Keith Bardwell, a justice of the peace in Louisiana, denied a couple their marriage license based on the fact that it was an interracial relationship. I, for one, think there is too much brouhaha over this story. You're probably thinking, "But, Michelle, he's a racist!" It is my personal belief that Bardwell is not a hateful man, or even a complete and utter racist for that matter.
Bardwell says that he has not denied marriage to people based on their race alone. In fact, he has married numerous black couples. He is friends with people of multiple races, and he has discussed this issue with them. He is opposed to interracial marriage because, from his personal experience as well as the experiences of others, interracial marriages have not lasted long or have had a good impact on children.
Do I agree with him? No, I don't. In fact, I am the product of an interracial relationship, and I am in one myself. So is my sister. So is my brother. So is my aunt. Obviously, I am not opposed to interracial relationships or interracial marriage. However, I was raised and still live in a place where jokes about white girls and their black boyfriends run rampant, a place where jokes about blacks and Native Americans are very, very, very frequent, and a place where people often refer to President Obama's race in many of their jokes. I can honestly tell you that most of these people are not racist.
I mean, everyone's a little bit racist. I'll admit it myself. To a certain extent, I like black jokes. To an even greater extent, I like jokes about my own race. Native Americans have a great sense of humor about themselves. A major portion of their jokes are about Native American culture. Everyone makes judgments based on race. It's in our blood. Does that mean that statements, like, "Black people are the scum of the earth and should be murdered," are acceptable? Hell no! But that doesn't mean we should be policing political correctness and accusing everyone left and right of bigotry for a few racially-fueled jokes.
I realize that this is a different topic. However, I can also tell you that many of the people I am surrounded by are a little uncomfortable with interracial relationships. A black guy with a white girlfriend comes to mind. People often are weary when it comes to these types of things. Couples like that are often joked about or even criticized. To me, it's not right or fair, but those kinds of attitudes don't make a person a complete and utter racist.
I mean, look at the percentage of Americans who either are not sure they agree with interracial relationships or oppose them altogether: 32 percent. Does that mean that 32 percent of Americans are racist? Of course not! In fact, many black people actually share Bardwell's opinion. People need to open up their minds and realize that some people live in a completely different atmosphere with completely different values, especially the elderly who have grown up in a different time and place entirely.
In further defense of Bardwell, let's take a look at what this man has to say:
To me, this man seems nothing but well-intentioned and goodhearted. I am seeing constant hate for him. "What a bigoted racist. He should just die. I hope he burns in Hell." If you ask me, those with open minds should at least be more considerate. You don't have to agree with Bardwell. I sure as hell don't! The point I'm trying to make is that, in America, we can't force people to think like we do.
In the private industry, priests, rabbis, imams, and other issuers of marriage can deny pretty much anyone marriage. As a government worker, however, it is against the law for Bardwell to deny people marriage if they can pay up front. He misunderstood this, and it was a very honest misunderstanding. He thought that the law was that you could not prevent people from getting married. In fact, he offered them his advice and referred them to someone who would marry them. Does that really make him such an awful man? I think not!
Call me a racist, call me a bigot, call me whatever the hell you want, but I don't care. I stand by my statements. Leave your comments below. Thank you, God bless you, and have a fabulous day!
I agree that even people who arent fundamentally racist still uncomfortable around interracial couples , I mean even I , being a black person , had this weird feeling many time when seeing a black man dating a white chick , while I have nothing against white people , native american people or anyone.
ReplyDeleteits just hard to describe and takes time to get used to . Jokes are fine . but personally I think taking the responsibility to deny an interracial marriage based on someone's own experience was taking it a little far.
not on the racism side , but on the individual liberty one
I wouldn't actually disagree. It is a bit too far, but it's hard for us to understand. He has different values, and he misinterpreted the law. I wish people would think differently, but unfortunately, we are all shaped by different experiences. He was raised much differently than so many of us are, so I think people should just lay off and stop calling him a racist bigot. Great points, Thino.
ReplyDeleteI think understanding is always preferable to denunciation, so I agree with the case you're making. I find your outlook very enlightening, and I want to thank you for sharing it. It did open up a whole new perspective.
ReplyDeleteAww. Thanks.
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