In his latest book, Deliver Us From Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism and Liberalism, Sean Hannity argues that evil exists and is a force to be reckoned with. The nationally syndicated radio host and popular co-host of Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes," dispels the politically correct view that evil is an ancient myth or figment of religious imagination. Rather, in deft language, Hannity conveys the importance of grasping the reality of evil - especially since the tragic events of September 11.
Hannity makes no attempt to conceal his Christian convictions and openly admits the title of his book is taken from The Lord's Prayer. He felt compelled to write the book after the tragedy of September 11, which he compares to the infamy of Pearl Harbor. Dedicating the book to Theodore and Barbara Olson (who was killed on that fateful day), Hannity argues that contemporary society essentially faces three evils: terrorism, despotism and liberalism.
Building on his first book, Let Freedom Ring, Hannity extols the virtue of freedom that the United States has been built on. His main point is one that has been championed by conservatives for years: American political civilization rests upon the belief in the dignity and fundamental rights of individuals. This distinctly American concept is rooted in Judeo-Christian morality and the recognition of the existence of moral absolutes. This moral clarity has enabled the United States to overcome its many enemies over the centuries.
Unfortunately, nearly three years after the tragedy of September 11, America's "senses and memories have dulled," and evil seems very remote, almost non-existent. The horror and rage that united Americans on that dreadful day no longer binds them together. The moral clarity to fight the evil of terrorism that Americans shared as a nation has dissipated. And the leadership hailed in President Bush back then is now despised by some Americans as an example of "unilateral arrogance" and Texan machismo.
Although terrorism and Islamic fascism are what we are fighting, it is liberalism that is allowing them to thrive. Liberalism has downplayed the existence of evil. Instead of conservatives and liberals being united to fight the threat of terrorism and despotism, fire-breathing liberals such as John Kerry, Howard Dean, Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy have sought to undermine President Bush's efforts in the war on terror. Through a vitriolic media assault, they have all charged that the President exaggerated pre-war intelligence and that weapons of mass destruction did not exist in Iraq.
Leaving aside that Saddam murdered over 100,000 Kurds through the use of chemical weapons, and the U.S.-led weapons inspectors have found evidence of Baghdad's WMD-related programs, as well as the existence of terrorist training camps within Iraq, anti-interventionist liberals have failed to refute the central justification for war: that the creation of a democratic, pro-Western Iraq will serve as a major strategic bulwark in the fight against Islamic extremism.
Hannity rightly believes that "liberals have politicized the most important issue of our time," and as a result, they are jeopardizing the security of the American people. Liberals and conservatives must be united if they wish to defeat the threat of terrorism. The strategy of appeasement did not work prior to World War II, and it will not work now in the war on terrorism.
When America stands tall and fights for what it believes in, good triumphs. We saw this most clearly with the capture of Saddam and the liberation of Iraq. This was made possible because of the determination and clear moral vision of President Bush who had the "courage to commit this country and its braved armed services to the cause of defeating international terrorism."
Hannity concludes by warning Americans of the threats posed by al Qaeda and rogue states such as China, North Korea, Syria and Iran. He insists, "Evil will thrive, unless it is confronted and defeated." Deliver Us From Evil is an important work, not only because it diagnoses the evils of our time, but also because it properly assesses the failure of liberals to stand up to our foreign enemies.
