The Golden Rule, a 34-foot wooden sailboat, first made headlines in 1958 when it set sail toward the Marshall Islands to protest against American atmospheric nuclear weapons testing.
More than sixty years later, this same vessel returned to San Francisco’s Pier 39 on Tuesday, embarking on a renewed mission to advocate for peace amidst ongoing arms negotiations between the United States and other nations.
This venture is championed by Veterans for Peace, a nonprofit organization composed of military veterans and allies dedicated to promoting peace and disarmament dialogues.
In 2010, Veterans for Peace was approached to restore the Golden Rule, which had been abandoned in Humboldt Bay and had sunk due to a gale.
Over the next five years, an enthusiastic group of volunteers from Veterans for Peace, Quakers, and other peace-oriented groups worked tirelessly to restore the historic vessel in a local boatyard, some of whom later joined its crew.
The upcoming voyage will include various port visits across the San Francisco Bay, featuring guest sailing opportunities, public events, and community discussions involving veterans, peace activists, educators, and youth.
Michelle Marsonette, the project manager for Golden Rule, highlighted a special sailing event with members of the San Francisco-based “Comfort Women” Justice Coalition on August 22.
This initiative aims to give these members a platform to openly discuss their experiences and confront wartime brutalities.
As Marsonette stated, “Groups like that, we like to take out because then it gives them an opportunity to dramatically talk about what they have going on, not just to us.”
The anti-war message championed by the Golden Rule remains as relevant as ever.
Since the boat’s relaunch in 2015, Gerry Condon, president of the Golden Rule committee and a national board member of Veterans for Peace, has steered the vessel to promote a nuclear-free world while raising awareness about the threats posed by nuclear weapons.
Condon emphasized that the implications of nuclear weapons and potential wars can be viewed as a local concern, especially in the Bay Area, where the financial resources diverted to nuclear armament significantly affect public welfare.
“Nuclear weapons and nuclear war are usually not considered a local issue,” he noted.
“However, with around $100 billion earmarked for nuclear weapons modernization this year and a nearly trillion-dollar Pentagon budget, these expenditures take away from essential services like health care, Social Security, and housing.
In that sense, it is definitely a local issue.”
Dominick Favuzzi, a member of the Veterans for Peace Sonoma chapter and an Air Force veteran, also touched upon the significance of environmental preservation, criticizing the pollution resulting from military activities.
He specifically pointed to the legacy of former military bases in Northern California, including Mare Island Naval Shipyard and Naval Air Station Alameda, which pose ongoing environmental hazards.
“We have Travis Air Force base and other military bases in Northern California that have been abandoned, but are still quite dangerous cleanup sites,” noted Favuzzi.
The grassroots organization World BEYOND War supports these claims, asserting that military bases contribute to environmental degradation through vehicle emissions and the release of toxic chemicals into local waters.
Education plays a crucial role in the mission of Veterans for Peace.
Susan Lamont from the Sonoma chapter emphasized the importance of discussing the costs of war with younger audiences, particularly students at Bay Area high schools and Sonoma State University.
She expressed a concern that society is becoming indifferent to the dangers posed by nuclear weapons, stating, “People just aren’t paying attention. We can have the real thing, even unintentionally.”
Jim McKinney, an associate member of the Veterans for Peace San Francisco chapter and a former educator, echoed these sentiments, noting that younger generations are eager to engage in discussions about America’s global role.
“They’re definitely listening. But I think we need to get the ball rolling. And I think the voyage of the Golden Rule is helping,” McKinney said.
The Golden Rule is scheduled to make several stops in San Francisco, Alameda, Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, and San Mateo until August 29.
For those interested, the full schedule and additional details about the tour are available online.
image source from：piedmontexedra
