I thought we'd come some ways in civil rights for all. But this really boils my blood.
Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, will not sign marriage licenses for interracial couples because he feel that most interracial marriages do not last long
Beth Humphrey said she called Bardwell Oct. 6 to inquire about getting a marriage license signed. She says Bardwell's wife told her that Bardwell will not sign marriage licenses for interracial couples.
The Justice of the peace says and I quote "I'm not a racist," Bardwell said. "I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house. My main concern is for the children."
He also stated, "I don’t do interracial marriages because I don’t want to put children in a situation they didn’t bring on themselves,” Bardwell said. “In my heart, I feel the children will later suffer.”
He said if he does an interracial marriage for one couple, he must do the same for all.
“I try to treat everyone equally,” he said.
No one told Humphrey she and her boyfriend could not get married, Bardwell said. He said his wife even suggested she see Justice of the Peace Terri Crosby of Tickfaw, which Humphrey said she did and Crosby agreed to sign the license.
Bardwell said a justice of the peace is not required to conduct a marriage ceremony and is at liberty to recuse himself “from a marriage or anything else.”
He said the state attorney general told him years ago that he would eventually get into trouble for not performing interracial marriages.
“I told him if I do, I’ll resign,” Bardwell said. “I have rights too. I’m not obligated to do that just because I’m a justice of the peace.”
JPs do not get paid for performing marriages, although the couple may give a “gratuity,” he said.
Here is the article
http://www.hammondstar.com/articles/2009/10/15/top_stories/8847.txtThis is bullshit really. A government official can not deny a marriage because of the race of the two people getting married. It's people like him who make people think that race driven crimes are ok.
Discriminating against any race is totally and absolutely wrong and the Justice of the Peace should be taken out of his position, but only after making him marry these two people .... just to make the man realize that he was in a position where he could not choose who he marries.
Make that asshole eat his words....
just my thoughts
Mancouch Says: The JP's argument seems awfully reminiscent of something ... hmmm ... I wonder what it reminds me of. Oh yes, it is the exact argument used against gay marriage. Interesting that when used in terms of race people freak out and call this man a bigot, but when it comes to homosexuality what he said is a national talking point, and his actions would get him considered a hero of Sully proportions on Fox News.
Comments (20)
wait how can anything said by a juggalo be taken seriously?
@Kevin_is_a_pirate@xanga - fair enough. Should have noticed that before the post went up.
I disagree completely! Yes he's wrong. Yes he's a bigot. However, if you have your free speech, why shouldn't he? He didn't make it impossible for this couple to get married, he just said he didn't want to do it. What's the difference between this or a doctor that won't do abortions or prescribe birth control pills? Whatever happened to "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it!"? This country was built on this freedom!
My problem lies in the fact that a couple, who legally meets all the criteria for marriage (whether those should be changed or not), has to seek a signature of approval from anyone! Why don't we just have a court (as in any person that sits at a desk in the city) stamp the damn marriage certificate and call it quits.
The justice shouldn't have to go against his morals, whether bigotted or not, and the couple shouldn't have to deal with it. In the end it should just come down to the fact that the system is flawed and something needs to be done about that!
Sup Juggalo.
I read that last night and was going do a post on it but was too pissed. Anyway that guy is a racist I don't care what he says. How does he even know that they want to have children? Also same race couples always don't stay together.
That's an archaic way of thinking. Denying marriage rights to a couple because they're of two different races. What's next? Denying couples the right to marry because they're both of the same sex?
HAH.
- Kunoichi
That is crazy. Yes, I've heard stories that children of interracial couples do end up having hard times sometimes, but that doesn't happen in all cases. The same with children of homosexual relationships (going back to Mancouch's comment on it) that sometimes have a hard time with that as well. BUT NOT ALL THE TIME! So what if the interracial couple wants to get marry? So what it might be hard for the children? I'm sure the couple will find a way to make it okay for the children no matter who they are. It's like any type of couple who is about to get marry. Sometimes things work out good for the whole family, and sometimes they don't. Shit, sometimes just children of divorced heterosexual same-race whatever couple have way harder times than those that come from a interracial or homosexual couple. It doesn't matter what they look like or what they're sexual preferences are. It matters about what type of people they are, and that is that. The JP should NOT be so quick to judge people just by how they look on the outside and prevent them from having a chance at a life together. He should just let it be.
"Interracial marriages don't last, and hurt kids." What about the interracial marriages that DO last and end up giving kids a great life? Tch.
And besides, the US divorce rate is what, 50% or higher? It's not interracial marriage that doesn't last-- it might be marriage itself! If Bardwell really cares so much for the kids, maybe he just shouldn't give out marriage licenses, period.
Not saying that I don't support marriage! Just that by his logic, marriage in general is a harmful institution.
I personaly do not see the light behind Marriage, though admittedly my mind changes regularly on view points/how I see things etc, so my cynicism is understandable. However, I do not say marriage is bad, its just not for me. That out of the way, I fail to see how "Freedom of Speech" can be defended when a Couple in a fairly deep pool of Love is being denied Holy(Or maybe not so holy, dunno how it works with JP's(Which is my nickname irl, actually drew me to read the entity of the post lol)) and essentially forced to pursue a different means(Diff person counts as a Different means.) to get the same treatment as a non "Inter-racial" couple(which I don't see the issue with and seems like general asshole-ism put lightly). Yes, he's allowed to say no. But isn't there some sort of infringement on his duties or the couples rights? Especially on something that is borderline racism(Since its interracial and not 2 of a race other then his own, I'm not entirely sure if its actual racism, the term is rather blurry in its definition in my mind >_>; ) and shouldn't be stood for regardless of his personal right to, once again, say no. =\(If you didn't understand the jumble of a post, don't feel too bad, I'm not very good at typing out my thoughts fluently, I tend to get lost in the process, can't type fast enough >_<)
I agree with mancouch. In a way his words were a metaphorical godsend.
In louisiana some people can do whatever they want. Therefore all kinds of shit happens.
Discriminating against any race is totally and absolutely wrong and the Justice of the Peace should be taken out of his position, but only after making him marry these two people .... just to make the man realize that he was in a position where he could not choose who he marries.
Where are the JP's rights to practice as he sees fit? Where in the Constitution does it say he has to agree with you? He is not obligated or mandated to perform any ceremony for anyone. He in fact referred this couple to another JP that didn't have his views. So he can live with his own conscience, instead of doing things he feels are intrinsically wrong.
Some people dont think it is wise for interracial couples to marry and produce mixed race children. This is nothing new. Historically it has been a rough ride for mixed race children, and in many parts of this country, still is. Of course, it is not politically correct to say so, in our current climate, so those thoughts are driven underground, behind closed doors, or are hushed, but they remain, nonetheless. Same goes for homosexual marriage. Since a lot of our country is Biblically based, and the Bible is pretty clear about homosexual unions being an abomination, there is a lot of backround for that argument.
Goose_Nickelic got ir right, around 50% of marriage do end in divorce, and second marriages the rate is even higher.
Some areas of the country still have a lot of "relationships" between relatives, resulting in some children with a lot of physical and psychological problems. (We used to call it "inbreeding" but I don't know if that is politically correct anymore either)
Discriminating against any race is totally and absolutely wrong and... Yes, you are correct, but we have done and continue to do that everyday. Why is there an NAACP? What if someone formed an organization that promoted white people? How about the United Negro College Fund? Where is the United White College Fund, or the United Asian College Fund, or the United Hispanic College Fund? Why do we read of fire departments getting sued becuase they passed over a better trained and higher scoring white male, in favor of a minority, to fulfill some quota?
We wring our hands over inner cities and make excuses for giving low scoring blacks a pass, entry into a college where they were not otherwise qualified, etc. and do nothing for the other minorites (or whites, for that matter) that come from a disadvantaged backround, an impoverished, blighted neighborhood. Why do we give Native Americans free housing, medical care, job training, etc? Because of their race? Is this not just as discriminatory as some old man who won't marry an interracial couple? Where is your outrage about that?
In my small business, when I have an opening and recieve applicants, I don't want to know what their age, sex or race is. I just don't give a shit. If you have the qualifications and abiltiies I am looking for, and are willing to work for what I pay, I'll hire you. Period. Does it bother me that the applicant might be female, and get pregnant in a month? I'm not wild about it, but that's the risk you take. Or that newbie might be 63, and not have the stamina to stand on his feet for 8 hours on a concrete floor? That is what a probationary period is for. If he can't do the work, sucks to be him. Age discrimination is another underreported type of dsicrimination. Or that she can't speak a word of English? Makes it tough to follow instructions and complete assigments. Either learn it fast, have someone bilingual on staff help you til you figure it out, or find somewhere else to work. English is what is spoken in my workplace, and either you learn it so you can do your work efficiently, or move on. Of course I accomodate reasonably, especially with people who are learning, who are trying. But if your attitude is "screw you, you can speak Spanish (Chinese, German, insertlanguagehere) if you want to talk to me"...take your attitude and don't let the door hit you in the ass.
If you are truly against discrimination, then it applies to ALL races,(including white), ALL ages, ALL nationalities. And you have to apply it very evenly, lest you discriminate. When you think about it, that's very hard to do.
That's stupid, I'm the product of an inter-racial marriage and I haven't suffered anything at all because of being a mixed race!
i aggree with the mancouch comment.
how about we just say "everyone can get married to whomever they want" and this will be good.
@Kevin_is_a_pirate@xanga - Was that really necessary? Seriously. Someone is trying to have a conversation on something they feel is a serious issue and the first thing you do is throw him aside due to the music he listens to? You might as well have not posted a reply at all in that case
Anyways, I don't think it's that serious of a matter considering those are that one JP's beliefs. There's many other places the couple could get married and, like he said, he wasn't saying they couldn't get married and he never said he didn't like interracial couples. Don't be so one sided and quick to deal the "racism" card considering he didn't say he hated any race either.
@AlfaChaos@xanga - no no being a juggalo isn't about just listening to shitty music and dressing up like a clown and running around with rubber noses on. It's a whole terrible lifestyle based off of former "wrestlers". So yes I find it very hard to take to heart anything said by a juggalo.
@Kevin_is_a_pirate@xanga - *sighs* you just showed that you don't kno anything about Juggalos and how ignorant you are. This convo is over
@AlfaChaos@xanga - You have the debating skills of a man with a small penis regardless.
@Kevin_is_a_pirate@xanga - you aren't worth debating with so I'm not even trying. Like I said, this convo is over
@Ork58@xanga - Well said.
But interracial couples have such cute babies! He can't deny the world of that! Maybe he's just jealous because he knows his kids are never gonna have the chance to be as cute as theirs!