There is so much to be angry about these days from Muslim Bans to attacks on the EPA…

This particular fury is not about those – at least not directly

It has perhaps most to do with the whole “alternative facts narrative”.

I’ve become a member of the Resistance.

I’ve become an active member in our Democracy and I’ve remembered the frustration that I felt when I was a youngster. You can call, write, email, and now tweet and the impression I got then was that if you weren’t expressing an opinion that agreed with the Party line your opinion went into the circular file – ie the trash.

Now in the age of “alternative facts” where “he believes” seems to be equal to actual facts.

So now I not only have to deal with a Senator who is unlikely to take any non-Republican ideas into his head but also one who “Believes” that the people calling into his office to oh say ask him to vote against Betsy DeVos are “paid trolls”.

Yes, you heard that right, a Senator is not just refusing to listen to his constituents because they are of a different political leaning, which I’ve never understood. No, he’s doing worse than that. He’s decided that the people who are flooding his office with calls just aren’t legitimate.

I learned that our Democracy was supposed to be representative. I learned that Senators who are representing a State are supposed to be about compromise. If they have strong constituent input – that is supposed to matter. I can understand a senator taking a principled stand now and again. I respect a Senator who will take a principled stand and explain and be willing to lose his seat to stand up for something.

I do not understand a Senator who votes for something just because he has an R beside his name.

I do not understand a Senator who, upon receiving overwhelming calls, letters, emails, etc is willing to stand up and say – those calls, those emails, those letters – they don’t matter – they aren’t being sent by real people… they are being paid to do this. It’s all – as the online world puts it – trolls. When asked for proof of this – he uses Donald Trump’s words – I don’t have any proof – I just believe it.

Facts matter, compromise matters – and our kids education matters.

Colorado Senator Cory Gardner – I see you – I am real. I live in your state and I can guarantee that viewing your constituents as not being real is a REALLY, REALLY bad idea. I’ll be working to be sure that you know I’m real when you are up for election. We’ll be showing you who we are with our votes. I can promise you that. Until then my fury is likely to grow – unless the Republicans grow up and quit making up facts – like your constituents are not real.