Tweet
The racist Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell went on CBS’ The Early Show this morning to talk about his refusal to marry an interracial couple. He claims he did it for the children:
I’ve had countless numbers of people that was born in that situation, and that they claim that the blacks or the whites didn’t accept the children. And I didn’t want to put the children in that position.
Nope, no racism there. None at all. Just trying to protect future children.
Bardwell ended the interview by offering this “apology” to the now married couple:
I’m sorry, you know, that I offended the couple, but I did help them and tell them who to go to and to get married and they went and got married, and they should be happibly [sic] married, and I don’t see what the problem is now.
Here is the video:
43 Comments
Go travel through the south racism is alive and sick in many places across this nation.
“recused himself”
Fixed that for you, twolf.
No justification for the Justice of the Peace. Period.
That Neanderthal Bigoted Cracker’s mother married a Toad. See what happens ? So there. Case made.
Where does he get off with this ‘doing it for the children’ bit?
He isn’t responsible for them, being neither family member nor legal guardian.
Not to take away from the racism (which is mind boggling), but even if this did not involve race it would be outrageous. Why should a justice of the peace have any discretion in deciding whether to marry two people? Is that really the law of Louisiana?
Now, if you know me, I’m not a superficial person, ya know? Like, appearances mean nothing to me. Really. But that is one ugly motherfucker.
I have nothing positive to contribute to this post other than this guy should rot in the hell of his own making.
Thanks TWolf1 for bringing it up to date, I hope he goes down soon, given even that the ratfuck Gindoll has taken him to task.
Harumph.
BUTT ugly, in and out.
Grrrr . . .
In the south a JP is not what it probably is other places. They are uneducated and ignorant. I recall an incident when I was in college – three of us were traveling and got stopped for speeding. Patrolman took us to the JP and he asked how much money we had. We told him and he took EVERY cent the 3 of us had. Nice, huh?
As Digby noted instantly, when this bozo made the news with his bullshit about protecting the kids:
It’s horrible. Just THINK; an interracial child could grow up to become President of the United States. The shame of it all!
He explained that he does not issue the license, and he has a right to refuse to perform a marriage. His claim about children crtainly fails; he describes the misery of bi-racial children who are then not accepted by anyone. Made me wonder if he knows who the President is…..
This guy actually made worse comments in earlier attempts to “justify” his refusal to marry this interracial couple, like his assertion that he lets black people “use my bathroom.”
Now he’s saying that he told this couple where to go to get married:
“I did help them and tell them who to go to and to get married and they went and got married.”
In other words, his earlier excuse that he stupidly thought that an interracial couple had less of a chance of having a successful marriage turns out to be bullshit. He’s now admitting that the truth is that his real problem was the idea that he would be the one marrying them.
This guy isn’t just a racist.
He’s just plain stupid.
How’d he become a justice of the peace?
Unfortunately, willingness by some people in government to abuse their authority is not geographically limited. I can’t find the link, but there were stories about county clerks refusing to allow self uniting marriages to non-Quakers (which violates the establishment clause.)
That said, there are certainly big differences in the discretion officials have – too much, especially when it come to the criminal law (using that term loosely.) I’d like to see a lot less of that across the board.
The Supremes spoke on this in 1967: laws prohibiting interracial marriage or procreation are specifically unconstitutional, per Loving vs. Commonwealth of Virginia. No state may legislate as such – or suffer the continued employment of a public official like this rethug, for that matter.
by the way, how precisely does one mispell a word like “happily” in a televised interview. I’m confused.
{{{{{TAN!!!!}}}}}
*G*
Right – I was asking about whether he could deny this if it hadn’t involved race – which RevBev helpfully set me straight about @ 12.
(By the way, Loving did not rely solely on a ban against racial discrimination – it also held that marriage was a fundamental right.)
so.. in other words, he’s saying that interracial marriage is bad for kids ’cause people like him won’t accept those kids…
isn’t that kind of like health insurers sayin’ that rates will go way up with healthcare reform ’cause they’re going to raise them?
“I’m not racist. I’m just trying to prevent future racism by ensuring their mulatto children are never born.”
ISn’t it fascinating when a member of the So-Called Liberal Media fails to ask exactly the question on everyone’s mind? “What about President Obama?” is what most people thought when this racist made headlines, but the CBS guy managed to conduct the entire interview without asking the one question most Americans thought of right away, when they heard his nonsense about “the children.”
Isn’t that odd? It happens with Barbara Walters all the time, too.
“I’m sorry, you know….”
No you’re not. Fuck you asshole.
Or when Senators say there aren’t enough votes for Public Option, and then don’t vote for it themselves?
“happibly” is how he pronounced the word, thus the [sic] in the transcript, imho.
watertiger is upstairs!
Late Night: The South Carolina GOP Supper Club Presents “The Merchants of Prejudice”
Behold the face of the Republican Party.
this guy just might have a future career in national rethug politics…
When he says at the end “I don’t see what the problem is now,” I have no doubt that that is literally true.
Geez, do I know you?
Same thing happened to me and three guys on our way to Florida from North Carolina. Left us with gas money. We had to eat tuna fish and crackers for the weekend.
Second run in was for fishing with a goddamn stick and a string without a license. Had to go to a manure warehouse to pay that fine.
Can’t you just see this guy in a hood and robe with a torch in his hand?
Having lived in Louisiana and literally seen KKK rallies and the results of lynchings with my own eyes, I can tell you that people like this man are a dime a dozen South of the Mason Dixon Line. The best way to deal with it is to shun and ignore them. You see how his interviewer was asking questions like he was talking to a third grader?
I can also add that these people are a dime a dozen, including people that shot at Black people in the aftermath of Katrina. How the US Army Reservist leaving a dead Black man’s body in the 9th Ward area? This is all documented and shouldn’t shock ANYBODY at all.
There are good people down south, they are just overshadowed by numb-nuts like this guy.
What they should be doing it not letting these nuts near a public office, all often they do.
I have my doubts about the good people in the South, and I’m one of them.
Mostly, as far as I can tell, good people in the South are so traumatized and fucked-up from all the crazy racist shit going on that they lack any willpower to do anything about it.
As the father of a mixed race daughter and the soon-to-be grandfather of a mixed race grandson my official position is:
BLOW IT OUT YOUR ASS, BARDWELL!
This guy represents a statistically significant demographic in today’s GOP: the ignorant, bigoted cousin fuck. You’ve seen his type at every McCain/Palin rally. He makes up more than half of those at every teabagger event. Hell, all of the birthers are probably related to this mental pygmy. The progenitors of this poor sap spent one too many generations in the shallow end of the gene pool and bam, we wound up with this buffoon who’s dumber than a bag of turds.
Sadly, this really is the face of today’s GOP.
Well, here in Maine our same sex marriage law is written in a way that does not force a church or anyone who does not support gay marriage to have to perform this kind of marriage. Seems fair to me and with that in mind, if this asshole doesn’t want to perform marriages on biracial couples he shouldn’t be forced to. There are enough justices of the peace out there who will!
Just my take on it.
Here’s the part in Maine’s law I’m talking about:
Emotions aside, mixed race children are some of the most beautiful children on the planet.
My sister and her boyfriend slept in the park.
She had to leave home ’cause he was dark.
Now they parade around in New York with a baby boy…
He’s gorgeous!
Ain’t nobody leaving!
No one’s leaving…
Blacks call each other brother and sis’
Count me in ’cause I been missed.
I’ve seen color changed by a kiss.
Ask my brother
And my sister.
No One’s Leaving Jane’s Addiction
I have a huge problem with the opt out for JoPs in Maine. Look, if you have objections to certain people marrying, you should not have the authority of the state to pick and choose which couples are acceptable to marry.
I find it incredibly ironic on a diary about a racist JoP in La. that refused to marry a couple of mixed race that you find it appropriate for Maine to allow JoPs to opt out. Did it occur to you that some backwoods JoP in Aroostock County (one of the largest and most remote counties in America) might decide he doesn’t want to marry Gertrude and Nancy or Steve and Bill.
The opt outs are a bad precedent. We’ve had enough issues w/ so-called “christian” pharmacists declining to fill prescriptions for birth control and other medications, so why would you support allowing quasi-public officials in Maine to legally sanction bigotry?
Bardwell doesn’t have the option to deny people their Constitutionally guaranteed rights. It is not his prerogative to say, “Sorry, I don’t agree with Federal Law, so I don’t have to obey it.” Even if state law said he could do so, it would be a violation of the Constitution. Last time I checked, the Constitution was in effect, even in Louisiana. Bardwell is not an independent businessman – as if that mattered – he is a public servant who has sworn to uphold the law and not just when he agrees with them.
He broke the law, he violated his oath of office, and he is a bigoted imbecile. Remove him from office and make him confront the justice system with his lame arguments. Make him an example for all of the other would be Bardwells who think that the Constitution is optional. He doesn’t deserve lynching, but he should be criminally charged and tried. If convicted, he should have at least a fine stiff enough to focus his tiny little mind and the those like him.
Racial bigotry is not compatible with what we say we believe.
“This guy represents a statistically significant demographic in today’s GOP”
Oh? What is the percentage and what is your source?
“He makes up more than half of those at every teabagger event.”
Oh? What is the percentage and what is your source?
Except Bardwell is a Justice of the Peace, not someone who functions as a representative of a religious organization. He functions as a representative of the government. Not only that, but he did not claim he refused to marry the multiracial couple because of religious reasons.
Hi everyone.
Just testing.
*G*
I wonder if He hid His sheet that was in the closet.
I just took another look at His picture, if this guy doesn’t look like a clan member what does.
You know all of them are respected members of society, not bar fies and bums.
Church Sunday morning and the bonfire Sunday night.