2023 -- H 6173
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
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, 1
1945, with the destruction of Hiroshima; and 2
WHEREAS, An interfaith group was established in June of 1957, an ad hoc committee 3
named Non-Violent Action Against Nuclear Weapons (NVA); and 4
WHEREAS, The Quakers in Britain, led by Harold Steals, attempted to sail to Christmas 5
Island, 1,000 miles South of Hawaii, to witness in protest, the British use of the Island for nuclear 6
weapons testing, but did not get further than Japan; and 7
WHEREAS, In the United States, there were announcements in September of 1957, that 8
the United states would conduct a series of nuclear weapons testing at Eniwetok, in the Marshall 9
Islands, in April of 1958; and 10
WHEREAS, The Quakers led vigils, letter writing, and public protests against the 11
proposed nuclear testing, all of which went unheeded and, in many cases, unacknowledged; and 12
WHEREAS, A Quaker, Albert Bigelow, a 30-year veteran of the United States Navy, a 13
sponsor of several Hiroshima Maidens, felt the calling of need for nonviolent action and proposed 14
sailing into the Marshall Islands in April of 1958, to protest and stop the nuclear testing; and 15
WHEREAS, A ketch, built in Costa Rica, which was approximately 30 feet in length, 16
was purchased by Albert Bigelow and outfitted and rigged in short time to sail from the West 17
Coast to Hawaii and then on to the Marshall Islands, seeking to enter the designated testing area 18
by April 1, 1958, and remain there in an effort to bear witness to all men that it is essential for all 19
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of humanity to witness that the race to extinction be stopped; and 1
WHEREAS, Albert Bigelow and three other Quakers, a crew of four, left San Pedro, 2
California, on February 10, 1958, stopped at Hawaii for provisioning and maintenance, and was 3
then intercepted by the Coast Guard, arrested, charged, tried, and sentenced, with their 4
convictions being overturned on appeal; and 5
WHEREAS, The Golden Rule did not complete its anti-nuclear weapons voyage to the 6
Marshall Islands, but generated immense international support and sympathy and formed an 7
integral part of peace witnessing that eventually led to the Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963; and 8
WHEREAS, The Golden Rule was sold in Honolulu and was not heard of in the decades 9
that followed until it was discovered at the bottom of Humboldt Bay in California in 2009; and 10
WHEREAS, The Golden Rule’s imminent destruction as worthless salvage was stopped 11
by a group of Veterans for Peace and Quakers in Humboldt Bay, and slowly restored over six 12
years and relaunched in June of 2015; and 13
WHEREAS, Since 2015, the Golden Rule has sailed to multiple ports providing 14
educational presentations sending the message that there is no room for nuclear weapons in the 15
home of humanity; and 16
WHEREAS, The Young Friends of the New England Yearly Meeting in 1978, reported 17
on the findings of a public opinion poll of non-Quaker communities and their ideas concerning 18
bomb-testing, peace talks and the prospects of East-West co-existence, with their conclusion 19
being that there was a widespread lack of constructive interest in peace that was very disturbing, 20
and concluded that the Young Friends had to do something about it themselves; and 21
WHEREAS, The religious roots of the Golden Rule include a belief that each individual, 22
regardless of color, race, creed, or nationality is sacred, and that nuclear weapons are a grave 23
threat to all individuals, groups and nations, and this threat of total destruction is a violation of the 24
ancient concept of the oneness of humanity; and 25
WHEREAS, The Golden Rule, the first peace vessel, is an icon and a symbol of peace, 26
that continues to sail as a testament to its message of peace; and 27
WHEREAS, The Golden Rule is scheduled to visit Narragansett Bay in the month of 28
June, from June 11 to June 13; now, therefore be it 29
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 30
welcomes the Golden Rule Sailboat to Rhode Island in support of a nuclear-free world; and be it 31
further 32
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RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 1
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Ms. Helen Jaccard, Golden Rule Project 2
Manager. 3
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