R 341
2019 -- S 0829 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 06/05/2019

S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N
DENOUNCING AND OPPOSING WHITE NATIONALIST AND NEO-NAZI GROUPS

Introduced By: Senators Nesselbush, Bell, Miller, Goldin, and Quezada
Date Introduced: April 30, 2019

     WHEREAS, White nationalist groups espouse an ideology of white supremacy and the
"alleged" inferiority of non-whites. They believe that white identity should be a paramount
principle in the governing of western nations and they support non-democratic means to bring this
evil philosophy to the forefront; and
     WHEREAS, Throughout the course of our nation's history, white nationalism has
supported and promoted coercion and violent repression of individuals solely on the basis of their
race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and immigration status. They have attempted to
reinvent themselves, self-identifying as the "alt-right," yet their present-day rhetoric and terrorism
conjure painful memories of our nation's past; and; and
     WHEREAS, In August and October of 2018, hate groups organized by Resist Marxism
attempted to hold rallies at Rhode Island's State House in order to promote racist and white
supremacy agendas that are in irreconcilable conflict with our State's and our Nation's
foundational principles of liberty and justice for all. Counter protesters were organized by Ocean
State Against Hate, a local antifascist coalition. At both events, as is often the case with these hate
group's demonstrations, the rallies turned violent and police were forced to disperse everyone;
and
     WHEREAS, The white nationalists and neo-Nazi message of racial, ethnic, and social
intolerance has led to senseless acts of violence that continue to terrorize members of racial and
religious minority communities; and
     WHEREAS, Across the country, shocking and appalling events in Charlottesville,
Virginia, on August 12, 2017, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 27, 2018, and in Poway,
California on April 27, 2019, confirm that white nationalism and neo-Nazism remain very real
threats to social and racial progress; and
     WHEREAS, In Rhode Island, in May of 2016, a Pawtucket synagogue was defaced by a
swastika, in February of 2018, racist flyers were distributed in the City of Providence, and in
December of 2018, racist stickers were affixed to signs in Johnston. As each of these events came
to light, politicians, religious leaders, community activists and concerned residents came together
to denounce the cowardice and to stand against the racism and hate; and
     WHEREAS, Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams on the principle of religious
tolerance and is the home to America's oldest synagogue, the Touro Synagogue, in Newport: and
     WHEREAS, White nationalism and neo-Nazism are continuing to grow as menaces to
societal order that seek to reignite social animosities, reverse improvements in race relations,
divide the nation, and foment hatred that leads to ethnic eradication; now, therefore be it
     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
hereby strongly denounces and opposes the totalitarian impulses, violent terrorism, xenophobic
biases, and bigoted ideologies that are promoted by white nationalists and neo-Nazis; and be it
further
     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President of
the United States, the members of the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation, and the Honorable
Gina M. Raimondo, Governor of the State of Rhode Island.
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