JP Bardwell Resigns!
Tuesday November 3, 2009
Great news! Keith Bardwell resigned as a justice of the peace today! He didn't give a reason and honestly, we don't care why he resigned. We're just glad that he did resign.
Keith Bardwell's term as justice of the peace was set to run through 2014.
Bardwell: "I do hereby resign the office of Justice of the Peace for the Eighth Ward of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, effective November 3, 2009."
Source: Melinda Deslatte. "La. justice quits after interracial wed flap." SFGate.com. 11/03/2009.
In case you don't remember who he is, Bardwell made news in October 2009 when he refused to marry an interracial couple.
In response to the original news story, a new organization/website was started-
http://www.interracialfamily.org
MISSION STATEMENT- To facilitate the cultural recognition of interracial/multicultural families and disassociate this culture from longstanding stigma by exposing and discrediting stereotypes.
I am so please that this has resolved the way it should!
This is not good.
I think the couple should be able to get married if they want to. Color doesn’t matter. However, if the man doesn’t believe in it, then why force him to do so, or to quit his job because you don’t like it. While I am sure they are mad and hurt that he refused to do the service, I am sure they went somewhere else to get married.
This is much like forcing an OB/GYN who doesn’t perform abortions to quit because he refused to perform one on a patient (or to perscribe contriceptive like my wifes OB/GYN). You can go elsewhere.
The real problems occur when there is no where to go. But, that isn’t the case here.
Don’t force your beliefs down everyone. His beliefs didn’t prevent them from marrying, but you beliefs took away his job.
By the way, there are many people who are against mixed races (I am not one of them). I saw an Oprah episode where the audience was full of Black women who are mad that Black men are marrying White women. They say it isn’t right becuase there are not enough Black men available to marry the Black women, and that thier children will be mixed. This was on Oprah. I see a double standard.
Gary, I think the difference between Bardwell’s role and that of a doctor is that Bardwell was a public servant who took an oath to uphold the laws of the state.
I am glad he resigned. What a ridiculously bigoted and outdated person. By the way…since you work together you may be interested..
I have started a blog on my life with my husband called: sleepingwithmyboss.com Since we have nearly 20 years of experience working and living, loving and hating together, I thought I would write about our experiences. Look into my blog and follow along as I “tell all”. Thanks: I hope you check it out and contribute and enjoy my tales.