CNN: Newlywed won't tolerate La. official's 'overt racism'

updated 55 minutes ago

(CNN) -- The woman who was denied a marriage license by a Louisiana justice of the peace because he refused to marry interracial couples said the official should lose his job.

Beth McKay said she never could have expected what she heard from Tangipahoa Parish's 8th Ward Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell when she called his office a week ago to officiate her marriage to her African-American fiance, Terence.

McKay spoke with Bardwell's wife to make arrangements for the ceremony.

"At the end of the conversation, she said that she had to ask me a question. She asked if this was an interracial marriage." When McKay replied yes, she was told, "Well, we don't do interracial weddings or marriages."

McKay said she was beyond shock. "We are used to the closet racism, but we're not going to tolerate that overt racism from an elected official."

<snip>

The Supreme Court struck down laws against interracial marriage in the landmark 1967 Loving v. Virginia case. Richard and Mildred Loving, who got married in Washington, D.C., were arrested in their Virginia home with their marriage license framed and hanging on the wall, for the simple fact of being husband and wife.

In the unanimous decision, the Supreme Court said that "Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the state."

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Justice stands by refusal to give interracial couple license to wed

it's obvious the man should have nothing to do with the field of justice

Mornin', Skittles! :hi:

:hi:

He should be charged for breaking the law.

If they decide to have kids, I'm sure they'll be beautiful kids.

but any children they may have in the future. The telling thing is that that although the JP claims to care about this couple's future children, it's unconstitutional for him to deny them the right to marry on the basis of race, and the only people who pose a threat to the couple's future children are people like this JP.

How many people have simply shrugged their shoulders and just found another Justice of the Peace?

How many years has this been going on?

I propose a new slogan- Racism: See Something, Say Something.

Do NOT let racism go unchallenged.

EVER.

I appreciate your passion. Many people would go along with it just to make their lives simpler. If everyone fought against every racist incident, they'd be doing nothing but fighting all day long. I'm not excusing it, but I can understand why some probably thought it would be easier just to find another justice of the peace.

Racism: See something. Say something.

Love it. :thumbsup: :applause:

Otherwise, I agree.

on the streets and online. I have seen more racism (yes, even on the streets) since Obama got elected than I have my whole adult life. As Obama's term wears on we will see even more and more racism to the point where I think we'll eventually see violence.

Web traffic to the KKK and other hate sites have increased also. I think the racism with the Republicans have always been there,it's just become more visible now that we have a black President. Even my own Mother is forwarding racist emails to me.

It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. And if Obama wins a second term? Look out!!

Afterall, they might grow up to be President of the United States or something!

I mean REALLY!!

Pick up a fucking newspaper, Mr. Bardwell!

by in effect saying, "Eh, have your kids out of wedlock!"

was that Bardwell and the missus reckoned that this action was socially and politically acceptable in their time and place. And they surely based this on observation of how most people in their little corner of the world thought and acted.