Interracial couple denied marriage license in La.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

No, this is NOT an Onion article.

Interracial couple denied marriage license in La.
(AP) – 1 hour ago
HAMMOND, La. — A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have. Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.
Neither Bardwell nor the couple immediately returned phone calls from The Associated Press. But Bardwell told the Daily Star of Hammond that he was not a racist.
"I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house," Bardwell said. "My main concern is for the children."
Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with blacks and whites, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.
"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."
If he does an interracial marriage for one couple, he must do the same for all, he said.
"I try to treat everyone equally," he said.
Thirty-year-old Beth Humphrey and 32-year-old Terence McKay, both of Hammond, say they will consult the U.S. Justice Department about filing a discrimination complaint.
Humphrey told the newspaper she called Bardwell on 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.
"It is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009," said American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana attorney Katie Schwartzman. "The Supreme Court ruled as far back as 1963 that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry."
The ACLU was preparing a letter for the Louisiana Supreme Court, which oversees the state justices of the peace, asking them to investigate Bardwell and see if they can remove him from office, Schwartzman said.
"He knew he was breaking the law, but continued to do it," Schwartzman said.
According to the clerk of court's office, application for a marriage license must be made three days before the ceremony because there is a 72-hour waiting period. The applicants are asked if they have previously been married. If so, they must show how the marriage ended, such as divorce.
Other than that, all they need is a birth certificate and Social Security card.
The license fee is $35, and the license must be signed by a Louisiana minister, justice of the peace or judge. The original is returned to the clerk's office.

[The Romulan Republic]

He broke the law, hopefully he'll get his ass fired (and sued to high heaven).

[KlavoHunter]

Outrageous that anyone could say such a thing in this day and age when we do indeed have the child of an interracial couple as our PRESIDENT.

[Terralthra]

Even if we didn't, Loving v. Virginia is very clear.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

Now, THAT is an activist judge. He doesn't even have constitutional ground to stand on.

[Mr Bean]

The money quote from AP news

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else.

Yeah... you can't exactly get around the fact you are racist even if your the polite sort. This is what I've heard described as old money racists. They look down on group X even if they have one or two group X's as servants or employee's. IE Country club racists. They won't let Tiger Woods play, but they be more than happy to have him come clean tables in the club bar.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

The money quote from AP news

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else.

It also sounds a lot like what same-sex marriage opponents say. "I'm not homophobic. I have lots of gay friends! I just believe marriage is between a man and a woman!"

[FSTargetDrone]

He broke the law, hopefully he'll get his ass fired (and sued to high heaven).

You should add disbarment to that as well.

He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.

Maybe society in the fucking South.

Fucking South...

[Duckie]

I like these mythical gay/black/black gay friends these guys always seem to have, who never step up to defend their friend in his time of need.

[hongi]

The ACLU was preparing a letter for the Louisiana Supreme Court, which oversees the state justices of the peace, asking them to investigate Bardwell and see if they can remove him from office, Schwartzman said.

Good on the ACLU.

"In my heart, I feel the children will later suffer."

Is it just me or is this even more offensive than those racists who are outright vicious?

[SirNitram]

Link

HAMMOND, La. — A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have.

Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.

Neither Bardwell nor the couple immediately returned phone calls from The Associated Press. But Bardwell told the Daily Star of Hammond that he was not a racist.

"I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house," Bardwell said. "My main concern is for the children."

Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with blacks and whites, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.

"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."

If he does an interracial marriage for one couple, he must do the same for all, he said.

"I try to treat everyone equally," he said.

Thirty-year-old Beth Humphrey and 32-year-old Terence McKay, both of Hammond, say they will consult the U.S. Justice Department about filing a discrimination complaint.

Humphrey told the newspaper she called Bardwell on 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.

"It is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009," said American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana attorney Katie Schwartzman. "The Supreme Court ruled as far back as 1963 that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry."

The ACLU was preparing a letter for the Louisiana Supreme Court, which oversees the state justices of the peace, asking them to investigate Bardwell and see if they can remove him from office, Schwartzman said.

"He knew he was breaking the law, but continued to do it," Schwartzman said.

According to the clerk of court's office, application for a marriage license must be made three days before the ceremony because there is a 72-hour waiting period. The applicants are asked if they have previously been married. If so, they must show how the marriage ended, such as divorce.

Other than that, all they need is a birth certificate and Social Security card.

The license fee is $35, and the license must be signed by a Louisiana minister, justice of the peace or judge. The original is returned to the clerk's office.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Again: Interracial couples(Like Obama's parents) and their children(Like Obama) are worse to racists.

"It is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009," said American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana attorney Katie Schwartzman. "The Supreme Court ruled as far back as 1963 that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry."

It'd be nice if someone tried THAT argument on all the challenges to gay marriage bans. Precedent from the SCOTUS tends to be binding.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

I'm sure we can merge the two threads somehow.

[Lagmonster]

Sorry, Nit, they beat you to it.

[Oskuro]

"I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else.

So, in this person's mind, a black man using your bathroom is something worth noting. Wow, just.... wow.

[Alyeska]

Threads merged

[Darth Wong]

And some people still get upset when I say that the South is full of fucking racists.

[FSTargetDrone]

And some people still get upset when I say that the South is full of fucking racists.

Of course they do. It's part of the country full of memorials to traitors and secessionists and these same people are upset whenever there is any criticism of said memorials. Hell, there is a parish in Louisiana named in honor of the Confederacy's ringleader, Jefferson Davis.

Perish the thought that racist judges should be denounced down there.

[Gramzamber]

Is it just me or is this even more offensive than those racists who are outright vicious?

Detestable as they are, at least outright racists can be taken at face value.
The truly insidious, patronising tone of people like this can be far, far worse as they try to hide their prejudice and bigotry behind a veil of fake pleasantries and "oh won't you think of the children!!" while they look down on others as inferior races.

[Patrick Degan]

Obviously, Judge Shithead doesn't know it's not 1954 anymore:

Interracial couple denied marriage license in Tangipahoa Parish
By The Associated Press
October 15, 2009, 7:45PM

A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have.

My main concern is for the children,' said Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish.

Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."

Bardwell said he asks everyone who calls about marriage if they are a mixed race couple. If they are, he does not marry them, he said.

Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with black people and white people, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.

"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage," Bardwell said. "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."

If he did an interracial marriage for one couple, he must do the same for all, he said.

"I try to treat everyone equally," he said.

Bardwell estimates that he has refused to marry about four couples during his career, all in the past 2½ years.

Beth Humphrey, 30, and 32-year-old Terence McKay, both of Hammond, say they will consult the U.S. Justice Department about filing a discrimination complaint.

Humphrey, an account manager for a marketing firm, said she and McKay, a welder, just returned to Louisiana. She plans to enroll in the University of New Orleans to pursue a masters degree in minority politics.

"That was one thing that made this so unbelievable," she said. "It's not something you expect in this day and age."

Humphrey said she called Bardwell on 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. Bardwell suggested the couple go to another justice of the peace in the parish who agreed to marry them.

"We are looking forward to having children," Humphrey said. "And all our friends and co-workers have been very supportive. Except for this, we're typical happy newlyweds."

"It is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009," said American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana attorney Katie Schwartzmann. "The Supreme Court ruled as far back as 1963 that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry."

The ACLU sent a letter to the Louisiana Judiciary Committee, which oversees the state justices of the peace, asking them to investigate Bardwell and recommending "the most severe sanctions available, because such blatant bigotry poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the administration of justice."

"He knew he was breaking the law, but continued to do it," Schwartzmann said.

According to the clerk of court's office, application for a marriage license must be made three days before the ceremony because there is a 72-hour waiting period. The applicants are asked if they have previously been married. If so, they must show how the marriage ended, such as divorce.

Other than that, all they need is a birth certificate and Social Security card.

The license fee is $35, and the license must be signed by a Louisiana minister, justice of the peace or judge. The original is returned to the clerk's office.

"I've been a justice of the peace for 34 years and I don't think I've mistreated anybody," Bardwell said. "I've made some mistakes, but you have too. I didn't tell this couple they couldn't get married. I just told them I wouldn't do it."

Mary Foster of The Associated Press wrote this report.

"Whah, some of my best friends are black," sez Bardwell. I hope he enjoyed his time in office because it's just about over now.

[Mr Bean]

Already posted
http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... 2&t=137721

[Frank Hipper]

"I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else.

So, in this person's mind, a black man using your bathroom is something worth noting. Wow, just.... wow.

Yeah, that was the one that got me, too.

"I treat them so much like everybody else that I make special note of them using MY bathroom!"

[FSTargetDrone]

Detestable as they are, at least outright racists can be taken at face value.
The truly insidious, patronising tone of people like this can be far, far worse as they try to hide their prejudice and bigotry behind a veil of fake pleasantries and "oh won't you think of the children!!" while they look down on others as inferior races.

Don't misunderstand people such as this judge. He doesn't care anything about biracial children in particular. Rather, he is offended that such children are produced at all. The stink of his true feelings emanates quite strongly, despite his protestations.

[Stark]

How does the logic work, anyway? How does refusing a marriage licence stop them producing children, or make it less likely those children will suffer?

Oh right, he just doesn't want to dirty his hands with half-breeds. UNEQUALLY YOKED LOL

[The Yosemite Bear]

Well there's the folks like Kelly who get bent out of shape because they are tired of being called inbred racists. (though if your not expanding your mating options, you are eventually inbreeding). There's my friend from High School Suzy Ledbetter whose the illigetimate line descendant of one of the legends of Blues music, and who Grew up in an All White community until her army dad had to move to California, (and not even aware that she wasn't entirely white herself until highschool) Who just don't think about it, because it doesn't impact them. There's the Folks like my maternal Grandpa who had no problem with blacks and mexicans, but after three wars felt that asians were the great menace to the world. Then theres folks who are ashamed of their own ancestry (like my mom, myself, most of my cousins) oh, btw there are a lot of southern state transplants living in California, were called "Oakies".

Also note, on my Maternal Grandmother's side I'm related to the McCoys, and Ted Turner.

[Count Chocula]

Well shit, outside of the oh-so-reasonable "fears" of the justice for the children of this marriage, which is both bigoted and completely irrelevant to his job, this is a slam-funking-dunk. Assuming this man is a county employee, he is required to perform his duties in accordance with Louisiana state law. If he's taking a stand based on his personal beliefs, I sure hope he's prepared for unemployment. I'm guessing this yahoo didn't vote for Bobby Jindal, either.