[quote][u]'Interracial couple denied marriage license in La.[/u]' By MARY FOSTER ~ Associated Press Writer – Thu Oct 15.. 'A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have. 'Keith Bardwell ... says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long. "I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," ................................... '... he ..... came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society ... ....... "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091015/ap_on_re_us/us_interracial_rebuff [/quote] I think that the most important matter here may be this one: [b]"I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."[/b] Do you agree with me? Do you agree with this judge, that the children of 'mixed marriages' suffer? If it's true, is he morally right? He claims not to be racist ~ Is this realism or racism? What are your thoughts on his behaviour, and on the subject in general?

this is disgraceful. he can claim he's not a racist all he likes, but he is promoting nothing short of apartheid. i would like to think that in the uk this would end his career overnight.

I'd wonder what the President of the United States would think of these comments.

maybe he's not bothered as he's not in a mixed marriage?

He has mixed ancestry, though, doesn't he?

yes he does, and i'd be amazed to hear he's not bothered. i was being sarcy up there.

the judges personal beliefs have no place in his work place. his job is to implement the letter of the law, not create it, not sway it and not to implement his own personal opinions.

the judge should be removed from the bench and all his cases should be re visited.

IMO he has a right not to wed whomever he does not want to wed.

He's still a racist.

actually he does not have that right.

a justic of the peace has a job description, part of that is to issue marriage lisences to people, enless it is against the law ie.. 2 people of the same sex, though in some states that is legal.

it is perfectly legal to marry someone of another race and in fact on ALL government documents it says that people should not be discriminated against because of it.

he has no right to do what he did, it does not matter what he personally feels, maybe he needs to look into another line of work??? maybe the KKK is hiring .. who knows.

Do children suffer??? sometimes they do but not always, it is not a law that children WILL suffer if they are mixed racially, it depends on the parents and the family ... and it depends on society and with jerks like this running a court it makes modern day segregation very real.

I am of mixed race, i did suffer greatly,but that is only because my mother was a nut job who left my father secretly while he was out of the country, told me he died and beat me everytime i sounded arab, shave my head often to get rid of my "ethnic" hair amoung other things ...

if the child has well rounded parents who teach the child well and show the child both cultures and both parents families are accepting and loving and so on then the child will not suffer, in fact it will grow up to be a more well rounded and open minded individual.