NEW ORLEANS – A white 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, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, 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," :blink: Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."

Bardwell said he asks everyone who calls about marriage if they are a mixed race couple. If they are, he does not marry them, he said.

Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with blacks and whites, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.

"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage," Bardwell said. "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."

If he did an interracial marriage for one couple, he must do the same for all, he said.

"I try to treat everyone equally," he said. :logik:

Bardwell estimates that he has refused to marry about four couples during his career, all in the past 2 1/2 years.

Beth Humphrey, 30, and 32-year-old Terence McKay, both of Hammond, say they will consult the U.S. Justice Department about filing a discrimination complaint.

Humphrey, an account manager for a marketing firm, said she and McKay, a welder, just returned to Louisiana. She is white and he is black. She plans to enroll in the University of New Orleans to pursue a masters degree in minority politics.

"That was one thing that made this so unbelievable," she said. "It's not something you expect in this day and age."

Humphrey said she called Bardwell on Oct. 6 to inquire about getting a marriage license signed. She says Bardwell's wife told her that Bardwell will not sign marriage licenses for interracial couples. Bardwell suggested the couple go to another justice of the peace in the parish who agreed to marry them.

"We are looking forward to having children," Humphrey said. "And all our friends and co-workers have been very supportive. Except for this, we're typical happy newlyweds."

"It is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009," said American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana attorney Katie Schwartzmann. She said the Supreme Court ruled in 1967 "that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry."

The ACLU sent a letter to the Louisiana Judiciary Committee, which oversees the state justices of the peace, asking them to investigate Bardwell and recommending "the most severe sanctions available, because such blatant bigotry poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the administration of justice."

"He knew he was breaking the law, but continued to do it," Schwartzmann said.

According to the clerk of court's office, application for a marriage license must be made three days before the ceremony because there is a 72-hour waiting period. The applicants are asked if they have previously been married. If so, they must show how the marriage ended, such as divorce.

Other than that, all they need is a birth certificate and Social Security card.

The license fee is $35, and the license must be signed by a Louisiana minister, justice of the peace or judge. The original is returned to the clerk's office.

"I've been a justice of the peace for 34 years and I don't think I've mistreated anybody," Bardwell said. "I've made some mistakes, but you have too. I didn't tell this couple they couldn't get married. I just told them I wouldn't do it."

Are you offended because he would be against your interspecies marriage?

A 'school' of fish...a 'pride' of lions...a 'pile' of blacks.

A new collective term is born.

Yes. Black people clearly travel in "piles".

Just as racists travel in "Klans".

:D Nice.

Yes, it's terrible these days, the way gangs of whites are targeting blacks for violence.

That one really hit you hard... didn't it, Prowling?

"Klans" :lol:

"Good one, Chin!" "Thanks Kali!"

:lol: You and your brethren, continue to hang tough...

The one on the right has a very big sword! I like big swords! Hottie boom balottie!

That klan pic is older than I am.

Here's Michelle interviewing one of today's actual vile racists (note that after hearing Mr. Shobiz mispronounce 'Nifong' for the 3rd time, an exasperated off-camera Michelle can be heard correcting his Ebonics at 2:12 and 2:18.)

http://www.strimoo.com/video/14603729/Mich...rs-Youtube.html

Nobody said all racists were white.

Now we're getting somewhere. I would venture that although blacks only make up about 13% of the population, the majority of racists in this country are black. The majority of whites in America are unaware of this, for two reasons; They don't deal with blacks, and the liberal white media cover for them.

While true, that can't be said about the ones on this board.

I have no idea how many racists there are in this country and what percentage of them are what color.

I only know that based on your posts, you are a racist, and you post as being white.

Therefore, the current tally for PD is....

Dumb white racists- 1
Other racists- Nill

Wow this story is outrageous.

I can only speculate as to how you've drawn the conclusion that I am a racist, but I will give it a shot -- I'm not ashamed to be white, and I'm willing to point out some very politically incorrect facts. Any honest black person would be neither outraged nor offended by these facts. Alarmed, yes.

Do I need to break out my black chick cashier at the gas station anecdote again?

I realize that some of you folks in WhiteyVille aren't accustomed to dealing with piles of negroes, but that doesn't mean the rest of us don't have to be careful where we tread.

I saw an attractive white chick jogging downtown one day, and instantly knew one of two things; She's undercover, or she just moved here.