Hopium's Resolutions Project
Welcome to Hopium’s Resolutions Project where we aspire to let Facts be shared with a candid world in communities all across the United States.
This idea for this project came out of conversations in our community about two initiatives we explored earlier this year - A Letter To America and Owning The Fourth. During our discussions we learned that our Founders helped build support for the Revolution by having towns across the colonies introduce, debate and pass what I’ve called “resolutions of condemnation.” This process helped bring the gravity of the “injuries,” “abuses” and “usurpations” of Mad King George III to each community, and helped build support for the Revolution by creating local ownership of their big arguments in the fight for independence.
Here is the article where I first learned of this Revolutionary tactic, and here’s a great Google AI summary of some of the resolutions passed in the 1760s and 1770s.
I first wrote about the idea of our community advancing Resolutions as a tactic in communities across the country in early March:
One thing I think we should be encouraging our local Democratically controlled legislatures, city and county boards/councils to do is to pass condemnations of Trump. Go the record on whatever is of greatest concern - embrace of Putin, destruction of the US government, elimination of vital health research, mistreatment of workers. Whatever it is. As we discussed the other day these kind of bottom up public expressions of condemnation, of going on the record very clearly about why what Trump is doing is wrong, dangerous, a betrayal is very much in the spirit of how we last fought a mad king almost 250 years ago. We must become more comfortable going on the record with our fellow Americans laying out the case against him, spelling out what our Founders called in the Declaration of Independence “abuses and usurpations.”
The first Hopium-inspired Resolution was organized by Dr. Deborah Potter in New Mexico with assists from Randy Gold and Phineas Anderson from Arizona. You can find the text of the resolution here. It was introduced and debated on June 25th in Bernalillo Country, and will be given a final vote of approval later this summer. A similar resolution was introduced, debated and passed in Santa Fe county that same day.
Since then, and inspired by the work of our New Mexican and Arizona crews, members of this community have initiated 55 Resolutions in 20 different states. The idea is get every level of our government, from town to city to county to state, on the record condemning Trump’s traitorous abandonment of the Constitutional order. While this will be easiest in blue areas, our hope is that swing and red areas attempt to pass these Resolutions too and force a debate in every community – even if the Resolutions do not pass. The goal is to force a serious debate about Trump’s betrayal of the country everywhere – as our Founding Fathers did more than 250 years ago.
Here’s the resolution that’s been introduced in the Boston City Council.
If you have questions or want to let us know about the Resolutions project you are working on use our dedicated public chat here or email us at resolutions@hopiumchronicles.com. The Hopium team, Dr. Potter and others involved in the project will answer your questions and provide guidance.
To learn more from Deborah on how she moved the first set of resolutions in New Mexico watch our interview below. It’s a great introductory talk for any one thinking about bringing this important idea to their communities.
For reference and inspiration here’s the opening passage of The Declaration Of Independence:
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
The final graph of the Declaration:
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
The four “injuries” from the long list the Founders prepared in the Declaration of Independence that are getting the most attention today:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
The first paragraph of our Constitution:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
And because someone appears to have forgotten it, the Presidential oath of office:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States
Thank you for your interest in this wonderful project, and good luck in bringing this important debate to your community, wherever you live…..
Simon Rosenberg
Washington, DC
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
