Interracial Marriage is a no-no?

[-that- girl]

Interracial couple in Louisiana denied marriage license - CNN.com

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Civil rights advocates in eastern Louisiana are calling for a justice of the peace of Tangipahoa Parish to resign after he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple.

Terence McKay claims a justice of the peace refused to give him and his white girlfriend a marriage license.

"He's an elected public official and one of his duties is to marry people. He doesn't have the right to say he doesn't believe in it," Patricia Morris, president of the NAACP branch of Tangipahoa Parish, located near the Mississippi line, said Thursday.

"If he doesn't do what his position calls for him to do, he should resign from that position."

The demands for Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace for Tangipahoa Parish's 8th Ward, to step down came after he wouldn't issue a marriage license to Beth Humphrey, 30, and her boyfriend, Terence McKay, 32, both of Hammond.

"I was just really shocked, because he's an elected official," Humphrey said. Bardwell didn't immediately return calls from CNN on Thursday.

However, Bardwell told Hammond's Daily Star newspaper that he was concerned for the children who might be born of the relationship and that, in his experience, most interracial marriages don't last.

"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. The bride says the case boils down to discrimination.

Humphrey told CNN that she called Bardwell on October 6 to ask about getting a marriage license, and was asked by his wife whether it would be an interracial marriage. Humphrey said she was told that Bardwell does not sign off on interracial marriages.

She said the couple -- who received their marriage license October 9 from another justice of the peace in the same parish -- have reached out to an attorney to determine their next step.

"We would like him to resign," she said. "He doesn't believe he's being racist, but it is racist."

Morris told CNN that her NAACP chapter has forwarded the case to the state and national levels of the civil rights group.

According to the Census Bureau, Tangipahoa Parish is about 70 percent white and 30 percent black.

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Really?

[finagle69]

well DUH!

It's supposed to be Adam and Eve, not Adam and Laquisha...

[ucla bruin]

^Hahahaha!

[soolman32]

Thats an interesting one

[Slammed37S]

I'm one that believes that racism in this country is outrageous and God forbid you do
something bc it's racist. But this is racism at it's finest. He had no right to refuse them of a marriage license

[-that- girl]

Originally Posted by finagle69

well DUH!

It's supposed to be Adam and Eve, not Adam and Laquisha...

lololol.

Originally Posted by Slammed37S

I'm one that believes that racism in this country is outrageous and God forbid you do
something bc it's racist. But this is racism at it's finest. He had no right to refuse them of a marriage license

i posted this on another forum and they keep saying it's his RIGHT to deny them based on his opinions. say whaaaaaat?

[chasemyaccord]

Who cares, just go to the county or state next door and get married already! Problem solved.

[B L U E S L A T E]

I don't believe he was being racist either. I also would be concerned about the children the couple will have.

[Black Betty]

My wife saw this last night and went ballistic. She used to live in that God forsaken Parrish. Still has relatives that do. In fact we have a niece that is getting married there in January so we'll be there then.

Stuff like this is why many people think of Louisiana as a bunch of toothless, cross burning, illiterate, ignorant rednecks. Because there's still a lot of them there who think that way. It's one of the reasons that I don't live there even though it's my home.

Blueslate, you disappoint me with your sentiment. "concern for the children" is often in my experience used to mask racist intentions with supposed concern. What if they don't want to have children? What problem do you foresee the children having because their parents are from different ethnicities? Other than backward ignorant people giving them a hard time. That's been happening to minorities in every culture since the early days of mankind, so that's not really a valid point to me. What problem do you have?

[B L U E S L A T E]

Well, it might be true that way, but for me, in my culture, people tend to judge others that are not the same ethnicity background, even for the same skin colored. I, for one, is half Korean and half Chinese. When I was living in Korea, people (koreans) were talking behind my back and call me half breed and such. I do not want my children to go through the same thing that I have. Especially when I'll eventually go back to Korea in my later life. That's all I meant by that comment.

[Black Betty]

Originally Posted by B L U E S L A T E

Well, it might be true that way, but for me, in my culture, people tend to judge others that are not the same ethnicity background, even for the same skin colored. I, for one, is half Korean and half Chinese. When I was living in Korea, people (koreans) were talking behind my back and call me half breed and such. I do not want my children to go through the same thing that I have. Especially when I'll eventually go back to Korea in my later life. That's all I meant by that comment.

If you are half Korean and half Chinese, they are going to talk crap about your kids anyway if they are those type of people because no matter who their mother is they won't be all Korean. I'm glad your folks didn't think like you do, or else you wouldn't be here. Good parenting teaches kids that they are who they are and they can accomplish anything in the world they want to if they work hard to achieve it, no matter what others say or think about them. The biggots are the ones with the problem, not them. I'm really sorry about your ethnic identity insecurity. I mean that truly. I hope your kids (if/when you have any) have a better grasp on their self identity than you do.

I'm pretty certain that I don't need to compile a list of people that are highly successful in their chosen field who are of mixed ethnicity. Truth be told, many of us are whether we know (or admit) it or not.

[B L U E S L A T E]

Apparently you haven't really understood the meaning behind the post above. I hope you understand that I have no intention of racism AT ALL. I realized that this isn't the same matter as the problem OP posted. If you have the same background as I do and lived in the same country you'd understand, but at this point it's completely useless of what this is about. It truly isn't a good feeling when both sides of ethnic background looking down on you and belittle with their comments. Apparently historical and cultural background also takes a big role here and, obviously, we have different ones. And we also see and understand things in different perspectives. The important thing I'm trying to say is that I really hope you don't understand my comments the wrong way. I had absolutely no intention of bringing out the racial issue with my comment, and I find it offensive that you talked about my own ethnic identity insecurity.

[Black Betty]

Originally Posted by B L U E S L A T E

Apparently you haven't really understood the meaning behind the post above. I hope you understand that I have no intention of racism AT ALL. I realized that this isn't the same matter as the problem OP posted. If you have the same background as I do and lived in the same country you'd understand, but at this point it's completely useless of what this is about. It truly isn't a good feeling when both sides of ethnic background looking down on you and belittle with their comments. Apparently historical and cultural background also takes a big role here and, obviously, we have different ones. And we also see and understand things in different perspectives. The important thing I'm trying to say is that I really hope you don't understand my comments the wrong way. I had absolutely no intention of bringing out the racial issue with my comment, and I find it offensive that you talked about my own ethnic identity insecurity.

I wasn't accusing you of being a racist Blue, and I apologize if you took it that way. You do have a different viewpoint and background than I do. I have many Asian friends of various nationalities, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Philipino, Chinese, and Thai (and probably some others who would be mad that I forgot theirs if they read this). I understand a little of how Asians value thier "ethnic purity" as they see it. I dated a Korean girl once and her parents almost head a heart attack when they found out. Their loss not mine. I didn't mean to offend you by my comment. I suppose it's just a cultural difference. Black folks have been in this country and culture much longer than most Asian immigrants and have been forced to assimilate to western culture much more so than more recent immigrants. It seems ludicrous to me to care what your family or your people think if their beliefs are antiquated and out of touch with the realities of today's world, but I can respect that your culture has much more concern with pleasing your parents and your people, and that you might make important personal life decisions based on the opinion of others and how they feel about you or what they might say to you or behind your back.

I can accept your opinion on it and respectfully disagree with it. That doesn't make you racist, it makes you respectful of your culture and mindful of what they think about you and your choice of who you spend your life with. Again, I apologize for remarking on your own identity insecurity.

[jnguyen]

Sigh, things like this make me sad to say I live in good ole Louisiana. Considering my family is mixed and I witness things like this all the time. My uncle got jumped because he is married to a white woman. My other uncle got his car messed up because he is married to a black woman.

[DrJones]

My wife is Brazilian and her skin tone is on the darker side. We've never experienced any racial issues what so ever. This is sad to read.