Interracial couple denied marriage license in La.
 

Interracial couple denied marriage license in La.

By MARY FOSTER, Associated Press – 16 mins ago

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 2 1/2 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."

(This version corrects the date of the Supreme Court ruling.))

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091015/...rracial_rebuff

...okay. Racist. Moving on.

---This post no longer exists due to extreme fail.---

What point could you possibly think he made? He's denying service to people based on race. What if I became a doctor and said I would only help White people? Would you think I've got a point?

Well, it's true. Interracial couples usually suck. Alot of mixed kids end up confused, or rejected for some time, either that or it's only the bad kids that take them in. Also, I'd be afraid if you were a doctor. It'd be like a real life House.

What world do you, and the racist mentioned above, live in?

I had a half-asian, half-black girlfriend for several months back when I was in high school. I don't recall anyone ever rejecting her in some manor. That way of thinking is just ignorant on so many, many levels. I also had two good friends who were half-white, half-black and both of their parents are still together. Skin color isn't the definitive answer to how couples will end up. There's much more to it then that.

On a personal note, I don't feel that's it's necessary to get married. I say this because marriage is something spawned from religion. Religion that I don't have any belief or faith in. Maybe one of those reasons I'm like this is because of the idiots at the churches, such as the racist in this article. Anyways...I hate saying anyways.

You can't be serious. Regular couples usually suck, race has nothing to do with it. Marriage in general is only at like a 54% success rate now, so what are the stats on interracial couples? The job of the guy marrying people isn't to decide if they are going to be successful or not, but to do the deed of legally joining two peoples.

Mixed kids end up confused? Rejected? Our fucking president is an interracial baby dipshit, and he only has problems from racist people. They only way they get rejected or confused is because of the racism in schools, from ignorant Rush Limbaugh-listening white bigots that project their racist ideals onto their inbred offspring.

No wonder you're having trouble coming out. Your parents must be ignorant and judgmental.

I almost feel bad for him. Being trapped like that.

So what you're saying is... everyone who ever gave Obama trouble or problems was racist?

Yes, for the majority.

After only reading the OP, not the discussion on it, I feel that he was within his rights.

I feel that is legitimate, from a choice standpoint. Now, as a justice of the peace, a public official to serve the public, is another matter. I think, if the couple were truly and completely inconvenienced, then at most he should lose his job. If that. I'd want to see where it says he has either the right or not to choose not to issue a license before making a commitment on either side.

Most couples suck, dipshit. The problem is, when you see a shitty interracial couple, you assume it's because they're interracial. If you see a shitty white couple, you don't assume it's because they're white.

You should take a Social Health class of some sort. Ignorance is acceptable only if you remedy it.

I'm not gay, my mum got arrested when I was little, my father is a drunk.
I was raised by the extremely accepting Preistess of the Trinity Cult, thank you very much. She's half Asian half White.

Anyways, I guess you guys are right. Most couples do suck. I wasn't really adding that to the equation, I guess.

Also, what if a Black man hates Obama? and Talks about about his white-trash hoe of a mama?

Black people talk more shit about each other than they do white people.

I eat off of Obama's face, everynight.
Seriously. I have an Obama plate, and I drew a Hitler mustache on it. :grin:

If you really compare Obama to Hitler you need to be shot.

I am disappointed in you. :mad:

Please, list a few things on how they are similar. Actually i'll let you name 5 things. Go ahead! It should be easy, I mean if you can compare two separate individuals 50 years apart you should be able to name 5 reasons why. So go, do it.

Obama wants to use gas chambers on old people.