CNN - "Justice stands by refusal to give interracial couple license to wed"

[TomCADem]

The hardest thing to believe is the judge's insistence that he is not a racist.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/17/interracial.marriage/index.html

###

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.

###

[tblue]

1. As a mixed race person in a mixed race marriage with a child, I have two words for him

and they're not "Let's dance!"

[sakabatou]

2. Not racist my ass.

[cynatnite]

3. President Obama thanks you for your concern. n/t

[NWHarkness]

4. Think of the children!

They would be so handicapped by coming from a mixed race family that they could never dream of growing up to make something of themselves, like president of the United- oh wait. Never mind.

[Marr]

5. "My main concern is for the children". Boy, I heard that one a million times

growing up. It was the phrase every racist said right after they made some disparaging comment about a mixed-race couple. I expect that preacher is in his 60's or 70's.

[opihimoimoi]

6. he is full of shit that it fucks up his thinking real bad...deluded

[WeDidIt]

7. This is the next phase of the "conscience clause" movement

You know the one where asshole rightwingnut theocrats demand that pharmacists and physicians be allowed to ignore doing their job because their "conscience" won't allow them?

You heard it here first. The wingnuts are gonna get behind this guy claiming he has a right to ignore the law because of his "conscience".

[ampad]

13. I hope they do

I hope they come out full force to defend this asshole. I see that Bobby Jindall did not waste time getting at this jerk. That just goes to show that the elected official repigs know what is up. Now the base is a totally different story. I hope they make an uproar and defend this guy. This will further solidify the angry, white, man party that some elected officials are trying to run away from. I have no idea why they would want to deny what their party is really about. I always thought they were a proud bunch. LOL

[krispos42]

8. "I'm not racist..."

"...I just think that diluting the Aryan genes with those from ******s is not in the best interest of the mulatto offspring".

:banghead:


Did this guy fall through a wormhole in space-time back in 1950 and end up here?

[Walk away]

9. This is a good thing....at least the idiot was open about it.

It's like people carrying guns at political rallies. It takes something really outrageous to remind people that there is still plenty of prejudice and violence in Every Town USA.

How insane is it that we are even discussing whether Gay people can marry each other in a "free country"? I saw Chris Cristy say that he felt that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. What a jolt to hear something like that in New Jersey.

Better to have the crazy out in day light than behind closed doors. Then we can face it, root it out and replace it tolerance and civility.

[treestar]

10. How did someone stupid enough to think like this ever get the job?

He has absolutely no right to deny a license on that ground.

[ampad]

11. President obama seems to be doing just fine.

for the life of me I do not understand this argument. I had someone tell me once that it is unfair to the children because they would be confused; they do not know where they belong. LoL, the only thing my mixed raced children seem to be really confused about is chores and homework. I am pretty sure that goes for a good majority of kids no matter the race. Also, they are absolutely beautiful. I'm sure beautiful, typical, mixed race children really put a burn in this racist pig's ass.

Actually, my best friend told me that this happened to his uncle about 20yrs ago. Some judge in a small town refused to marry them but he had no problem marrying a couple who happen to be first cousins. Sometimes the hate will just take your breath away. Oh and no surprise this asshole is a repig. I just assumed he was a repig before I got the facts. Something told me that it was a safe bet.

[Odin2005]

12. This racist can go to hell.

[provis99]

14. hah! the Cnn page is a riot!

right under the story, and a picture of the ugly old cracker is an ad for "Find an Asian Wife: Chinese Women seek Western Men for Love and Marriage". I love irony in the news.