Interracial couple denied marriage license in Lousiana

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http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/interracial-couple-denied-marriage-163784.html

Interracial couple denied marriage license in La.

By MARY FOSTER

The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — 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."

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 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.

"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 is white and he is black. 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. She said the Supreme Court ruled in 1967 "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."
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Wow, what a douchebag. Hope he loses his job over this nonsense.
 
[quote name='speedracer']He doesn't mean anything by it. Hell, he lets negros use his toilet. He's just thinking of the children.[/QUOTE]

Mother fucker, that was going to be my response. The idea of equating toilet priviledges with friendship is hilarious.
 
[quote name='Purple Flames']I can't believe he played the "I have black friends" card.[/QUOTE]

No, it was the 'I have black friends who use my bathroom' card
 
I wonder if anyone asked him about other types of interracial couples - such as asian/white or hispanic/black. Interracial couples that are "closer in color". This is really surprising.
 
I guess we are at the "second time as farce" stage of history.

I don't accept the "We just worry the kids will be made of fun of" excuse, if that really was the case we wouldn't let people with funny last names procreate either.
 
[quote name='Msut77']I guess we are at the "second time as farce" stage of history.

I don't accept the "We just worry the kids will be made of fun of" excuse, if that really was the case we wouldn't let people with funny last names procreate either.[/QUOTE]

I'm sorry, Mr. Dick, but you can't name your son Harold.
 
wahoo, a guy in the south who didn't want to marry a interracial couple and referred them to another justice of the peace who would do it. i'm crying inside right now.
 
Aww, i was hoping i'd get to post this.

I love this:

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

So he's an equal opportunity asshole.
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']wahoo, a guy in the south who didn't want to marry a interracial couple and referred them to another justice of the peace who would do it. i'm crying inside right now.[/QUOTE]

How did I know you wrote this before I saw your name. You're the grand master of the international haters club.
 
[quote name='JolietJake']Aww, i was hoping i'd get to post this.

I love this:

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

So he's an equal opportunity asshole.[/QUOTE]

No, it means everyone can use his toilet!
 
[quote name='depascal22']How did I know you wrote this before I saw your name. You're the grand master of the international haters club.[/QUOTE]

Give yourself a high five.
 
[quote name='62t']I mean, it's not like an interracial child could ever become President.
cagus.smile.jpg
[/QUOTE]
Excellent point there. I love how people inject their personal beliefs into how they administer the law according to what they think is morally right. Such backwards thinking.
 
In somewhat related news, I watched the film "Show Boat" the other day. It tackles issues of racial prejudice and miscegenation in the south, portraying those who favor racial discrimination and de facto racial segregation as backwards and something that should be relegated to the past.

The film is from 1936, and based on a play from 1927.
 
This is way overblown. One dude of many refuses to do it and even recommends that another person who could do it instead. It isn't like he is saying "NO WAY IN HELL, $$$$ER LOVER". He is saying "I personally will not do this, but here is someone who will".

It's just like that pharmacist a few years back who wouldn't issue birth control pills (I think that is what it was).

If a whole county or even city was refusing, that is one thing. But one single dude means nothing.

Besides, someone should stand up for a guy who actually has an opinion about his career other than the bureaucratic ideal of "just doing my job... next".
 
His job is to marry people. The only requirement is that they're both consenting adults (or that her parents consent to the marriage). He created an arbitrary standard and you're standing by him?

What if a cop decided to only give tickets to black people because he thinks that white people are naturally better drivers?

What if a judge gave harsher sentences to black people because they are more likely to commit crimes again? Oh wait. That happens.

This guy doesn't have an opinion. He has a bias against interracial marriage and has decided not to marry people solely because of the color of their skin. It's the definition of racial bias and I can't believe people would stand by it like it's an option to not marry people of different colors.
 
This reminds me of pharmacists who refuse to distribute birth control pills on account of religious beliefs.

If you have a belief system that interferes with your ability to perform a job consistently and equitably, quit and pick a different career path.

I waited tables as a teen. This one ol' hillbilly white Baptist asshole couple came in every day (not exaggerating, as I'm sure those of you who worked in foodservice understand). They were notorious for two things: (1) being needy and (2) they never tipped a dime.

Guess what? They got served. Each and every day. People would try to dodge getting them, but we all suffered equally and had to bite the bullet when they came in. Why? Because they were customers, and we were employees. We had a fucking job to do, so we did it - even when it was unpleasant.

Doesn't mean we objected to the kitchen fucking with their food, or that we pulled their food from the heat lamps and let them sit and get cold for 7 minutes before serving it. It doesn't mean we did our job *well* (fuck those stiffers), but we did our job because that's what we were hired to do.
 
[quote name='depascal22']
What if a cop decided to only give tickets to black people because he thinks that white people are naturally better drivers?

What if a judge gave harsher sentences to black people because they are more likely to commit crimes again? Oh wait. That happens.
[/QUOTE]

These are not voluntary. They are forced upon the public. The person who marries you is 100% voluntary and selected by the people being married. You don't get to choose your judge or cop.
 
You can change your judge if you feel that he has a racial bias. You can have your ticket thrown out if a cop shows a racial bias. I've had one thrown out because a cop gave me a ticket for no seat belt in the back seat while the white driver had no license, registration, or insurance. It was clear cut and the case got thrown out and the cop was suspended.

But let's forget about that. Do you think it's acceptable to deny someone a public service because of the color of their skin?
 
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