N.Y. Students’ Questions Put Kemp on the Defensive

Jack Kemp came to St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in a drug-infested Newark neighborhood Monday to push his party’s anti-drug program. But he may have gotten more than he bargained for.

In contrast to the generally soft questioning he has received from mostly white audiences in the South and Midwest, the audience here of mostly black and Latino high school students pushed him to defend GOP positions on such issues as immigration, affirmative action and tobacco.

“Mr. Kemp, as a former pro football player, you are familiar with the reverse play,” a Latino student began. “Why did you reverse your position on Proposition 187 [an anti-illegal immigration initiative] since joining the Dole campaign?”

Kemp insisted that “I have not reversed my position,” saying he remains “very proud that I was against” the ballot initiative.

“I am proud of the fact that Bob Dole . . . does not want California or any other state to be turned into a police state,” and that the Republican ticket is “strongly against any identification card that would treat people as un-American.”

However, Kemp said, he does believe schools should have the right to ask for birth certificates from incoming students and that the country should protect its borders from illegal immigration.

During the debate on Proposition 187 in 1994, Kemp denounced the idea of removing the children of illegal immigrants from public schools. After accepting the GOP vice presidential nomination, he changed his position to support the idea, which is part of the party platform and has been endorsed by Dole. Kemp said he had concluded that the proposal could be carried out without discriminating against Latino students.

Kemp cut off one questioner who maintained that the Republican plank calls for the denial of education benefits to children of illegal immigrants. “It didn’t say that, my friend,” Kemp interjected. “It said that states should have the choice. States should have the choice.”

In fact, the party platform makes no mention of state choice on the issue, saying only that illegal immigrants “who become parents while illegally in the United States should not be qualified to claim benefits for their offspring.”

One black student asked the candidate: “Why do you continue to flip-flop with affirmative action, when I believe affirmative action really benefits cities?”

“I didn’t flip-flop,” Kemp said. “I have never supported affirmative action that led to quotas. I have always supported and continue to support affirmative efforts by government to open up equality of opportunity. . . . “