This story is appalling! The year is not 1960 but 2009, and yet this couple has to search for another Justice of the Peace to marry them because they were denied their right to marry based soley on the color of their skin? I believe the state of Virginia, in Loving V. Virginia, resolved this many years ago, who would, or could, imagine such blantent racism still existed today.
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) — A justice of the peace in Louisiana who has drawn widespread criticism for refusing to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple says he has no regrets about his decision.
“It’s kind of hard to apologize for something that you really and truly feel down in your heart you haven’t done wrong,” Keith Bardwell told CNN affiliate WAFB on Saturday.
Bardwell, a justice of the peace for Tangipahoa Parish’s 8th Ward, refused to issue a marriage license to Beth Humphrey, 30, and her boyfriend, Terence McKay, 32, both of Hammond.
“I’m not a racist,” Bardwell told the newspaper. “I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house. My main concern is for the children.” Bardwell, stressing that he couldn’t personally endorse the marriage, said his wife referred the couple to another justice of the peace.
M-H, I approach everything from a utilitarian vantage point. I think that interracial marriage is good for America, and there is no debating that considering the contributions of interracial Americans.
My much maligned (within my family) comment about gay marriage was in the early 90’s. I have been berated enough that I am now immune, so berate away if you like. My idea at the time was that, from a utilitarian perspective, gay marriage might be discouraged by government, or at least not encouraged, for the simple fact that gays cannot procreate. With our vast entitlement programs, which only seem to be growing, it will be necessary that our workforce be not only replenished, but expanded in order to properly care for the elderly as they leave the work force.
If government were to sanction people to marry people of the same gender, my theory went, then we would see our work force decline as my generation retired, instead of growing as it must if our nation is to survive.
I changed my mind over the years, not because my wife and children ridiculed me into submission (which they did) but through my own reasoning. People who wish to marry the same gender are not going to change their mind just because the majority of senior citizens are made uncomfortable by their preference (and government reflects as much). They will live instead in less committed relationships, under the strain of feeling as though the government sees them as second class citizens. I have gotten to know a gay couple who has adopted two children (both of whom are not gay but what does that matter, I know). They are a wonderful family, and if we are the party of “Family Values” we should want to see more families like this, more children adopted into stable homes that are made more stable by having government recognize them as full citizens and not apply the prejudices of another generation to complicate their already complicated lives.
Thus, I have retracted my “I hope gay marriage is legalized after I die” statement, for these reasons and others listed above.
Yes, Opinion, it seems we belong to the same book club. How about that Limbaugh clown getting into a school yard insult contest with the real Mr. LBH?
Limbaugh, like Glenn Beck is being used by the left to discredit the right. That is why I compare them to Jeremiah Wright. It is an attempt to get through to people who like to refer to the President’s middle name and his former Pastor for the opposite purpose. Yet most cannot see that Limbaugh, Beck, and most of the Fox News demagogues are only serving to radicalize and shrink the Republican base, while offering grist for the Vast Left Wing Conspiracy to discredit the entire Republican party.
The Incredible Shrinking Party will only stop shrinking when someone stands up to the shrieking clowns on the far right. It can’t be a pundit, even a widely respected one like the real Mr. LBH. It needs to be an elected leader still in office, or at least running for a major office, like the 2012 nomination. We need a man like McCain or a woman like his daughter to step up to the plate.
Yes, I know, McCain did not win, but no one else could have come close to winning with an R next to his name after the Bush years. McCain was close and might have won if he had not had a “senior moment” when he selected his VP nominee.
I agree with Leila. The Justice of the Peace (JP) should follow the constitution and state law. If his conscience won’t allow him to do that, then he should resign. This is yet another case of judicial activism (except at the local level this time) in which a judge follows his conscience rather than the law. I despise it at the national level and at the local level.
Judicial activism is simply the term used when we don’t like the results of the case.
Kelly, I am not seeing consistency in your reasoning. The Loving vs Virginia Supreme Court case which cratered all local laws banning interracial marriage is seen by many as judicial activism. (they didnt like the decision) No where in the constitution is interracial marriage addressed.
Rick, I do not think that other states recognize gay marriage performed in the handful of states where it is legal. As far as social security benefits, where does that end up? In MA, would one gay be eligible for the other’s benefits if a legal marriage contract was produced? My thinking hasn’t evolved that far.
I think my argument is fairly consistent: the Supreme Court overturned laws banning interracial marriage based on the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Section 1 of the 14th Amendment states “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” It is reasonable to argue that marriage is one of those privileges — this is NOT a case of pulling rights out of thin air, such as happened with Roe vs Wade.
The JP did not apply the rule of law, but followed his conscience instead. This too is an example of judicial activism.
Well, what can I say. You didn’t hard line like I was expecting. So can you apply the same standard to gay marriage?
I don’t think Roe was pulled out of thin air. But you and I will probably never agree on that one. The equal protection clause would be good place to start.
Man, some people are so sensitive! Hey, I don’t know what the statistics are for divorce as it relates to interracial marriages versus same race marriages, but not all things allowed by law wind up being greatly successful. Maybe some of you race focused hypersensitive types could gather some information and present it instead of trashing my comment. Birds of a feather as the saying goes, but then I guess some of you would consider that racist also!
Beck is a puppet, LBH. I’m surprised folks don’t go after the Puppet Master, Rupert Murdock. He is the one to be scared of. Beck only exists because Murdock wills it. He controls media outlets covering 40% of the market… and he has both a scary history and a neo-con (think an even more conservative version of Dick Cheney) agenda for the world (his reach is Global).
I think we are falling into his trap when we target the diversions delivering the message instead of the one who writes their material.
SA, I wasn’t suggesting miscegenation with the gay marriage thing. Same race would be fine. I don’t think anyone is suggesting that the JP is racist. I think they are saying he broke the law.
It doesn’t matter if every interracial marriage fails. The law is the law. It isn’t up to JP what’s his name to make that determination.
The more we attack Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity, the more troops they will amass.
MH,
I wasn’t directing my reply at you, but more towards LBH and Elena. Some people can’t accept the fact that not everyone adores all those from another race as though it is mandated that you can only find fault with those from your own race. The same thing happens every time something negative is said about Obama. Right away the race defenses go up, and all normal discourse then turns to racism as the only objective. Everyone turns into Al Sharpton for no reason, and that is what ends further discussion. Frustrating at best!
I see your point, SA. Sharpton is one who quickly looks at race rather than issues. He has yet to apologize for the Duke incident where he dropped the race card about 500 times. I certainly don’t like it and I have little respect for Sharpton because he has done the same darn thing for years.
I also see why it is easy to assume that the Louisiana JP was racially motivated when he refused to marry the couple. I heard the same thing said when I was growing up…inter-racial marriage harms the children. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t.
Probably the same factors that make for successful well-adjusted kids in a same race family work just as well in a bi-racial family. With a 50% divorce rate (not so sure I buy into that) its hard to say if mixed marriages are any more fragile than non-mixed marriages.
saying conscience after taking the job and an oath to uphold the requirements of the job, is not a valid excuse. If there conscience said that they cannot perform this type of marriage, then they are not qualified to be a JP.
Being turned away from one JP and told to go to another JP is also not an option. Imagine if DMV told you that this office does not serve young males because they are high risk drivers, but you can go to another DMV office – would not sit well with you or me – even though the clerk may have a valid conscience.
HUH? If EVER there was clear case of prejudice, THIS is it. In a civilized society, you are simply not allowed to codify your racism by mis-using the law. This couple was UNDULY subjected to hardship SOLEY based on the color of their skin. Who gives a crap about marriage statistics, we are all individual HUMAN BEINGS and that Justice has no right to belittle that couple, NONE!
@Moon-howler
Re Beck & Hannity… that’s good. I just went through what I can only call a “terrible book break-up” for admitting I read Beck’s book (you know, I also read cereal boxes… that doesn’t make me a corn flake… although there’s probably a joke in there if you think about it)… I was compared to folks who attend KKK meetings, listen to racial jokes and (my favorite) laugh at Holocaust stories (and called a right wing nut for good measure) …so I’m a bit gun-shy about bringing him up these days. I think I’m safe here. Wish I had the presence of mind to share your thought about helping Hannity and Beck build their armies… that only strengthens their (and more importantly folks like the Tea Party crowds and Town Hall agitators) resolve!
Sometimes the folks on our side scare me more than the folks on the other side. I’m still a bit “shell shocked” from the experience. We have to actually listen to one another to change things and move forward. Even the folks we loath have a good idea once and a while… and we really need to keep track of the bad ideas that their massive audiances embrace. I would rather take our Country back than lose it because we didn’t pay attention to what was happening around us.
If we don’t listen to them (and no one says we have to agree with them) then I fear they will prevail. There is an angry crowd out there, Opinion, as you well know. I have not decided if they would be angry regardless of whom was in the White House. I think they would. I don’t think that the ground would be as fertile as it is with Obama in there, however.
We came as close to a true depression as we could get. That scared people. The Mouths of Murdoch and others scared the B-Jesus out of people. Monster created. Perfect storm. Close encounter with Depression, Democrat (read liberal) in White House, Democrat (read socialist) control of Congress, black president. [thunder claps]
M-H… standing ovation!