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In a shocking display of prejudice for this day and age, Louisiana state Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell refused to perform a marriage ceremony or sign a marriage license for an interracial couple on October 15, 2009 (yes, you read that right, 2009). Bardwell explained that he never performs ceremonies for interracial couples because of his “concern…for the children.”
According to Bardwell, who says he is not a racist, “most interracial marriages don’t last long,” and the biracial children of such a union suffer rejection by both black and white society.
The claim that “the children will suffer” has long been used as an excuse to deny parental custody and adoption rights to gays and lesbians, but it is stunning that this argument is being employed to block interracial marriage over forty years after the US Supreme Court declared such discrimination unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia.
The Louisiana ACLU is requesting an investigation of Bardwell, who clearly deserves to be removed as a justice of the peace for his obviously unfair and illegal treatment of interracial couples. One can only hope that someday today’s similarly bald-faced discrimination against gay and lesbian couples will seem as outlandish and anachronistic.
Comments
Wow....just, wow. Was the JOP actually wearing the sheet and hood when he denied thier request? Why do I hear banjo music playing in my head now?
I have linked this and the AP article about this situation on my page as well. The JOP needs to realize it isn't the 70's anymore and mixed children are much more accepted today than we were back then.
I don't get the reasoning that this justice of the peace is using, but I don't think it necessarily means he is prejudiced, and I am certainly not shocked by his decision. People need to quit pretending that interracial marriages do not go against the grain in human consciousness. They do, and will continue to in most of the world for centuries to come. If these two want to get married, great, but please don't act like it never ocurred to you that it might cause raised eyebrows in certain contexts.
As far as gays and lesbians go..it is clearly against the natural order for them to have children at all. Nature can never be viewed as anachronistic, and nobody is going to apologize for natural law either.
This is some bull
I believe the title of this article may be misleading. My understanding is that the license is issued by the clerk of the court, and that a JP, judge, or minister simply does the ceremony. I do not believe this is a case of someone being refused a license, but of an individual JP who did not wish to do their ceremony. They can easily be married by another JP, a minister, or a judge.
Well their is stupid people everywhere, nothing you can do about it. Oh wait, you can sue for racial discrimination. Antedeluvian, you're a racist. Goes against Human consciousness? What on earth are you talking about? Sad people like you still exist. YOU are the problem not interracial relationships.
Yeeee haaahhh!!!
Watch how the arguments in support of this Justice of the Peace are sooo similar to those used against marriage equality for same-sex couples. This Justice of the Peace is a racist, pure and simple...And the two people who wanted to be married need to sue for discrimination. These same rights must be provided to all consenting adults, regardless of sexual orientation. If you support his couple, you need to support the struggle of same-sex couples for equal protection under the laws.
The president Barrack Obama is a mixed person, too. The americans have elected Barrack Obama to president. So, what`s the problem with interracial marriages?
The JOP will not go the heaven with those thoughts, because God loves everybody, whether they are black, blue, white, or yellow. This JOP do not need to be in office at all.....
It just proves that southern states like Louisiana are keeping this country behind. Ignorant leaders are routinely placed in the position of power. Stupid is as Stupid does
The dude's tripping! I've been in a very happy interracial marriage for ten years and have two wonderful kids who are accepted by *everybody*.
Bardwell shouldn't just make stuff up or (even worse) try to impose some half-baked ideology on the rest of the world!
GREAT,
A preacher refused to marry my wife and myself because we weren't members of his church. Is this any different? I think not. It didn't matter we just had another preacher perform the ceremony. Had a great wedding and we've been married for 20 years now.
Oh my God, this is not the 1960's!!! I can't believe this crap going on now. How stupid.
Crazy stuff. But don't worry: gay marriage will have it's day, and then it will be here to stay. Word.
No way! keep black out of the white race! These bleading hearts from the rag called florida today and its ni**er loving libruls ca all go to HE11.
So, I assume the couple and the Justice of the Peace will be invited to the white house for a round of beers soon.
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