Interracial couple denied marriage license in Lousianna - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Thor · 10-15-2009, 09:57 PM

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

Priceless.

Quote:

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."

Barnes · 10-15-2009, 10:24 PM

"I'm not a racist"

"I have lots of black friends"

Yes you are and no you don't.

Coach · 10-15-2009, 10:28 PM

oh my...

MRCboicgy · 10-15-2009, 10:30 PM

You know, to borrow and modify a line from Jim Rome, when someone says:

"Now, I'm not a racist, but..."

Something racist is about to happen.

Thor · 10-15-2009, 10:32 PM

I let them use my bathroom, ahahahahahhaha wow.

T@T · 10-15-2009, 10:33 PM

Totally not surprised, I spent some time down threw that area and it's brutal. brutal in a sense...think 90 years ago.

Racism is very much alive and well in a few southern states. I wonder how long this idiot judge will be practicing when Obama gets wind of this!

Ice · 10-15-2009, 10:39 PM

It boggles my mind that in this day it seems there are so many people who are still ignorant enough to be so blatently racist. I find it totally offensive and that justice should be fired immediately.

Louisiana is the most corrupt state in the US. How is it that the Federal Goverment hasn't yet interfered there? I have relatives in Texas who will drive up and around Louisiana to go to Florida because the State Troopers are so corrupt and target out of state license plates. That doesn't even touch on how notorious Louisiana is for voter fraud. Its scary to me that such a corrupt and crime ridden state is allowed to exist with no consequences for those in charge.

PIMking · 10-15-2009, 10:42 PM

I live in alabama now. Racism is still a big thing down here. when I tell people that I moved from Iowa I instanly get a oh you love everyone spiel. People down here get along but they dont like eachother and you can see the racial tension.

Thor · 10-15-2009, 11:17 PM

Isn't Bobby Exorcism Jindal the governor?

CaramonLS · 10-15-2009, 11:20 PM

Quote:

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.

This quote is even better.

I love his logic of: Not issuing a marriage license = not being able to have children.

ResAlien · 10-15-2009, 11:29 PM

Ahh, America I love you. Thank you so much for reminding me why I've never become a citisen.

peter12 · 10-15-2009, 11:32 PM

I clicked on this thread expecting some sort of goofy overreaction. Yeah... no.

Thor · 10-15-2009, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter12

I clicked on this thread expecting some sort of goofy overreaction. Yeah... no.

Yeah your right, racism is no big deal.

Redliner · 10-16-2009, 12:53 AM

Just. Unbelievable.

For starters, is in even within a Justice's authority to refuse to grant a marriage license? I have to admit I don't know the American system of regional government very well, but in Canada you walk into a registry and buy the damn thing - unless it's your sister or something, (maybe they have problems with that sort of thing in Louisiana) they don't get to dictate who you can and can not marry.

It sickens me that this is still (or ever was, for that matter) an issue in today's society.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-16-2009, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thor

Yeah your right, racism is no big deal.

Ah, cut Pete a break. He was saying you weren't over reacting. He's with you here....and so am I.

Think about this though....don't know the judge, or how long he's been on the bench, but that can't possibly be the first interracial marriage license application to come his way....unless he's completely green.

I think there's more to the story.

EDIT: The more to the story is that this couple is the first one to go public with the denial of their rights by this guy. It's not his first interracial application and this was not his first denial of one. The guy is an idiot if he thought this stance wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass.

Displaced Flames fan · 10-16-2009, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redliner

Just. Unbelievable.

For starters, is in even within a Justice's authority to refuse to grant a marriage license? I have to admit I don't know the American system of regional government very well, but in Canada you walk into a registry and buy the damn thing - unless it's your sister or something, (maybe they have problems with that sort of thing in Louisiana) they don't get to dictate who you can and can not marry.

It sickens me that this is still (or ever was, for that matter) an issue in today's society.

There are literally thousands of different local governmental systems in the US. You would have to research this judges' specific jurisdiction to have a read on what the law is there.

It's confusing, but it's definitely a good thing. I don't need people in Florida deciding certain things for me.

gargamel · 10-16-2009, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thor

Yeah your right, racism is no big deal.

I think he meant that he was guessing it was an overly sensitive interracial couple who was denied a license for other reasons and decided to cry racism about it. At least that's what I hoped before reading the story. But after reading the judge's comments, it's pretty clear that race was the reason that he denied them the license. That's disgusting, though sadly not shocking for the deep south.

All that I know is that Louisianna just moved way down the list of places that I'd like to visit with my non-white wife.

gargamel · 10-16-2009, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I don't need people in Florida deciding certain things for me.

You mean like who the president should be?

Displaced Flames fan · 10-16-2009, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gargamel

You mean like who the president should be?

No. That has nothing to do with local government.

gargamel · 10-16-2009, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

No. That has nothing to do with local government.

I know it's the state government that regulates voting, but I was just making a joke and pointing out an example of one drawback of giving some states/local governments too much freedom to do things their own way. Obviously there are also good things about not having everything regulated at the federal level, but that's a whole different discussion.

More back on point though, Louisianna is pretty far out there. It's law are so much different than anywhere else in the country that they tell law students not to go to school there if you want to practice somewhere else, and not to go to school somewhere else if you want to practice there. I didn't hear any warnings like that about any other state.

The only thing about this story that makes me think progress has been made is that people are uniformely outraged about it. Thirty years ago, there would have been a significant split of opinion about whether or not the judge was right.