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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