Golden Rule Peace Boat coming to Grand Traverse Bay

The Ticker’s Beth Milligan shares the story of the the Golden Rule and its August 22-23 visit to Traverse City:

The Golden Rule – a historic 1958 ship that originally set sail to protest nuclear weapons tests in the Marshall Islands six decades ago and has since been restored and operated by Veterans For Peace with the same anti-nuclear mission – will stop in Traverse City this month as part of a 15-month voyage targeting 100 ports of call. The Traverse City visit will include several events – including a public Flotilla for Peace, movie screenings at the State Theatre, ship tours, and an Open Space rally – all centered on the organization’s anti-war message

Four Quaker peace activists tried to sail the Golden Rule – considered the world’s first modern protest ship – to the Marshall Islands in 1958 to interfere with U.S. nuclear weapons testing. The crew was arrested in Honolulu and prevented from continuing on their journey. However, the arrests sparked worldwide protests and helped eventually lead to the U.S. signing the Partial Test Ban Treaty in 1963. The Golden Rule is also considered to be a direct predecessor to environmental activist organization Greenpeace.

The Golden Rule is currently mid-way through a 2022-23 voyage known to sailors as the “Great Loop,” covering the Mississippi River, Gulf Coast, Eastern Seaboard, and Great Lakes. The voyage is focused in part on building support in communities across the country for U.S. participation in the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Veterans For Peace is aware of the timeliness of its mission, pointing in recent interviews to the threat of nuclear powers confronting each other in Ukraine and the release of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film Oppenheimer, which tells the story of the creation of the atomic bomb.

“I saw Oppenheimer, and it was frightening,” says Tim Keenan, president of Veterans For Peace’s Chapter 50 in northern Michigan. Keenan, who asked the Golden Rule crew to come to Traverse City, notes the topic of nuclear weapons is becoming a popular one locally not only because of the film but events like Traverse Area District Library’s upcoming discussion with Jack Segal – scheduled for August 8 at 6pm in the McGuire Community Room – on nuclear proliferation. Keenan hopes the Golden Rule’s visit will help amplify that conversation.

…In conjunction with the Golden Rule’s arrival, Veterans For Peace will host a public Flotilla for Peace inviting boaters and paddlers to meet and escort the ship as she makes her way down the 35 miles of Grand Traverse Bay to Traverse City. (More details will be posted online in the coming weeks with specific locations along the route where the public can meet up with the boat on the water.)

There’s lots more in the Ticker story and you can also get all the details on the Rally, Flotilla, and other events at leelanau.com/goldenrule.