Keith Bardwell, Justice of the Peace,Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Yes....Stupid Lives On!
Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. Now here is a man who either doesn't own a TV, computer or newspaper subscription, or he is just typical, backwoods dumb ass, racist.
The story was something like this, according to MSNBC. Thirty-year-old Beth Humphrey and 32-year-old Terence McKay, both of Hammond, Louisiana, went to Mr. Bardwell to get a marriage license. When they got there, Justice of the Peace Bardwell informed the couple that he would not issue them a marriage license. When they asked for an explanation, he told them, "it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long".
Yes, you read that right America, he denied these people a marriage license because they were black and white. His reasoning was, because of his research and observations of black and white couples, he didn't think it would be good for the children to come. He felt it was a failed undertaking, before it started. That was his "OPINION"!
OK, just so I am truly understanding here...This guy felt that his "opinion" had anything to do with the "LAW"! What a total and complete clown. When are the ignorant people in this world going to sit down and be quiet. If you sound stupid, you should not talk.
Justice of the Peace, Keith Bardwell is an ignorant man. Not only did he break the law, he did it out loud and without any remorse or concern. Was it his right to express his thoughts and deny this people a marriage license? Not! Truly, Bardwell is on the verge of a nervous breakdown or he has contracted dementia or some outrageous excuse, for being so overwhelmingly stupid.
I am seriously embarrassed by this man. As a proud Southerner, who each and every time I open my mouth, it is obvious where I came from, I am sad that once again, we look like idiots. Bardwell's judgmental attitude shows how much work is still to be done for Civil Rights. He has regressed, instead of progressing.
Along with the fact that I am Southern, I am also the proud grandmother to 4 grandchildren of interracial relationships. They are all beautiful and smart and I couldn't be more proud.
Justice Bardwell can "say" whatever he chooses to say. Experience tells me he is totally racist. He is totally breaking the law and he should absolutely be removed from office. Someone should also tell him that God didn't die and he is not needed as a replacement.
According to MSNBC, the ACLU was preparing a letter for the Louisiana Supreme Court, which oversees the state justices of the peace, asking them to investigate Bardwell and see if they can remove him from office, Schwartzman said.
In Louisiana, to obtain a marriage license, according to MSNBC and the clerk of court's office, an application for a marriage license must be made three days before the ceremony, to fulfill the 72-hour waiting period. The applicants are asked if they have previously been married. If so, they must show how the marriage ended, such as divorce. The Supreme Court ruled in 1963 that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry.
We would hope that the Justice Dept. and the Governor will have something to say about this situation. How many others in this tiny Parish have been abused by Justice of the Peace, Bardwell? How many laws has he enacted that were feelings or opinions? Does he always operate on what he thinks vs what the law says?
Keith Bardwell is a boil on the butt of society. He is not alone. There are still many ignorant people walking around out there. They are determined they are better than anyone else. They are convinced that they should be in charge of morality and the lives of the people they have deemed less than them. It is a sad day in America when this type of behavior can go unchecked and allowed to continue.
We are all human beings. We are all God's children. We are all good, bad, right, wrong, and we are all trying to make it. Are we ever going to realize that it is not our judgment call to monitor stuff like this or try to control others such as Bardwell has tried to do? Justice of the Peace, Keith Bardwell is an embarrassment to Louisiana. He should step down and be quiet for a while to avoid the continuation of "stupid".
Published by Rose Richmond
Journalism, Freelance Writing. View profile
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26 Comments
Post a CommentTotally understood Mike. And it is truly across the country. Not just the south. I targeted the South because obviously, they like to advertise how stupid they are more there than other places. Thanks for the comments.
What a dipshit! Sadly, ignorance will be with us until the end of time, irregardless of legislating otherwise. Also, I get tired of hearing about "southern bigotry"; believe me, I have heard the N-word thrown around much more when I lived in New Jersey than when I lived in Tennessee! Get over the sanctimony of how the Yankees are these beautiful colorblind saints and the South is a hot bed of racism, everybody (after all, the vast majority of all the race riots and police brutality cases were in either Northern or West Coast cities, now, weren't they?) This guy was a jack-ass, and could have easily lived in Detroit, Seattle, or Boston! As a matter of fact, I know tons of blacks who moved here to East Tennessee from Yankee cities, and guess what? They don't WANNA go back up there, and I don't blame them! You wrote a fine article, Rose, and my rant isn't aimed towards you at all, but rather towards some of these comments.
Cindy, what's so great about standing up for what you believe in when what you believe in is WRONG and CRUEL?? You talk about it like it's some kind of noble virtue, but many of the worst atrocities throughout history have been caused by evil people "standing up for what they believe in." And one more tip for you: just because you add "PERIOD" to the end of your argument doesn't make it right. If he was acting as a private individual it would be his choice. But he's not, he's a Justice of the Peace. If he can't carry out that job due to his own bigotry he needs to resign. If he won't resign he needs to be removed.
Unfortunately, there are people in the South who still haven't heard the Civil War is over. My first husband was from LA (I was born and raised in IN), so I have seen some southern bigotry first-hand. His white female cousin lived with a black man, and the whole family knew it, but she would never admit the relationship to them. She even had a phone signal to let him know she was calling, and he would not answer the phone if it didn't ring the signal. They were a messed-up bunch. Glad I'm not part of that family anymore.
Am reading this story overhere in a newspaper. May I say as a 69 yr. old Caucasian man that after my first visit to the USA only a few weeks ago I have become a racist. All to do with things we observed during our stay. I even took the trouble to write to Oprah. I am sorry on behalve of my ancestors that we were involved in the slave trade. For the sake of making lots of money we have left you an inheritance that is causing a lot of problems. Just for the record.. my second marriage was a mixed one..did not work..In my humble opinion it is all genetically based. Nine out of ten times most races mix very well- seperately-. We can see that worldwide. However as soon as we HAVE to do things together it turns sour. There is this wonderful story in the Bible. Tower of Babel. Operating as one we could do anything. But God would not stand for it. It gives a good picture of the division of our race. Division of race was a design of God because we as people- operating as one- were getting too p
Oh PJ, your 3 beautiful WHITE daughters are only beautiful to YOU....think about....Who else thinks they are, someone who lied to you? What an asshole.
Well, PJ, so you'd rather kill ur kids for them being in love? Man, you suck! All your grandkids look like you and family? Goddammit, don't let me type what kinda thought I just had when I read that statement!
But who knows, u might get blessed a different way in the future - ur grandkids might turn out being lesbians or gays - or u might not wake up in the morning coz of ur kids being tired of ur opression! Think about it, dude!
I am also against interracial relationships and warned my three beautiful white daughters that if I caught them with a black boy that they would not wake up in the morning! It worked. All my grandkids look like us.
I would never accept a mixed grandchild.
Racist? No. Ethnocentric? yes.
And for those of you saying, "he has a right to choose who to marry and who not to and he did the right thing", well, guess what, he doesn't. He's not supposed to discriminate and that's exactly what he did. Anybody, who's in agreement with this man, is just the same as he his. A BIGOT!!! You people better get on the train because there's NOTHING you can do about the 'races' marrying and having children.
Tanisha, I have read your comment and based on how it's worded, I can tell that you are one of the many racists in this country. Yes, blacks too are racists, and you are definitely one.