Don Larsen, the Republican district chairman for Legislative District 65, is free to believe that illegal immigration is part of a satanic plot to overthrow the godly United States. He is free to publish this view on talk radio, through the Internet or by handing out pamphlets in downtown Provo.

But those outlets were not enough for Larsen. On Saturday, he tried to incorporate his views into the Utah County Republican Party's platform. His resolution at the county convention called for the nation's borders to be closed down to thwart "Satan's plan to destroy the U.S. by stealth invasion."

We defend Larsen in the exercise of his free speech. But we think he's gone 'round the bend on this one.

During debate, Larsen claimed that the media are controlled by illegal immigrants who are working with others to destroy "Christian America" and replace it with a "godless new world order."

Shucks, we thought we were controlled by a worldwide conspiracy of Jews, the Rockefellers and Rothschilds, the Trilateral Commission and the Illuminati. Who would have known that impoverished illegal immigrants are really our overlords who apparently take low-paying jobs to disguise their true powerfi

Seriously, Larsen's rant (and that's probably too polite a word) is the kind of thing one expects on late-night talk radio, alongside UFO coverups. Whoever controlled the floor debate would have performed a valuable public service by using whatever parliamentary maneuver was available to prevent the waste of time.

Enough delegates walked out of the hall to deny Larsen a quorum to vote on the matter, but not before the proposal got more attention than it deserved.

Illegal immigration is a serious issue that the country needs to address. Clearly, the current system is not working. But Larsen's view adds nothing constructive to the debate. It makes arguments that would cause even some die-hard conspiracy theorists to blush.

Calling illegal immigrants the tools of Satan amounts to ethnic bullying.

Had Larsen consulted with, say, former Eagle Mountain congressional candidate John Jacob, he might have learned that bringing up the devil in connection with politics is a bad idea. Jacob, who ran against incumbent Chris Cannon, told the world that the powers of evil had aligned to ruin his business and prevent him from reaching Washington, D.C.

Ohh...kay.

Likewise, Larsen's supernatural conspiracy theory is not helpful in promoting consensus on the very important issue of immigration.

Somebody in the party should have taken him by the ear and told him to tone it down. Free speech does not extend to the commandeering of a political convention if the members don't want to include it. It's fine that he expressed his views; that's his right. But it was ridiculous that the delegates wasted so much time on the subject.

We will say this, however: Satan is always good for headlines.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A5.

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