Sometimes it appears the Washington State Republican Party works hard to make sure it never returns to power.

Just last weekend, its members meeting in Spokane approved a plank in the party's platform that would require amending the United States Constitution or that courts reverse major landmark decisions given over many years.

Strange but true. Here is the approved plank:

"The original intent of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution (1868) which declared, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States..." and thereby recognized the citizenship of ex-slaves and in no way granted citizenship to the babies of illegal aliens."

The party is thereby ignoring many court rulings which say explicitly that the 14th Amendment does indeed grant citizenship to those born inside this nation. The 1868 amendment was passed to make sure that newly freed slaves were declared full citizens. Scholars and detractors have noted the phrase ". . . subject to the jurisdiction thereof. . ." It appears it was added to exclude automatic citizenship to children of foreign diplomats and foreign visitors here when a child is born.

We could see such a platform in some parts of our country, but not in Washington state. Even in heavily Republican eastern Washington their may be strong demands for a more secure immigration process, but a great number of those in agriculture know of the need of imported labor to get their crops to market.

The United States has a major immigration problem mainly because the nation has not faced up to the fact that a vast majority of native born people do not want to do the basic jobs in agriculture and low-skilled (i.e., low paid) jobs in this country. Instead of coming to grips with the problem, many in our nation rail against the illegals who come here simply because there are jobs available here and not in their native lands.

There are spots along the southern border where Mexican citizens can easily see the wonders of the American nation, others can watch television and behold the richness of our society. Would you not attempt in any way possible to improve your own life if the worlds of the United States and those of poor countries were reversed?

So the illegals are here because it is virtually impossible for them to get here legally, due to rigid and outdated quota systems that place more emphasis on wealth and high skills than on need in the workplace.

Now the Washington Republicans would punish the unborn children of these hardworking people. This platform would deny a basic tenet of our nation, to be educated.

We note with interest that Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna, up for reelection this year, told the Seattle Times he disagrees with this idea of yanking away education to innocent children.

"We have more than 200 years of history in which children born in the U.S. are deemed U.S. citizens. What matters is where the children are born."

Are we really ready to rewrite the United States Constitution to feed the hunger of those fearful few who believe that somehow the children of men and women who came here simply to survive should be left ignorant and unable to survive here or anywhere? Is it not better to educated these children, offer them a chance to be better off than their hard-pressed parents?

We believe these children should be treated as Americans have always treated immigrants. The children should not be judged on the real or imagined sins of their parents.

McKenna, who is one of the best representatives of his sometimes errant party, did make one important point to the Seattle Times reporter: "I think the attention span of the public on party platforms is very brief," he said. "I don't think platforms help you or hurt you very much. Voters look at the candidates."

Well, yes, to an extent, Mr. Attorney General. But platforms do give solid ammunition to opponents to lob during the election battle.

- Jack Mayne