailing into the Marshall Islands in April of 1958, to protest and stop the nuclear testing; and

     WHEREAS, A ketch, built in Costa Rica, which was approximately 30 feet in length,

was purchased by Albert Bigelow and outfitted and rigged in short time to sail from the West

Coast to Hawaii and then on to the Marshall Islands, seeking to enter the designated testing area

by April 1, 1958, and remain there in an effort to bear witness to all men that it is essential for all

of humanity to witness that the race to extinction be stopped; and

     WHEREAS, Albert Bigelow and three other Quakers, a crew of four, left San Pedro,

California, on February 10, 1958, stopped at Hawaii for provisioning and maintenance, and was

then intercepted by the Coast Guard, arrested, charged, tried, and sentenced, with their

convictions being overturned on appeal; and

     WHEREAS, The Golden Rule did not complete its anti-nuclear weapons voyage to the

Marshall Islands, but generated immense international support and sympathy and formed an

integral part of peace witnessing that eventually led to the Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963; and

     WHEREAS, The Golden Rule was sold in Honolulu and was not heard of in the decades

that followed until it was discovered at the bottom of Humboldt Bay in California in 2009; and

     WHEREAS, The Golden Rule’s imminent destruction as worthless salvage was stopped

by a group of Veterans for Peace and Quakers in Humboldt Bay, and slowly restored over six

years and relaunched in June of 2015; and

     WHEREAS, Since 2015, the Golden Rule has sailed to multiple ports providing

educational presentations sending the message that there is no room for nuclear weapons in the

home of humanity; and

     WHEREAS, The Young Friends of the New England Yearly Meeting in 1978, reported

on the findings of a public opinion poll of non-Quaker communities and their ideas concerning

bomb-testing, peace talks and the prospects of East-West co-existence, with their conclusion

being that there was a widespread lack of constructive interest in peace that was very disturbing,

and concluded that the Young Friends had to do something about it themselves; and

     WHEREAS, The religious roots of the Golden Rule include a belief that each individual,

regardless of color, race, creed, or nationality is sacred, and that nuclear weapons are a grave

threat to all individuals, groups and nations, and this threat of total destruction is a violation of the

ancient concept of the oneness of humanity; and

     WHEREAS, The Golden Rule, the first peace vessel, is an icon and a symbol of peace,

that continues to sail as a testament to its message of peace; and

     WHEREAS, The Golden Rule is scheduled to visit Narragansett Bay in the month of

June, from June 11 to June 13; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

welcomes the Golden Rule Sailboat to Rhode Island in support of a nuclear-free world; and be it

further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Ms. Helen Jaccard, Golden Rule Project

Manager.

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