Interracial couple denied marriage license

Really? In 2009? Has this guy lived in a box for the last 50 years?

Interracial couple denied marriage license

La. justice of the peace cites concerns about any children couple might have

updated 2 hours, 11 minutes ago

HAMMOND, La. - 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.

Neither Bardwell nor the couple immediately returned phone calls from The AssociatedPress. But Bardwell told the Daily Star of Hammond that he was not a racist.

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"I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house," Bardwell said. "My main concern is for the children."

‘I feel the children will later suffer’
Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with blacks and whites, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.

"I don't do interracial marriages because I don't want to put children in a situation they didn't bring on themselves," Bardwell said. "In my heart, I feel the children will later suffer."

If he does an interracial marriage for one couple, he must do the same for all, he said.

"I try to treat everyone equally," he said.

Thirty-year-old Beth Humphrey and 32-year-old Terence McKay, both of Hammond, say they will consult the U.S. Justice Departmentabout filing a discrimination complaint.

Humphrey told the newspaper she called Bardwell on Oct. 6 to inquire about getting a marriage license signed. She says Bardwell's wife told her that Bardwell will not sign marriage licenses for interracial couples.

"It is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009," said American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana attorney Katie Schwartzman. "The Supreme Court ruled as far back as 1963 that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry."

‘He knew he was breaking the law’
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.

"He knew he was breaking the law, but continued to do it," Schwartzman said.

According to the clerk of court's office, application for a marriage license must be made three days before the ceremony because there is a 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.

Other than that, all they need is a birth certificate and Social Security card.

The license fee is $35, and the license must be signed by a Louisiana minister, justice of the peace or judge. The original is returned to the clerk's office.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

DEATH TO WALL STREET CAPITALIST THIEVES!!!

AIG took over $90,000,000,000.00 (thats billion) in government bailout money.

Think about that for a minute. $90,000,000,000.00

And today, it has come out that AIG is now paying out $1,750,000,000.00 in bonuses.

Folks, you are being robbed. Not by a man with a gun or a knife, but by a group of people wearing suits, with good friends like Hank Paulson, and Tim Geithner. I say it's time for some Capitalist Punishment. That's right, I am calling for our government to begin summary executions for the entire board of directors of AIG, Hank Paulson, and Tim Geithner! We execute everyone else! Fuck, Texas executes children and the retarded! I say we give them to Texas and tell them it's time to live up to their reputation. Tell them they're be forever labeled "Yellow Bellied Cowards" if they don't follow through! And, We'll sell them to Mexico!

Paulson and Geithner are both Capitalist conspirators, and should be charged with aiding and abetting grand, grand, grand, grand, grand larceny!

If you are not outraged, then you deserve this.

And let's talk about Capitalism for a moment.

I saw Michael Moore's new movie, "Capitalism : A Love Story". I loved it.

But there were a few points brought up, and one I feel is worth stating.

If the point of Capitalism is that the "good" businesses will survive because the consumers will choose them, and the "Bad" ones will fail. And they should be allowed to die off, according to Capitalists. Then why did all those Capitalists insist we had to bailout "Bad" businesses that the consumers decided should fail? Why did they want a "Socialist" bailout for Capitalism?

If a business is "Too Big To Fail", then it never should've been allowed to grow that large, and should be broken up and dismantled. That, or allowed to fail!

The Tip Jar......

I am going to give a non political rant here.

I hate the Tip Jar. You know what I'm talking about. The little jar that is on every counter of every retail establishment in this country.

I pride myself on being a good tipper. I waited tables for years, and tended bar for a short while. I fully recognize the importance of tips. They are the majority of income for many in the service industry. But the tip jar is a complete slap in the face. You see, in many states, it's allowed to pay waitstaff less than minimum wage. When I waited tables I made about 40% below the federally set minimum wage. But these people who work at coffee houses, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and others all make at least the minimum wage. Plus, they do less for you.

A server takes your order, makes part of your meal, personally reviews your service, resolves any issues you may have. They make themselves responsible for your service. They are also generally working class women, who have no other means to make a living wage. The person at Dunkin Donuts is either a kid, the owner, or part of the owner's family. They make more in salary, They get you a donut or coffee, and ship you off without any care if you got what you wanted. You are not getting a meal. They don't come back and check to see if you liked everything. And then they have the audacity to put out a tip jar (or cup) and expect you to drop whatever change you have in there. For doing what????

The other problem is that it only serves to frustrate society. When you are being strong armed into tipping for everything, you eventually start to resent the entire process. Therefore you wind up not tipping people who've actually earned it.

I say enough!

I also am not a fan of Automatic Gratuity's being added to the bill. At least I dislike them when they are not made VERY clear upfront (like the waitstaff should tell you, "Oh, just so you know, we have a policy that parties the size of yours will have a 15% gratuity added). And It should not be mandatory. Meaning, I understand that large parties can sometimes undertip. And that the servers have to work twice as hard, and forgo other tables. So it being on the bill automatically (Again, after being made painstakingly clear to you) is understandable. But it shouldn't be mandatory. If you feel you got poor service, you should be able to tell them manager that you feel the level of service did not warrant 15% (or 10% or 0%). You, of course, can always leave more, if you choose. It should also be highlighted on the bill. Frequently you have a large party, and there are 32 lines of items, and in there, below the food, but above the tax, is the Tip added in already. On more than one occasion did I tip 20% only to find out I had also automatically tipped 18%. I was very aggravated.

There are other jobs that earn tips as well. The pizza delivery guy uses his own car, and fuel and usually gets paid pennies on the dollar for each mile driven. He deserves a tip too. Unless you see a driver delivery fee. Then, I feel, that should be the tip. if the Pizza shop s pocketing it, then the driver should find a new pizza shop. Hair salons, masseuses, casino dealers, valets, and many others should be tipped. But enough is enough with the tip jar. Where will it end? The grocery clerk for ringing you up quickly? The mall security guard for making sure no one keys your car? Really, where will it end?