Justice of peace refuses to marry interracial couple

[whatsfree4me]

Oh yeah, before anyone asks...I'm related to him too!

OK, you even made me chuckle with that one

[cupunlvr]

IMO...I think sociaty has become overly offended....about "Everything"....I mean, I don't think there is anything wrong with interracial marriages, but it isn't like the couple didn't get married......why not just get on with your life and not try to start trouble.....if the guy has some personal convictions and it isn't causing anyone from not getting married then what is the big deal....and for those who think all elected officials do everything by the book.......then you must not get out much....JMO

Some things are worth being "overly offended" by.......Racism is one of them!

This guy should be immediately fired and ousted from the community that he promised to serve. He didn't agree to serve just certain racial segments of the community, he agreed to serve them all, so that means he has failed to live up to his responsibilities. Period.

[Smee]

But the couple were still given their license....they weren't denied anything....they were just referred to another justice of the peace to sign....but to fire this guy, don't you think that is a bit extreme, especially when nothing was done in the past....don't you think that sent a message to the guy?....that it was okay.....why not just tell him, that he can't do this anymore and if he does, it could jeopardize his position...but to fire him after nothing was done in the past....well, I just think that is extreme.

I absolutely do not buy the argument that since society was willing to look the other way all this time, it's not quite as wrong. Basically, you're asking that he be shown more tolerance than he exhibited. Using your argument, it's not like he couldn't get a job somewhere else. He just couldn't work there. He should just move on elsewhere instead of making trouble.

It's not like he didn't know interracial couples have a right to marry and now he's been enlightened. He made deliberate choices. He should be thankful he was able to ride that gravy train as long as he did.

And yes they were denied the right to marry. By him. The fact that people were able to move on does not mean their rights were not violated to begin with.

[loaslaen]

But the couple were still given their license....they weren't denied anything....they were just referred to another justice of the peace to sign....but to fire this guy, don't you think that is a bit extreme, especially when nothing was done in the past....don't you think that sent a message to the guy?....that it was okay.....why not just tell him, that he can't do this anymore and if he does, it could jeopardize his position...but to fire him after nothing was done in the past....well, I just think that is extreme.

Exactly!

"Oh, you offended me because you wouldn't perform my marriage, so I had someone else perform it and now I'm going to the ACLU and I hope you get fired, and your reputation is ruined and everyone hates you because you...you....um what did you do to me? Oh, yeah, you offended me!"

Services were not refused, but were assigned to someone else...nobody lost anything. The couple got married, the judge retained his convictions.

[Smee]

So then you're ok with my earlier examples of the police, DMV, firefighters and schools deciding who to serve based on race?

[Smee]

And it is more than a little ironic that some of the very folks snorting about "offense" are the people who frequently don the Christian Persecution™ hat.

[XUfan]

Bardwell has said he always asks if a couple is interracial and, if they are, refers them to another justice of the peace. Bardwell said no one had complained in the past and he doesn’t marry the couples because he’s worried about their children’s futures.

OK...I promised myself I wouldn't get into this discussion, but I have to ask...

Is race the only issue he is concerned with, as far as the children's futures? What if a couple is jobless? What if they have a history of domestic violence? What if they are alcoholics or drug addicts? Does he refer them to somone else too? I'm thinking that those things would have a pretty big impact on the lives of those children...more so than having parents from different races.

[loaslaen]

Birth control doesn't cause the "death of an innocent life".

Birth control pills can cause a fertilized egg not to attach to the wall of the uterus, which is a form of abortion.

[selah]

The couple weren't the ones who started "the trouble". Being a racist ******* isn't a "personal conviction". It's a personal failing

I don't agree with the guys actions at all, but I can see how it could possibly be a personal conviction....because I was raised in a very strict denomination which use to believe interracial marriages were wrong....my mother would have been very upset with me if I brought home a black boyfriend....and I don't look at her as racist....it was just her belief, because of how she was raised....but she never never ever treated African-Americans different....she lived in Baltimore, Maryland at one point and have black girlfriends....she just didn't believe they should marry outside of race....she thought whites should marry whites and vice versa...I myself, think the denomination just taught wrong because I don't find where it is Biblical....but beliefs are hard to change.

[loaslaen]

OK...I promised myself I wouldn't get into this discussion, but I have to ask...

Is race the only issue he is concerned with, as far as the children's futures? What if a couple is jobless? What if they have a history of domestic violence? What if they are alcoholics or drug addicts? Does he refer them to somone else too? I'm thinking that those things would have a pretty big impact on the lives of those children...more so than having parents from different races.

I don't know the answer to that, but I would say that those would be different than his view because those are things that can be CHANGED. Skin color/race cannot. You can't really look at someone and tell if they are jobless, poor, abusive, drug addicted, etc, but you know if a white person and a black person marry, any children WILL be biracial.