"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way."
— Keith Bardwell, a Louisiana Justice of the Peace who sounds like a Rip Van Winkle character who slept through the '60s,'70s, '80s . . . (you get the picture). He says he's concerned for the children interracial couples would have, and that in Tangipahoa Parish where he lives, interracial marriages don't last long. Last I heard, the chances of any marriage in the US lasting is about 50/50 and that people of opposite sexes, anyway, are free to marry who they choose.
Source: Getty
Mulberry
Jette Joop
Butterfly
dude, your a bigot just step down and walk away.
1I went to high school about 20 miles from where this happened. It doesn't surprise me at all. It might be "The New South" but it's the same old racism.
2"concerned for the children interracial couples would have"?!?!? concerned for them how? why? because they're so damn cute?
this is absolutely shocking to hear in 2009, wow
3Wow, exactly skigurl, aren't we in the year 2009 (which is almost over now)?
4This is just ridiculous! He says he's not a racist but he's such a liar. If you discriminate anyone, or any couple for that matter, because of their skin color and race, you're a racist. There's no if's, and's or but's about it.
5As a justice of the peace he isn't bound to marry everyone who asks. I am more shocked that he thinks he's not a racist, then that he wouldn't marry them. How dumb do you have to be to announce your idiocy!
6Comments like this make me want to jump off of a bridge because of the sheer frustration.
7Ditto, sham28. The problem isn't the racism, but getting caught?
Get rid of anonymous comments!
8skigurl, you rock: "concerned for the children interracial couples would have"?!?!? concerned for them how? why? because they're so damn cute?
honestly, this kind of legacy in the U. S. is one of the reasons my husband and I chose to get married abroad. In our travels within the U. S. border we have received disapproving comments and glances. It is 2009 but not everyone realizes that.
9Yes SkiGUrl - I agree with you 100%. This is ridiculous.
10It's funny because most of us are mixed in some way. This guy probably is too. My Great Grandmother was Native American and her husband, my Great Grandfather, was German. Most of us have some kind of other ethnicity in our blood somewhere in our line.
11I agree 100% with him. Rock on Keith!!!!!!!!!!!
12He also said, "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom."
I'm sold, I mean he lets them use his bathroom...you know how gross that is, he must not be a racist.
13"I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."
14Thanks for your concern Keith but I'm multi-racial and I am doing pretty damn well for myself. I have never suffered because I am multi-racial.
oh please... MOST marriages these days don't last, regardless of the races of people in them. Amazingly ignorant...it just spews out of his mouth endlessly, the bathroom comment was particuraly showing. "them" ugh.
15"I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it." FYI, they can still have children without being married genius. Your not helping them with that. And this whole article completely disgusts me. I'm so sick of racism, when will people open their minds?!
16This really, really makes me angry. Being one half of an interracial couple, it really hits home. Sorry for the kids? I know plenty of white on white people who shouldn't have married or procreated, but they did.
17Ugh. I could shake this guy for his blatant racism and bigotry. And to have the nerve to deny the fact that he is.
I'm sure he really honestly doesn't think hes racist, which is the worst part of it all. If you can honestly tell someone you KNOW you can't be racist because you let "them" use your bathroom, you're in the throes of some serious denial.
18Just because society accepts something as ok, doesn't mean everyone has to conform what they do and say to what society thinks is ok. People are entitled to their own beliefs. His reasoning may be dubious, but would anyone call him less of a "racist" if he had provided no reasoning at all? Doubtful.
19I would have made a different comment but skigurl, zeze, snookyx, and burotukunam said everything I was thinking. Anyone who agrees with this man is just as pathetic as he is.
20Not surprising. The thing that is surprising is that we are just hearing about this incident, how many other couples has he really turned away and they said nothing or nothing came about it? He is a bigot, through and through.
21Unethical and immoral.
22Anonymous #19, when you are a judge your duty is to enforce the law, not follow your beliefs. If you don't agree nor respect justice, then you shouldn't be a judge, as simple as that. This is a free country and you should be able to marry whomever you which, not what a judge thinks is best for you.
23That's disgusting. My mum and dad are an interracial couple and were married in Morocco 18 years ago! And this is Morocco of all places! Get it together, America!
24Welcome to the South where intolerance and idiocy prevail. This is just so wrong. (and yes, I live in the South now).
25I'm not violent, I just think Keith Bardwell should have his face smashed beyond recognition
26And knowing the track record of American leader-types, I'd put $100 on the fact that this dude has at least one illegitimate lovechild with his black mistress
27Well, Judge, Barack Obama is the son of a white mother and a black father and he became one of the most powerful men in the world...so I think the kids have a reasonable chance to succeed.
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