Louisiana Justice of the Peace Refuses to Marry Interracial Couples

[iNow]

Yes, you've read that correctly. Yes, it's almost 2010 and I'm creating this thread about this article which was published today.

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091015/ap_on_re_us/us_interracial_rebuff

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.

 

"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."

 

 

You've gotta love that "I have black friends" line. Anyone want to bet money on how this guy would feel about same sex marriage?

 

As an aside, I thought about giving this thread the title, "The Stupid!! It burns!!!"

[A Tripolation]

Ok, wow.

 

That's just...wow.

 

But you know what? Something I read at the end of the article made me think. Now, I don't know how to do those nifty quotes with the green background, so I'll just do it the old-fashioned way.

 

"I didn't tell this couple they couldn't get married. I just told them I wouldn't do it."

 

Does he have a point? Is it his civil right to say that and go through with it?

But, as a justice of the peace, he does have the COMPLETE obligation to adhere to the Constiution, and as such, cannot deny them this.

 

BTW, I am in no way a proponent of actively telling people who they can and can't marry. I'm just wondering about that last statement he made. Surely his rights aren't applicable in this situation? He's a Justice first and foremost, I think.

[iNow]

I don't know how to do those nifty quotes with the green background

Wrap your text in indent tags. So, this:

 

Example of text wrapped in indent tags here.

 

... would render like this:

Example of text wrapped in indent tags here.

 

 

 

 

"I didn't tell this couple they couldn't get married. I just told them I wouldn't do it."

 

Does he have a point?

No. If this were a private business, then he could choose to serve or not serve anyone he wants. However, as a justice of the peace, he is a representative of the state and he must comply with constitutional protections and laws.

 

If he were serving ice cream, not really a problem (legally, that is... obviously he's a bigoted moron no matter how you slice it). However, he is representing the state, and is granted the authority of providing marriage licenses. As such, he must comply the with rules and protocols of his position, and act in a manner which complies with the regulations surrounding that position. The key fact here is that it's not a private business which he owns, but him acting as an agent/official of the state.

[Sayonara]

I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way.

Isn't that worth like a platinum trophy in the racism awards or something?

[StringJunky]

Will this JP be reprimanded at an official level do you think...Do you have a Commission for Racial Equality that can bring a case, like here in the UK?

 

A side question: Whch governmental (national) body decides what the official national policy/attitude is towards things like racial matters/sexual orientation in US society....or is it just decided at state level without any alignment between them, as determined by a higher national government body?

[Skye]

[iNow]

Will this JP be reprimanded at an official level do you think...Do you have a Commission for Racial Equality that can bring a case, like here in the UK?

It will likely be the American Civil Liberties Union (the ACLU).

---

Merged post follows:

Consecutive posts merged

Isn't that worth like a platinum trophy in the racism awards or something?

Yeah, no kidding. It brings to mind an interesting psychological phenomenon, though.

 

People generally don't like to think of themselves as bad people... We don't generally want to be portrayed in a negative light. However, the fact is that we've all been taught that racism is a bad thing.

 

So, what usually happens is people try to distance themselves from such labels, even if it requires a complete separation from reality to do so... They will say, "I'm not racist, I just blah blah blah." The sad fact is that this shows the profound cognitive dissonance and irrationality which is required to be against the marriage of mixed race couples and simultaneously try to maintain the position that they are not, themselves, racist (or acting/thinking in a racist manner).

 

I put forth a very similar argument in some of our recent gay marriage threads, whereby people would claim not to be homophobic or bigoted (because they knew that was negative and they don't like seeing themselves in a negative light), yet still opposed gay marriage without any reasonable or rational justification for doing so.

 

Ain't the human mind grand?

Edited October 17, 2009 by iNow
Consecutive posts merged.

[Mr Skeptic]

I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way.

Isn't that worth like a platinum trophy in the racism awards or something?

 

So, which race is he prejudiced against or in favor of?

[iNow]

So, which race is he prejudiced against or in favor of?

Relevance?

[Sayonara]

So, which race is he prejudiced against or in favor of?

If he is against "the mixing of races", it could be either or both.

 

You would have to ask him for a more specific answer, but it doesn't look like you would get an honest one.

[padren]

People generally don't like to think of themselves as bad people... We don't generally want to be portrayed in a negative light. However, the fact is that we've all been taught that racism is a bad thing.

 

It's always that way - when someone does admit to being a bad person, it's usually with a serious qualifier, as such "according to society and the idiot masses, I'm a bad person... because I won't go along with..."

 

Otherwise, someone has to be half broken due to addiction or a behavior they can't figure out how to change that they see as bad before considering themselves bad.

 

 

The rest of the time, they aren't "racist" because they see that was saying "race x is inferior" and they don't believe that... they just feel that culturally black people can't be trusted... or statistically interracial marriage fails children - or whatever BS they are predisposed to believe that justifies their racism as something else.

 

But the short of it is everyone tries to come up with "right answers" and "bad" usually is the antithesis of "right" in most people's minds. Humans try to come to "right" conclusions, and if a phenomena such as racism is "bad" and they "rightly" come to certain conclusions that could appear racist, they'll quickly point out that they aren't and the reasoning they "rightly" arrived at.

[tvp45]

Louisiana has added a "defense of marriage" article to their constitution, implying they have the sole control over marriage within the state.

 

Louisiana has a "due process" clause in their constitution.

 

JP's are state officials under their constitution.

 

Really a "no-brainer". The man has violated his office and needs to be removed forthwith.

[padren]

Out of curiosity, doesn't think really open a can of worms on every ruling he's ever made where race was involved?

 

Marriages are one thing, but I would suspect it'll now be in question whether black people have been treated fairly in sentencing or if they tended to get more time because "while he has many black friends and isn't a racist, black people just statistically are more likely to re-offend" or some such thing. Every time he's sent a white person to drug rehab but a black person to jail, the question of bigotry and racism is now wide open.

 

I am really curious if this will go farther than just his removal.

[gre]

Yep, nobody ever wants to admit they're a racist a-hole. But in this case, even the illiterate can read between the lines... "I have a pile of black friends", etc... This guy dug a hole so deep he'll never get out.