Interracial couple denied marriage license in Louisina--in 2009!

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My friend just posted this article on her facebook.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091016/ap_on_re_us/us_interracial_rebuff

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."

Don't think he's qualified to be a judge. CORRECTION: I think he's only a justice of the peace. But don't think he's qualified for that either.

 

[Laura]

Riiiiight. Like they can't have kids if they're not married, duh.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Re: J of the P:
Does not cease to amaze me...........
...BUT
that does not mean he should be forced to marry ANYONE that he does not feel like marrying. He never said they could not get married, he said HE would not marry them. They asked, he refused. He is not obligated to marry anyone. He should have just said no and kept his awful comments to himself....

And why would they want a racist, ignorant, moron marry them anyway?????


I wish them many happy Married years ahead!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Re: J of the P:
Does not cease to amaze me...........
...BUT
that does not mean he should be forced to marry ANYONE that he does not feel like marrying. He never said they could not get married, he said HE would not marry them. They asked, he refused. He is not obligated to marry anyone. He should have just said no and kept his awful comments to himself....

And why would they want a racist, ignorant, moron marry them anyway?????


I wish them many happy Married years ahead!

His reasons are unconstitutional.

From the sounds of the article, they are already married--the point is, the justice of the peace is behaving counter to what the Supreme Court has ruled and deserves to be properly reprimanded for that.

Getting a marriage license does not mean that he is personally performing the ceremony either.

 

[Laura]

Re: J of the P:
Does not cease to amaze me...........
...BUT
that does not mean he should be forced to marry ANYONE that he does not feel like marrying. He never said they could not get married, he said HE would not marry them. They asked, he refused. He is not obligated to marry anyone. He should have just said no and kept his awful comments to himself....

And why would they want a racist, ignorant, moron marry them anyway?????


I wish them many happy Married years ahead!

A justice of the peace is not a minister. An atheist and a Jew cannot just walk into a Catholic church and expect the priest to marry them. But they can go to a government official and get a marriage license and be married in a civil ceremony.

But you're absolutely right that they wouldn't want that dude performing the ceremony.

 

[nephthys43]

Re: J of the P:
Does not cease to amaze me...........
...BUT
that does not mean he should be forced to marry ANYONE that he does not feel like marrying. He never said they could not get married, he said HE would not marry them. They asked, he refused. He is not obligated to marry anyone. He should have just said no and kept his awful comments to himself....

And why would they want a racist, ignorant, moron marry them anyway?????


I wish them many happy Married years ahead!

i think this guy is an idiot, but i totally see your point...

if our government allows pharmacists (and other healthcare workers) to deny certain procedures and medications, that are legal, because it's against their morals, why not this? both are equally wrong in my opinion, but why the double standard? why is it so bad for this guy to not want to compromise his morals, but it's ok for a pharmacist to do so? both affects another person or persons, but everyone screams that he is wrong.

i too, wish them many happy years and lots of babies!

 

[FireDancer]

I just can't believe in the year 2009 some people still get hung up on race, sexual preference, nationality, or religion.

<sarcasm> Maybe one day we will elect a president who is mixed race and all of these petty differences will get ignored. </sarcasm>

 

[pyrxtc]

I think he was perfectly fine in saying that HE would not perform the marriage ceremony. People ahve a right to their beliefs, even if it is outdated and racist. Should it happen, no, but it does and this one just happened to make the news.

 

[freckles and boo]

I think he was perfectly fine in saying that HE would not perform the marriage ceremony. People ahve a right to their beliefs, even if it is outdated and racist. Should it happen, no, but it does and this one just happened to make the news.

I disagree. He is obligated to follow the law and perform his duties. And what if there were no other JoPs available? Would you also think it okay for a cop to fail to respond to a domestic violence call because he was a fundamentalist who thought it was okay for men to beat their wives? If his personal beliefs about race inhibit his ability to do his job he should change careers. I feel this way about pharmacists who have "moral" problems with birth control, too.

 

[maddmike]

I think he was perfectly fine in saying that HE would not perform the marriage ceremony. People ahve a right to their beliefs, even if it is outdated and racist. Should it happen, no, but it does and this one just happened to make the news.

I agree. The man was giving his opinion of his beliefs and there is nothing wrong with that. There are many, many people that agree with him but are afraid to say something because someone might be offended. Just because some people think interracial couples or even gay couple are normal and perfectly acceptable does not mean everyone thinks that way. He is entitled to his opinion and he has some valid points. Because people disagree with him they call him names so I guess now its ok to start calling the people disagreeing with him names? Everyone is entitled to their opinion. If the people wanting to get married didn't like his opinion then go somewhere else to get married.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I disagree. He is obligated to follow the law and perform his duties. And what if there were no other JoPs available? Would you also think it okay for a cop to fail to respond to a domestic violence call because he was a fundamentalist who thought it was okay for men to beat their wives? If his personal beliefs about race inhibit his ability to do his job he should change careers. I feel this way about pharmacists who have "moral" problems with birth control, too.

I'm with you! He's a JofP, not a minister, priest or rabbi.

And just a question, there are really pharmacists that have problems with birth control? I've never heard of it. That's just strange.

 

[Laura]

i think this guy is an idiot, but i totally see your point...

if our government allows pharmacists (and other healthcare workers) to deny certain procedures and medications, that are legal, because it's against their morals, why not this? both are equally wrong in my opinion, but why the double standard? why is it so bad for this guy to not want to compromise his morals, but it's ok for a pharmacist to do so? both affects another person or persons, but everyone screams that he is wrong.

i too, wish them many happy years and lots of babies!

Health care workers are not government officials. Neither, as I said before, are clergy, who can choose not to perform marriage ceremonies that interfere with their beliefs. A justice of the peace is a government official, and it is illegal for the government to deny interracial couples a marriage license.

I agree. The man was giving his opinion of his beliefs and there is nothing wrong with that. There are many, many people that agree with him but are afraid to say something because someone might be offended. Just because some people think interracial couples or even gay couple are normal and perfectly acceptable does not mean everyone thinks that way. He is entitled to his opinion and he has some valid points. Because people disagree with him they call him names so I guess now its ok to start calling the people disagreeing with him names? Everyone is entitled to their opinion. If the people wanting to get married didn't like his opinion then go somewhere else to get married.

The guy has no valid points to his argument. For starters, being married is not a requirement to have children.

 

[PghLybrt]

I think he was perfectly fine in saying that HE would not perform the marriage ceremony. People ahve a right to their beliefs, even if it is outdated and racist. Should it happen, no, but it does and this one just happened to make the news.

Then he should find work that follows his beliefs, not the law!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I agree. The man was giving his opinion of his beliefs and there is nothing wrong with that. There are many, many people that agree with him but are afraid to say something because someone might be offended. Just because some people think interracial couples or even gay couple are normal and perfectly acceptable does not mean everyone thinks that way. He is entitled to his opinion and he has some valid points. Because people disagree with him they call him names so I guess now its ok to start calling the people disagreeing with him names? Everyone is entitled to their opinion. If the people wanting to get married didn't like his opinion then go somewhere else to get married.

He's free to have his beliefs. He is not free to use his government position to prevent people to go contrary to his beliefs.


I have to say that I am SHOCKED--that folks on this thread think it okay for a representative of the govt to deny a civil right that the Supreme Court has already said was legal to deny that right to a US citizen who has the right to go through with the act they are seeking.


Actually--I'm repulsed!

The Supreme Court has already ruled on this and this guy is just willy nilly opted to ignore the ruling.

That is NOT okay.

The government cannot step in and begin stripping rights of the people based on absurd beliefs of racisim.

 

[Disney Doll]

While I will preface my remarks by saying that I do not agree with his decision, I don't know the regulations for a JP. Maybe they can refuse to marry people based on personal convictions?

If there are regulations that state that a JP must marry anyone who meets the legal/civil requirements for marriage and this man has chosen not to do that, then he should be reprimanded appropriately.

 

[maddmike]

I just can't believe in the year 2009 some people still get hung up on race, sexual preference, nationality, or religion.

<sarcasm> Maybe one day we will elect a president who is mixed race and all of these petty differences will get ignored. </sarcasm>

People have good reason to be hung up on some of these things. I think most people in the country, including myself, would like to see an end to racism. Unfortunatly the people who find it unacceptable to be racist against a black person - or whatever minoroity race - find it perfectly acceptable to be racist against a white person. Until things end that single out one race or another (such as scholorships for people of a certain race) racism will be alive and well.

Certain sexual preference go against most religous beliefs and people will always feel they wrong.

As far a nationality goes, do you watch the news or read the papers? There is a war going on. If you, as an civilian american walked down the street in certain counties you could likely be killed just for no other reason than because you are an american. There are certain nations and their people that despise the U.S. and it people so there is good reason to be against certain nationalities.

 

[NikitaZee]

The man is a bigot. I see no valid points in his argument at all.

 

[Heidict]

He is entitled to his opinion and he has some valid points. Because people disagree with him they call him names so I guess now its ok to start calling the people disagreeing with him names? Everyone is entitled to their opinion. If the people wanting to get married didn't like his opinion then go somewhere else to get married.

Can you please explain what part of his decision you feel was valid? From what I have read he only gave two reasons.

Reason one was that interracial marriages don't last. Yeah, cause those that are of just one race have such an amazing tract record.

Reason two was that he was concerned with the kids that come from an interracial marriage. I know of alot of children (including mine) that come from an interracial marriage and as amazing as it sounds, they are all doing fine. What does he think is going to happen to them?

He is an elected official and is therefore a represantive of the government. He can not pick and choose who he wants to marry as if he was a clergyman. He violated their civil rights, he violated a supreme court ruling. He needs to resign and to crawl back under the rock from which came.

 

[maddmike]

The man is a bigot. I see no valid points in his argument at all.

So we are back to name calling again. The JoP has a right to his opinion too so what should he call you?

If he did wrong as far as his job goes then his supervisors should and probably will do something about it.

 

[Laura]

So we are back to name calling again. The JoP has a right to his opinion too so what should he call you?

I know you didn't ask me, but personally, I don't care what a bigot thinks of me or what he would call me. And yes, I think bigot is an accurate term for this fellow.