SEAN NEEDS HANNITIZING

Sean Hannity is a great American. Right now, though, he's a lost American. The views he expressed on yesterday's show regarding the runaway bride were way off base, but it's easy to understand how he came to feel this way. He continues the same theme today, and I might add that he's getting a lot of flak.

He got too close to the story.

He met with all the family members, interviewed them, put them on his TV show, and thinks they are wonderful people. They probably are, Sean, but that's beside the point. That's why judges are required to be impartial, they deal with the facts of the case exclusively. To do otherwise would make any decision suspect. Remember the blindfold?

He thinks the bride-to-be should be afforded the luxury of apologizing to the public for what she did and leave it at that. Sean asks this: "Does everything have to go through the court system?" Answer: No. Violations of the laws, however, must. When, with premeditation, you put in motion a chain of events like she did, and lie to the police about it twice, you can expect to find yourself standing in front of a judge. It's that simple and not outrageous.

We are a nation of laws; it's how we establish some form of order in our communities. Sean thinks her "stress" is simply a personal problem that should be handled at the family level. This is true, but when her personal problem became "our" problem, the justice system is forced to step in and protect the well-being of the community.

I don't think this gal should be in jail, put in shackles and forced to do the "perp walk," but I do think she should answer to the court for her violation and pay whatever price the system thinks reasonable. If the price is going to a doctor for help, I'm fine with that.

Sean, I fear, has become so close to the case, the family, that he will never be able to back away from his present views. He's stuck and he's wasting his show's powerful platform on this topic when he should be focusing it on "important" issues of the day. On the other hand, I guess it's his show.

Sean, you're a great American, anyway.

**UPDATE** Sean's on-line poll is running 70% for charging the bride-to-be.