Tim Hernandez’s ongoing presence and participation in our legislature presents an unjustifiable and unmitigable risk to Colorado. He is unelected and he should remain so. The Democratic leadership knows it. So does everyone who is concerned with safety and justice, including Coloradans of Jewish faith and heritage.

Hernandez’s latest attempt to explain away his celebration of Hamas back when the horrific recent events in Israel were only beginning – accompanied by condescending, aggressive conduct captured on a video he declared would be seen by three people – demonstrates his unfitness to offer and vote on legislation that touches upon matters of criminal justice and public safety.

His first written effort at damage control was a failure. After liking pro-Hamas, anti-Israeli tweets and that now famous video of him dismissing the evil attacks on defenseless Israelis, Hernandez provided the bland “explan-unciation” that condemned all bad conduct without acknowledging his own. Only after his smug, dismissive response to a concerned Coloradan went viral, was Hernandez cajoled or coerced into making a video.

To be clear: Tim Hernandez’s video – equal parts pantomime and hostage statement – is too little, too late. And it is a lie. The freneticism of his wild hand gestures is inversely proportional to the sincerity of his words.

Though we cannot know this man’s heart, we can judge his credibility through his past conduct.

As has been the case for the past several years, the upcoming 2024 legislative session will have roughly 100 bills addressing criminal justice and public safety – about 20% of all bills offered. The bills run the gamut and address everything from procedural changes to substantive laws to sentencing for various crimes.

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Anyone who celebrates war crimes committed by Hamas cannot be trusted to evaluate right and wrong or good and evil in voting on legislation impacting justice reform and public safety. Remember, too, Terror-loving Tim refused to reject the use of violence by protesters to advance political objectives when speaking with 9News. Hernandez believes in a Machiavellian approach to achieving his individual view of justice. For him, violence is always on the table.

Coloradans of all political persuasions – and even the many left-leaning mainstream media – have pointed out to top Democrats statewide the Tim Hernandez hump on their back. And just like Young Frankenstein’s Marty Feldman, the Democrats ask “what hump?”

Gov. Jared Polis has repeatedly tweeted about his support for Israel and against hate-crimes against Jews. Last week, during the fever pitch of coverage of Terrorist Tim, on the Steffan Tubbs’ Show on 710 KNUS, Polis claimed not to know much about Fanboy Hamas Hernandez. He has never specifically addressed him or his conduct, instead tweeting about the leaves changing across Colorado and Taylor Swift.

Jena Griswold, who uses her Secretary of State cache to tweet about GOP election deniers, the need for unlimited abortion, and her support for unions during any strike of their choosing, has yet to find her voice regarding Rep. Hernandez’s stance in support of Hamas’ raping, kidnapping and murder of the defenseless.

Perhaps the most inexplicable silence is from Attorney General Phil Weiser. Weiser has missed no opportunity to speak in strident terms about the need to stand up to hatred and antisemitism.

Only 10 months before Hernandez dressed up in a suit and stood with other flag-waving Hamas-celebrants, Weiser published these words online:

“As a proud Jew, I have not hesitated to discuss my faith or family history in public life. I am pained by the rising levels of anti-Semitism – and hate of all kinds – that we are witnessing across our nation. And I refuse to be silent.”

Outside of a handful of #IStandWithIsrael tweets, Weiser has instead refused to be vocal when it comes to a member of our legislature cheering on the rapists and murderers of Jews. Weiser strongly continued:

“And we must all speak out against hate and discrimination of all kinds… We need more people speaking out against the hatred we’re facing… We must refuse to be afraid, and we must call out hate when we see it.”

Words matter. Perhaps “must” was intended to be “could” or “should,” which would be consistent with the failure to denounce Hernandez by Polis, Griswold and Weiser. Presumably, Weiser included himself and the others in “we,” and yet for a member of their same political party – silence.

As of this writing, installed Rep. Hernandez, a self-proclaimed “gangster,” has blocked me (and other critics) from his Twitter feed. Gutsy and transparent, like a public official must be (or is it “should be?”), there is no place in a civilized legislature for the moral relativism and the bankruptcy of character of Tim Hernandez. It is not that Colorado can and should do better. It is that Colorado cannot do worse.

Constituents of House District 4, this your chance to do more than stand with Israel. You get to do what our statewide “leaders” will not; you can speak up against hatred. What will your vote say about you?

George Brauchler is the former district attorney for the 18th Judicial District. He also is an Owens Early Criminal Justice Fellow at the Common Sense Institute. He hosts “The George Brauchler Show” on 710KNUS Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on Twitter: @GeorgeBrauchler.