recently, he has been convicted ofnattempted murder. However, a kindlynChicago judge has ordered the latestnsentence to run concurrently with hisnterm as a sex offender. Perhaps JudgenJames Bailey is constrained by somenobscure Cook County statute to exercisensuch leniency. If not, some highernpower should reduce Escobedo’s sentencento a house arrest—preferably thenhouse of Judge Bailey or one of thensplendid jurists who set him free inn1964.nJudges are morally responsible forncrimes committed by every felon theynreturn to the streets. They should alsonbe made legally responsible. Whennjudges and parole boards have to servenout the sentences of the psychopathicnobjects of their charity, they may beginnto think about the consequences ofntheir decisions. If such a scheme isnimpractical, then ordinary citizens willnfeel a strong temptation to pass anninformal sentence of outlawry on allnthe lenient judges in the United Statesnwho prostitute the majesty of the lawnand subjugate the courts to the childmolesters,nrapists, and assassins whonown the streets. Humanitarian judgesnwho choose to imperil our lives shouldnbe compelled, one way or another, tonenjoy the fruits of their labors.nJihad in Illinois has been canceled, atnleast temporarily. One MuhammadnSadiq Abid has decided not to sue thenIllinois town of Zion for includingnChristian symbols on its coat of arms.nWhat a relief Anyway, what is anMoslem doing in Zion (or Illinois fornthat matter), when he could be enjoyingnthe fruits of Islamic civilization in,nsay, Iran or Kuwait?nThe only thing we have to fear is fearnitself is the credo of Minnesota Twins’ninternist Leonard Michienzi. In thencase of Jim Eisenreich, who camendown with the willies, Michienzi triedntreating the center fielder with Xanax,na Vallium-type drug used for treatmentnof agoraphobia. But for some reason,nEisenreich refused to be drugged intoncompetence. Instead, he insisted onntaking medication for the TourettesnSyndrome, a physical ailment affectingnnervous response.nEisenreich preferred sickness to thenjitters, even at the price of his subsequentntransfer to the minor leagues.nBut Jeff Shear (in the March 8 NewnYork Times Magazine) finds such athleticnmachismo puzzling. Players, hensuggests, are placed under too muchnstress for their own good.nShear’s lament rides the crest of anwave of “Jocks Liberation.” Sportsn—substitute warfare or chase (or vicariousnordeal for the fans)—is elitist,nmerciless, and hierarchical. WhethernShear ever had sand kicked in his facenby the big boys or not, he knowsninjustice when he sees it and takes JimnEisenreich as a paradigm—a playernwho couldn’t bat, catch, or thrownwhenever he had an attack of nerves:n”When players experience stress disorders,nthe problems are often overlooked.nThe players’ union and thenowners both take the same view: thencapacity for enduring stress is intrinsicnto the success in the game.”nBefore passing an ordinance againstnlosing games. Shear should explorenthe possibility of using professionalnwrestling as a model for football, basketball,nand baseball. After all. HulknHogan always wins and the Mad Russiannalways loses in a choreographynworthy of Chinese opera. Baseball,nthough not as tantrum-laden asnthe tennis of Hie Nastasie or JohnnMcEnroe, is unpredictable and hardnupon players like Eisenreich, unablento withstand jeering, booing, catcallingnBoston fans, 380 feet away fromnthe home plate in Fenway Park.nFirmness of conviction has finally returnednto Christian journalism. Readersnwho have been annoyed by thenwavering of Commonweal, Christianityn& Crisis, Sojourners, and Americanon fundamental questions of doctrinen—the divinity of Christ, the Resurrection,neternal life, the transcendence ofnGod—may rejoice at the new certaintynwhich galvanizes the religious leftnon one particular topic: AIDS.nDespite their pusillanimity whenndiscussing Scripture or the creeds, thenpious left is dead sure that AIDS cannotnbe a judgment of God sent tonpunish the homosexuals, drug users,nand fornicators who now constitutenabout 95 percent of the disease’s victims.n”AIDS,” affirmed America in an1986 editorial, “is not God’s wrathnpoured out on homosexuals.” In thensame spirit, Christianity & Crisisnstaunchly endorsed Episcopal “Bishop”nPaul Moore’s declaration thatn”AIDS is not God’s punishment!” Sojournersnchimed in with an attack onn”the preachers of the religious Rightn. . . claiming that AIDS is God’s punishmentnfor sexual immorality,” whilenCommonweal indicted those Christiansnwho respond to AIDS with “annantiquated moral theology which [is]ncontributing to the atmosphere ofnhomophobia.”nIn contrast, the evangelical ChristianitynToday recently confessed an attitudenof “benign agnosticism” in assessingnthe belief that AIDS is a judgmentnsent from Heaven: “God might benjudging sexual sin with AIDS,” suggestedna cautious editorial. That isnprobably as far as any decent mannwould be willing to go. No sane personncan declare positively what is or is notnthe Creator’s intention in any givenncase. Still, the Scriptures are explicitnin condemning homosexuality, and itntakes a chaired professor in theology tonget around St. Paul. Without wishingnanyone anything ill, even an atheistnwould find it a pleasant surprise tonhear some religious publicist refreshnour memories on the wages of sin.nThey don’t call it sodomy for nothing.nMOVING?nLET US KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!nTo assure uninterrupted delivery ofnChronicles, please notify us in advance.nSend change of address on this form withnthe mailing label from your latest issue ofnChronicles to: Subscription Department,nChronicles, P.O. Box 800, Mount Morris,nIllinois 61054.nName_nAddress.nCitynnnState. _Zip_nJUNE 1987/7n