Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Friday, October 16, 2009

LOUISIANA JUSTICE OF THE PEACE: Bi-racial children do not do well in American society

UPDATE: 

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is calling to have Bardwell's license revoked, and Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu is calling for his dismissal -- a notion shared by [Beth] McKay [the woman who asked to be married by Bardwell].

"He's not representing all the people that he is supposed to be representing," McKay said. "He's only representing the people with his same opinions."



The inimitable Capt. Fogg over at The Swash Zone blogged on this today as well.  Go here to read him.

Via HuffPo:

HAMMOND, La. — 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.




Neither Bardwell nor the couple immediately returned phone calls from The Associated Press. But Bardwell told the Daily Star of Hammond that he was not a racist.
"I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house," Bardwell said. "My main concern is for the children."




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.




"I don't do interracial marriages because I don't want to put children in a situation they didn't bring on themselves," Bardwell said. "In my heart, I feel the children will later suffer."
I guess Bardwell is unaware of how one very famous bi-racial American citizen has managed to overcome this "situation" and managed to get himself elected President of the United States of America.  Someone needs to clue the clueless JoP . 


The Associated Press:

AP) 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."

[Emphasis mine.  Oy.]--SK

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.


If he does an interracial marriage for one couple, he must do the same for all, he said. "I try to treat everyone equally," he said.

I'm so glad we're in a post-racial America now that Mr. Obama is president. /sarcasm/

41 comments:

dmarks said...

Rather outrageous story. I read this yesterday on Drudge, and wondered if you or other political bloggers would handle it.

Shaw Kenawe said...

I don't believe the JoP is representative of a majority of Americans--he is sadly oblivious to the fact that Mr. Obama's election to the nation's highest office is a huge contradiction to his prejudicial beliefs.

But those beliefs are out there, and we should be aware of that.

Shaw Kenawe said...

To the commenter who calls itself "It Just Doesn't Make Any Sense:"

You must believe you have some large ones to think you'd be welcomed here after you participated in gang bashing me on another blog spot.

You come here mewling about "growing up" while you and your friends got off on your cheap thrills by calling me names.

This is what you wrote about me while admitting you know NOTHING about me:

It Just Doesn't Make Any Sense said...
one dumb ass ignorant Bitch who lives and breaths for Obama.. Dumb People say Dumb Things Those who disagree with her are called every name in the book.Don't know anything about her, but I hope she finds a man ASAP.........


Get out, you pathetic little bully, and stay out.

Please.

Mustn't forget one's manners, must we.

TAO said...

Actually, bi racial children do not well in American society...

They grow up to be Democratic Presidents and we can't have that happen again can we?

The reactionary right blogs are going nuts with their constant chirping of anti Obama rants...

Think of all the carpal tunnel syndrome the bloggers on the right are suffering with right now...

Hate is such a personally painful activity.

Joe "Truth 101" Kelly said...

Why is it when something like this story, which is obviously an example of prejudiced to some degree, the right comes out and complains about complaints of racism?

This is despicable. Quite frankly, it almost stuns me that somebody would try and twist this into "just another liberal crying racist" story.


This JoP has no business being on the bench. I would think it a safe bet that any Blacks that came before him most likely were meted out severer punishments than Whites for the same crimes.



And where is the outrage among conservative "anti judicial activist judges" in this case. This guy decides on his own that interracial couples should not marry. But as usual, the right is silent when one of their own is committing what they think are sins.


And they still wonder why Shaw and I get angry.

(O)CT(O)PUS said...

To IT JUST DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE: The judge in the case violated a decision of the United States Supreme Court in this decision:

Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967)[1], was a landmark civil rights case in which the United States Supreme Court, by a 9-0 vote, declared Virginia's anti-miscegenation statute, the "Racial Integrity Act of 1924", unconstitutional, thereby overturning Pace v. Alabama (1883) and ending all race-based legal restrictions on marriage in the United States.”

Violated the law! Violated FEDERAL law! Violated a Supreme Court ruling! Write this on a blackboard 100 times until you do GET IT!

(Shaw, you can write the great American novel in the time you spend arguing with idiots like this. Why do you waste time on ignoramuses?)

Shaw Kenawe said...

I've permanently banned most of these pests. But this one got through this morning. He, it, whatever it is, will be booted out forever as well.

Dave Miller said...

Hey, "It just Doesn't Make Any Sense", normally I try to be civil when I post.

I am not sure in this case I can. Whether or not Al Sharpton, Jesse jackson, or any other "left winger" is racist is not germane to this post.

What this is is plain racism. Give me a break. The JoP does not support bi-racial marriages because the majority of them do not last.

[http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/16/louisiana.interracial.marriage/]

Well newsflash, as my African American/black wife would say... the majority of all marriages now fail.

Perhaps we should just ban marriage altogether.

Thank you Octo for bringing up the loving Supreme Court case that made it legal for me to marry the girl of my dreams, Chelle.

dmarks said...

This is kind of off-topic, but about 10 minutes ago I heard the Rush Limbaugh program air a feature about the Limbaugh/NFL controversy.

He had a guy speak atrocious "Ebonics" specifically so (it was claimed on the show) African-Americans could understand it....

(O)CT(O)PUS said...

Dave, I cannot imagine what it would be like to be denied the right to marry the person whom you love (which is why I get so angry when I read of these cases). I can't think of anything more oppressive, more immoral, and more UN-Christian than this.

Shaw Kenawe said...

"He had a guy speak atrocious "Ebonics" specifically so (it was claimed on the show) African-Americans could understand it...."

How can people continue to claim this guy is NOT a racist.

The owners of the NFL who rejected his part-ownership bid are old white guys, but today on Limbaugh's show, according to dmarks's report, Limbaugh made fun of African-Americans.



Hell hath no fury like a racist spurned.

dmarks said...

Limbaugh did not do it himself. He has his minion James Golden do the Ebonics rant so (as he put) African-Americans could understand it. Specifically, as it was worded, a "translation to the hood".

Not that this excuses Limbaugh. It's entirely his show, and Golden is entirely his employee, and this was a planned and scripted part of his program.

Just adding this "point of accuracy" should you seek out actual sound bites of Limbaugh.

No need to do that, anyway. It is all right here on Youtube now

Shaw Kenawe said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jim said...

Man, O Man, I'm gonna get it! I just knowed it. I just oughta stay out of it. I know. I know. Hell, here goes.

OK, this JOP is a bonehead. It's OK, it's Louisiana. There be more than one JOP in his district. He won't do it, go find someone that will. It ain't hard to do. In Louisiana.

Yous got to remember, JOP's are elected to office. It is a predominant black district in Hammond LA. They obviously voted this fella in to that position more than once. So, what's your meddling problem?

That couple was not prevented from getting hitched. No way. No how. They just weren't gettin it done by that one JOP. Think of it as marriage counseling. Sometimes, that ole priest you wanted to marry ya won't always do it either. If the presiding preacher opposes the matrimony he/she don't have to do it. Hell, they'll refuse to marry ya even in Las Vegas for crying out loud (hard to do I admit but it ain't unheard of).

So, just why is this story out there in the first place? This guy has been refusing to do this service for some time apparently, so what is the beef now? Why in fact are we getting inundated with race stories? Wasn't Mr. Obama's election to cleanse our collective souls? Just askin.

Jim said...

dmarks why use sound bites from a second hand source when you can go directly to the source? I see you like to use little snippets. Click Here for the whole transcript.

That is if you care. Or don't if you prefer to be spoon fed.

Jim said...

Rick Sanchez of CNN apologizes to Rush Limbaugh! MSNBC admits it can't verify quotes attributed to Rush Limbaugh! Well, Well, Well.

Chickens are coming home to roost! ;-)

Rick Sanchez on YouTube

dmarks said...

Jim: Are you saying that the Youtube clip is edited, altered, or tampered with?

I avoid going to rushlimbaugh.com out of habit, because when he first started it, he made the blunder of charging huge fees in order to see anything on it other than ads for his pay services.

dmarks said...

Jim. I just checked. The transcript is what has been tampered with. The actual audio includes the Ebonics axe in "Now, my NFL brothers, let me axe you a question here", and in the transcript it is edited to read "Now, my NFL brothers, let me ask you a question here".

I wonder what else was altered. "Spoon fed"? Ha.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Jim,

You've missed the point on why this JP is so outrageous:

WHAT HE DID IS A VIOLATION OF THE LAW.

My fellow blogger (O)CT(O)PUS spelled it out in his comment:

The judge in the case violated a decision of the United States Supreme Court in this decision:

“Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967)[1], was a landmark civil rights case in which the United States Supreme Court, by a 9-0 vote, declared Virginia's anti-miscegenation statute, the "Racial Integrity Act of 1924", unconstitutional, thereby overturning Pace v. Alabama (1883) and ending all race-based legal restrictions on marriage in the United States.”


Conservatives are supposed to be FOR LAW AND ORDER.

This JP violated established law. That's what is so amazing about this. It has nothing to do with the fact that he was elected by Black people in his community.

I emphasized the angle where this JP inserted his racial bias [he said biracial children do not do well in American society--his opinion, not a fact--he cites none to support what he said] into his decision to violate the law and not marry the biracial couple.

Just because he's been getting away with this nonsense doesn't mean it's harmless. [People in the south got away with committing murder during Jim Crow era].

I'm afraid your comparison between a counseling pastor and a JP doesn't work, since a priest or a pastor is not a representative of the US government and its laws.

And since there is a separation of church and state, a religious organization can bar whomever they want from getting married in their church.

The JP is an officer of the court--y'know where laws are enforced, and a JP is subject to carrying out the laws of the land.

This "magistrate" broke the law.


n., pl., justices of the peace. (Abbr. JP)

A magistrate of the lowest level of certain state court systems, having authority to act upon minor offenses, commit cases to a higher court for trial, perform marriages, and administer oaths.

Jim said...

Uh, you miss a very important point here, and that is, state's rights. Nullification. Secession. Is still a right of each state.

So, the Guvna has it in his power to remove said "magistrate" if it is in the Louisiana Constitution. He ain't yet.

Now, I know how you left of center folks think about state's rights and that it don't exist no more. I know, I know, Lincoln held the Union together with the points of a gun and bayonet, and tore the Constitution in half and all. But stay tuned my genteel friends, ya'll gonna see a whole lot of Fed rules ignored very very soon. ;-)

Jim said...

Sometimes it's pretty hard to translate ebonics into the Queen's English, or don't ya know that dmarks.

Jim said...

Ooops, I goofed. I know it's hard to believe, but yes, I goofed.

The Guvna of Louisiana ain't got the power to remove said JP. It has to be done by the Louisiana Supreme Court justices by a recommendation from a judicial committee. Source

Humm, nothing here about the Feds being able to do a dadgum thing about it.

Shaw Kenawe said...

No, Jim.

The Supreme Court ruling supersedes states' rights arguments.

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the convictions [Loving vs. Virginia] in a unanimous decision, dismissing the Commonwealth of Virginia's argument that a law forbidding both white and black persons from marrying persons of another race, and providing identical penalties to white and black violators, could not be construed as racially discriminatory. The court ruled that Virginia's anti-miscegenation statute violated both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In its decision, the court wrote:

“ Marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival.... To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's citizens of liberty without due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by invidious racial discrimination. Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State.


States rights is no argument in this JP's case. He's a bad judge and should be removed by whatever means the law allows.

Shaw Kenawe said...

"But stay tuned my genteel friends, ya'll gonna see a whole lot of Fed rules ignored very very soon. ;-)"

My goodness. Sounds like anarchy to me.

Is this how conservatives deal with a duly elected administration they don't like?

They become outlaws?

Are you warning us that Federal laws will be ignored by people who don't like the Obama administration?

And when people ignore the law, what do you suppose is the correct way to deal with them?

Can you tell me?

Jim said...


The Supreme Court ruling supersedes states' rights arguments.


No, not even close. You really should go back and review what the discussions were back when this system was set-up. The founders hated judges almost as much as they hated George III don't ya know. They certainly would not give up rights to an entity they gave birth to. The Constitution would not have been ratified if State's Rights were given away. There would be no Union of the States.

State's can just ignore the bombast from on high. President Andrew Jackson most certainly did. There is no ENFORCEMENT behind the rulings. Kinda neat that.

So, I wonder if the Fed's would send troops to make me buy health insurance? Hummm. Probably not. Would they send troops to force Texas, or any state, into bankruptcy? Hummm. Maybe.

Next year is gonna be fun. Take pictures ya'll. ;-)

Jim said...

Here's what I argue, if you ignore the Constitution as it as been ignored to now, who is following what Law?

You can tell me that you are gonna throw me in jail for not doing some moronic law like buying health insurance. OK. Do it. How many jail cells are there? Room and board, free health care, use of computers and entertainment, a gym, crap, sounds good don't it? Do you really want to have that kind of bad PR? For some law that is patently UNCONSTITUTIONAL? Humm.

So. You say that the living Constitution means what you say? Who made you the librarian? I say it means what I say it means. Impasse, no? When you don't follow a strict interpretation of the Constitution, why should I? Ah, the anarchy SK you speak of. What to do?

Well, I'll just do a little non-violent activism. Lefties have shown us how. Don't pay taxes. Do as much barter as possible. Grow a garden. Hunt for meat using ammunition I make. Cash only transactions. That sort of thing.

Folks, you best go back and find out what the enumerated powers are in the Constitution. It is meant to limit what the Federal government can do to you.

A side note: go here for a good race story from South Carolina!

Arthurstone said...

And when we all start livin' of the fat of the land Jim we darn sure won't be needing whatever it is you haul in your big truck on the socialist interstate highway system.

I can't wait to see your 18 wheeler turned into a planter.

Jim said...

Are you so sure you can live in that world big A? I can.

Jim said...

So, big A, you want the whole transportation system to fail or just my tiny part of it.

As a matter of fact my rig is for sale on eBay. Want to try your hand at being an independent business mogul? Set your own hours, no boss hovering over your shoulder, get to listen to whatever political whim you want to over satellite radio, be challenged at every waking hour, put up with the endless regs and rules by fed, state, county, city, and whoever wants to get into your bank account, be on time, be courteous to the cops, and try not to hit the brainless 4 wheelers scurrying around the 80000 pounds or more speeding down the socialist highways (i suppose the military would be socialist too in your book but it happens to be one of the few enumerated powers). Just search for this item number, 190342135958, in the eBay search engine. Good luck with your bids!

Arthurstone said...

So is it all those nasty 'regs' or is it the endless need to squeeze one more dollar out of the cost of manufacturing & distributing goods Jim? Does the Walmartization of the consumer sector of our economy (Always Low Prices) have anything to do with the 'lure of the open road'?

Just wondering.

Dave Miller said...

Jim, are you arguing that the what the Supreme Unanimously agreed, that the Constitution extends a right right to marriage, regardless of race, is not a valid right?

It seems there is a difference in a law that Congress passes, which someone can choose to ignore. At that point, we then, in our system, take it up the chain, the the SCOTUS, and see what the system says.

dmarks said...

If Arthurstone hates Walmart so much, he is free to go to placesl ike K-Mart which charge 30% more for the same stuff.

Arthurstone said...

Never been to a Walmart dmarks. And I believe Kmart is out of business in my neck of the woods. But you raise an interesting point. Many people, in the endless search for the cheapest price, will support enterprises which do far more harm than good. Companies like Walmart help drive folks like our friend Jim out of business. I own a small business myself and empathize with Jim the trucker.

It isn't 'endless rules & regulations' causing his grief. It's good old fashioned rapacious laissez-faire capitalism doing what it does best.

Build pyramids.

Cheers!

dmarks said...

"Companies like Walmart help drive folks like our friend Jim out of business"

Walmart does not often buy and shut down other businesses. Only there will you find examples of Walmart actually driving anyone out of business.

However, sometimes other businesses fail where Walmart succeeds, because these businesses have poor customer service or overcharge for things.

Looking for the best price and product does not do harm. There is no special obligation to waste money on businesses that do a poor job at what they do.

Now, if you really want to help Jim the trucker, take care of the fuel prices that are screwing him and the other truckers. Get rid of all of the special taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, so they are charged the same as any other consumer good.

Arthurstone said...

Just wait a few years when we have another 100M or so new drivers in China & India competing to waste gasoline at the same pace we do. That will be interesting.

The sad truth is long-distance trucking will go the way of the ox cart in the not too distant future anyway. Cheap gas & diesel made outfits like Walmart possible and that age is drawing to a close.

Those days of clambering into the family car for a drive to the big box store to stock up on shoddy goods and industrial food at rock bottom prices are coming to an end.

dmarks said...

"Cheap gas and deisel" sure is an odd thing to consider. In light of the fact that the price is actually artificially inflated, due to special taxes and fees which add to the cost, and also by such factors as regulations in the US to decrease domestic production in favor of costly-to-ship foreign oil.

"Shoddy goods" is another dubious claim. The iPhones you get at Walmart are the same high-quality well-regarded Apple products. You just pay less for them.

The only thing I can't get you on is "that age is drawing to a close". That is a prediction, not a dubious interpretation of the current situation.

Would you care to bet on this? Or wlll your prediction go the way of the "Crash of Y2K" and all of the "coming depression 2 years from now" books of the 1980s?

You may have a point on "climbing into the family car" and all that. As e-commerce is growing day by day. However, Walmart happens to be a part of the growing e-commerce world.

Jim said...

Mr. A, I can't even get my mere mortal mind wrapped around your assumptions. Walmart is driving me out of business? O please tell us all on this blog how that works. (pssst! over here! no, over here! yes. listen. Mr. A. believes all the stuff in the Walmarts get there by aliens! yes, that's right. Aliens driving all the trains. Ain't you seen the tracks behind the stores?)

Let me clue you in, everything you buy, and I do mean everything is brought to your fav retailer by truck.

As to fuel prices, no big thing. We have to adjust our fees accordingly.

The cost of government is huge. Someone has to pay for all that wood and ink being used, delivered by truck of course. Regs carry a huge price. I'll take laissez faire capitalism any day over a business destroying government over regulated model.

Mr. A. you live such a cloistered life in the North West. Try and get out more. You'll find a lot more sun that way.

Arthurstone said...

So much for the 'cost of diesel'.

We have lots of choices in this great country. I choose not to spend my dollars with an enterprise which makes enormous profits at the expense of workers here and abroad and the environment. And your point is well taken Jim. Trucks do deliver everything. But the day of the 2500 mile ride to market by the humble tomato is drawing to a close. And that's a good thing.

dmarks said...

" I choose not to spend my dollars with an enterprise which makes enormous profits at the expense of workers here and abroad and the environment."

That can't be Walmart. Their "expense" to their workers is a large negative amount. In other words, they get paid.

dmarks said...

"But the day of the 2500 mile ride to market by the humble tomato is drawing to a close. And that's a good thing."

And how is that a good thing?

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