Marriage License Denied To Interracial Couple

[jyl]

I guess it is still 1950 in some places.

Interracial couple denied marriage license in La. - STLtoday.com

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.”

[Danny_Ocean]

Well...not trying to defend this guy, but... he has the right to refuse to marry anyone for any reason. No-one can demand he marry them. Here's the last paragraph of the story:

“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.”

I'm sure when gay marriage becomes more common, you'll see more stories about priests, ministers and justices of the peace refusing similarly.

[jyl]

I am not sure that is true.

With rare exceptions, a government official cannot make a decision about a US citizen based on his race. It doesn't matter that the person could try and find another government official who would make a different decision. The first official has still acted illegally.

Suppose you go to the county recorder's office and try to file a deed representing your purchase of a house. The clerk at the window says no, black people shouldn't live in that neighborhood, and refuses to record the deed. Is that okay just because you can try a different window, or come back tomorrow when a different clerk is on duty?

[LWJ]

weird. I think the majority of my married friends have interracial marriages.

[jyl]

Another quote from the justice of the peace:

"The Attorney General’s office has told me I’m in violation of the law, but I have the right to recuse myself. I don’t feel like I’ve done anything wrong."

I think he should be permanently recused from all his judicial duties.

[Danny_Ocean]

Originally Posted by jyl

I am not sure that is true.

With rare exceptions, a government official cannot make a decision about a US citizen based on his race. It doesn't matter that the person could try and find another government official who would make a different decision. The first official has still acted illegally.

Suppose you go to the county recorder's office and try to file a deed representing your purchase of a house. The clerk at the window says no, black people shouldn't live in that neighborhood, and refuses to record the deed. Is that okay just because you can try a different window, or come back tomorrow when a different clerk is on duty?

I'm just sayin'...I think a Justice of the Peace (judge?) has a little more leeway than a window clerk.

Some judges sentence criminals to life in prison for stealing a pizza, while other judges let child molesters walk. I don't think they are required to "follow the rules" like most other folk.

And (again, I don't agree with this guy), he didn't discriminate based on race. He disagrees with interracial marriage.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by jyl

With rare exceptions, a government official cannot make a decision about a US citizen based on his race.

With rare exception? It's the rule, not the exception. What do you call minority set-asides, affirmative action, college admission "points", Supreme Court nominations, etc.? There is no more racist institution in this country than the government. Still, this justice of the peace sounds like an idiot.

[ckissick]

Originally Posted by jyl

“I’m not a racist. I just don’t believe in mixing the races that way.” [/I]

Is it me, or do these two sentences completely contradict each other?

But, hey. He even lets dem people use his bathroom!

[jyl]

You've listed four arguable exceptions, out of the thousands (tens of thousands?) of ways and circumstances in which government officials interact with people. As I said, "rare". Yeah, it should be "zero", but it sure isn't the "rule".

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

With rare exception? It's the rule, not the exception. What do you call minority set-asides, affirmative action, college admission "points", Supreme Court nominations, etc.? There is no more racist institution in this country than the government. Still, this justice of the peace sounds like an idiot.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by jyl

As I said, "rare". Yeah, it should be "zero", but it sure isn't the "rule".

It absolutely is the rule. Why do they ask your race on the census questionnaire? Why does HUD require you to disclose your race on a 1003 mortgage loan application? Every single government job application asks your race? Do you really think it's just for "statistics?" There is no aspect of the U.S. government that does not take race into account. Not one. Some may ignore it, but all note it. I'm reminded of Vince Lombardi's adage, "If it doesn't matter who wins, why do they keep score?"

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by jyl

“I’m not a racist. I just don’t believe in mixing the races that way,” [/I]

Sad, ignorant, despicable...whichever order those adjectives are put.

[jyl]

Gathering and analyzing data is not the same as acting on it. The government collects statistics by race, just as it collects statistics on sex, on income, on zip code, on date of birth, martial status, number of kids, and all sorts of other groupings.

Does that mean this data is used to favor a group, whether by race, sex, income, zip code, age, etc? Actually, this data is, if anything, used to make sure that the government is not favoring or disfavoring a group. You can monitor that stuff w/ statistical analysis. If mortgage applications for blacks are being disproportionately denied, you can see that and then check to see if it is justified by income, credit history, etc. Without the data, you can't tell.

You sure are paranoid. When you're asked for your date of birth, do you conclude that they'll going to practice age discrimination on you?

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

It absolutely is the rule. Why do they ask your race on the census questionnaire? Why does HUD require you to disclose your race on a 1003 mortgage loan application? Every single government job application asks your race? Do you really think it's just for "statistics?" There is no aspect of the U.S. government that does not take race into account. Not one. Some may ignore it, but all note it. I'm reminded of Vince Lombardi's adage, "If it doesn't matter who wins, why do they keep score?"

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by jyl

Actually, this data is, if anything, used to make sure that the government is not favoring or disfavoring a group.

Shirley, you can't be serious. What do you call gerrymandered Congressional districts? I call them an explicit attempt to favor/disfavor certain groups on the basis of race, and to the extent of guaranteeing the racial make up of Congress. Yes, really and I'm not paranoid.

I recall a Wash. Post article about 10 yrs. ago where Fannie/Freddie were accused of not buying enough minority loans. I wrote a letter to the reporter, explaining that Fannie/Freddie are not direct lenders and only buy loans that have already funded, so no one was ever denied a loan because of what Fannie/Freddie bought or didn't buy. Furthermore, it'd be impossible to know borrowers' race if the gov't. didn't require it to be disclosed on the 1003 loan app. So, even if Fannie/Freddie were basing their buys on race, it was only made possible by the gov't. That reporter actually called me and said she had never known any of that. Great journalism there, eh?

Is a justice of the peace even a paid gov't. job? He was certainly out of line, but he was only doing what the fed. gov't. does on a much larger scale and Americans have become so used to it that they no longer call it racism.

[Chocaholic]

I'm not even opposed to inter-species marriage. Just sayin'.

[red-beard]

My English Aunt claims her son is in a "mixed-marriage", since he is married to a French woman.

[URY914]

I'm sure they have waited to have sex until they are married. Now they may never have sex.

[The Gaijin]

Originally Posted by red-beard

My English Aunt claims her son is in a "mixed-marriage", since he is married to a French woman.

Most people in Yorkshire consider folks in counties south of them not to be really English! Ha.

[The Gaijin]

Oh, how the modern media and Internet just loves stories like this!!

They had the would be groom on TV this morning. I guess he is the "black" half of the couple. The thing is - the guy looks bi-racial (or whatever it is called..) himself.

[cashflyer]

Just don't mix the protestants and catholics. That's askin' for trouble.

[Jeff Higgins]

So, is the judge discriminating against the black man, or the white woman?