and Greek fire, Europe and the UnitednStates now put their trust in things,nrather than in the courage of theirnmen. Once the French and Germansnare forced to take charge of their ownndefense, they may begin to grow up tonthe realities of international politics innthe late 20th century. For too longnthey have looked to us as a big brothernwho will fight all their battles for them.nLike all kid brothers, they have taken tonwhining, in recent years. Let us giventhem what they claim to want: theirnindependence, their equality in a partnershipnof free nations.nLavender liberals recently held thenNational Conference of Openly Lesbiannand Gay Elected and AppointednOfficials in Minneapolis. Graced bynthe presence of two delegates fromnGanada’s New Democratic Party andnone from the British House of Gommons,nthe conference adopted a resolutionn(supported by Rev. Jesse Jacksonnand Senator Paul Simon) calling fornfurther appointments of homosexualsnto “posts in the administration” (theynalready have 70 in the administrationnof Washington Mayor Marion Barry,n40 in Mario Guomo’s New York). ThenMovement also wants “financing of annational AIDS policy,” action againstn”violence against homosexuals,” andnsteps to “insure that immigration policyndid not discriminate against homosexuals.”nHeading the list, however,nwas the demand for an end to discriminationnagainst sexual perverts “evennin the armed forces.” If their plans materialize,nthe sodomites may be able tonreinstate Sgt. Richard W. Sargeant,nthe black “medical instructor” whonhad been dishonorably discharged bynthe U.S. Army in San Antonio. Pleadingnguilty to one count of sodomy, twonof adultery, and two of “disobeying annofficer” (that must have been thenclincher), Sergeant Sargeant, “fightingnback tears,” told the jury, “I wish Incould undo all the pain I have caused.”nOnce upon a time, that film noirnclassic D.O.A. seemed as unlikely anscenario as ever constructed (EdmundnO’Brien, dying from a slow-actingntoxin slipped to him in a San Francisconnightclub, prowls the West Goast innsearch of answers, and revenge). Butnno longer, now that a minor trafficnaccident might be fatal, if you hap­npened to have received a blood transfusionnin Los Angeles, where JosephnMarkowski has been arraigned on twoncounts of murder for selling AIDScontaminatednblood. Engagingly direct—n”I know AIDS can kill, but I wasnso hard up for money I didn’t givena damn about other people” —nMarkowski’s financial woes ought to bencovered by the financial aid demandednin the Minneapolis resolution. Luckynfor him, Markowski has already managednto beat all the charges against himnexcept two counts of poisoning.nLos Angeles Superior Gourt JudgenRonald Goen — Angelenos, please takennote — could otherwise see nothingnillegal in the 29-year-old male prostitute’snactions.nThe Markowski case comes as nonsurprise: the morally diseased are alwaysnmissionaries for their way of life.nDrug addicts, homosexuals, andn”swingers” want to win the world overnto their own perversions, and whennyou throw in a death sentence, theynbecome even more desperate for converts.nOf course, we all know now thatnhomosexuality is not pathological; it’snonly an alternate life-style, deservingnlegal protection.nDistrict of Columbia Gourt of Appealsnhas just decided that GeorgetownnUniversity, although a Gatholic institution,n”must offer equal treatment tonhomosexual student groups [includingnfinancing]” despite its religious freedomnto “follow an antihomosexualndoctrine.” Louis M. Seidman, the professornof law who submitted a friendof-the-courtnbrief on the behalf of thenhomosexual students, welcomed thendecision as an attempt to “fashion anresult that took into account the legitimatenconcerns both sides have aboutnthe issue.”nIn a sharply critical dissent. JudgenFrank Nebeker unmasked the absurditynthat underlines such moral evenhandedness:n”One might ask whether bynour holding a student group dedicatednto heterosexual relations with girlsnunder the age of sixteen would likewisenderive ‘sexual orientation’ benefitsnunder the [Human Rights] Act.”nFresh from Moseow, and the 70thnanniversary of the Bolshevik coup,nGus Hall, the lifetime Secretary of thenCommunist Party of the U.S., hasnnnalready conceded the election of 1988.nBecause of America’s “very undemocraticnelection system” that allows itsntoiling masses to vote for non-Marxistnpretenders, the party will not even putnforward a candidate. As an alternativenstrategy, the GPA, which polledn36,386 votes in 1984, will promote “anbroad coalition of the left” (not to benconfused with Rev. Jesse Jackson’s) ton”defeat ultra right candidates.”nIn the true spirit of internationalnunderstanding, Soviet author JuliannSemyonov is pitching in to help ComradenHall’s campaign. The scowling,n”charismatic” Russian has set up annInternational Association of CrimenWriters, perhaps to publicize Sovietnsuccesses in literary crime prevention.n(They’ve drastically reduced the incidencenof unauthorized speech, publishingnout of turn, or emigration tonescape censorship.) Though his book,nTass Is Authorized to Announce, hasnnot been favorably reviewed even bynhis bourgeois admirers, Semyonov’snAssociation has already held its firstnmeetings in his private retreat atnYalta — an obvious choice, for sentimentalnreasons.nDespite a standing ban on IannFleming in the USSR, ComradenSemyonov remains a fervent believernin cultural exchange. His efforts havenrecently received a boost from a 12year-oldnpoetess, Nika Turbina, an”Russian prodigy” who wants to makenthe world a nicer place: “Somewherenpeople are being killed, somewherenchildren are dying [Afghanistan, maybe?],nand with my poems I want tonhelp remove the blocks that currentlyndivide the world.”nAmerican PEN and the AuthorsnLeague of America recently submittedna brief to the U.S. Supreme Court,nurging the Justices to confirm the bannon the U.S. government’s prerogativento bar known Communists from thisncountry. The Supreme Court concurrednand supported a lower courtndecision which upheld the right of anynforeigner to come and stay in the U.S.,nregardless of his activities againstnAmerica. The Authors League hopesnsuch a decision will result in “an uninhibitednmarketplace of ideas,” whereneven shouting “fire” (or “revolution”)nin a crowded room will be a FirstnAmendment right.nFEBBUARY 1988 / 5n