Declare Golden Rule Week

Senate Resolution No. 1376 BY: Senator DEFRANCISCO RECOGNIZING April 1-7, 2017, as Golden Rule Week WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize official weeks that are set aside to promote and encourage empathy and compassion which benefit the lives of the citizens of the State of New York; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to recognize April 1-7, 2017, as Golden Rule Week; and WHEREAS, The Golden Rule, also known as the ethic of reciprocity, is the idea that people should treat others in the same way they themselves would like to be treated, with tolerance, consideration and compassion; and WHEREAS, Derived from human feelings and experience, the Golden Rule requires people to think about others and try to imagine how they might think and feel; it is a simple and clear default position for moral decision-making; and WHEREAS, People who bully others, lack the empathy, generosity and kindness of those who follow the Golden Rule; bullying and intolerance is comprised of direct behaviors such as teasing, taunting, threatening, hitting, and stealing that are initiated by one or more students against a target, as well as indirect behaviors such as spreading rumors and acting in other ways to cause another person to be socially isolated through intentional exclusion, with all such behaviors, direct or indirect, amounting to physical or psychological intimidation occurring repeatedly over time to create an ongoing pattern of harassment and abuse; and WHEREAS, Those who stand by passively watching or actively encouraging bullying are also affected by these hostile acts; by encouraging bullying they may create an audience, may become desensitized to cruelty, may learn to imitate these behaviors and become bullies themselves, and/or may be fearful for their own safety, adding to their own insecurity; and WHEREAS, Race, age, religion, physical disability, physical appearance, socioeconomic status and various other factors can be the basis of bullying and anyone can be a target; and WHEREAS, People who intimidate others are at increased risk for substance abuse, academic problems, and violence later in adolescence and adulthood; and WHEREAS, Individuals who choose to live by the Golden Rule empathize with other people, including those who may be very different from them; empathy is at the root of kindness, compassion, understanding and respect, all valuable qualities that we each appreciate being shown, whoever we are, whatever we think and wherever we come from; and WHEREAS, It is imperative to recognize weeks in which empathy, compassion, and kindness are observed, and to encourage all New Yorkers to practice this simple philosophy and incorporate it into your lifestyle; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to recognize April 1-7, 2017, as Golden Rule Week.