Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
CNN reports:
A Louisiana justice of the peace who drew criticism for refusing to marry an interracial couple has resigned, the secretary of state's office said Tuesday.Keith Bardwell resigned in person at the Louisiana secretary of state's office, said spokesman Jacques Berry. The state Supreme Court will appoint an interim justice of the peace to fill Bardwell's position, Berry said, and a special election will be held next year to fill the position permanently.
But he's still clueless:
Bardwell, speaking to CNN affiliate WBRZ, said he was advised "that I needed to step down because they was going to take me to court, and I was going to lose.""I would probably do the same thing again," he said. "I found out I can't be a justice of the peace and have a conscience."
No, you dolt. You found out that you can't have a job that requires you to perform legal duties and then refuse to perform those duties when they conflict with your racism. Welcome to reality. Maybe one day you can join the rest of us in the 21st century.
Politics
Comments
He's only concerned for the children of the inter-racial couple. Isn't it reasonable that the offspring would suffer terribly and live a horrible life because of prejudice?
I don't know of any good example of a mixed-race person being even modestly successful in life. Well, there is that one guy who's president...
Posted by: Audrey | November 5, 2009 9:36 AM
I predict that: Bardwell will get an even more lucrative job as a right-wing radio bloviator, and make a very comfortable living pretending to be a victim of Northern liberal bigots; and his replacement as JP will be a slightly less obvious racist jerk.
Posted by: Raging Bee | November 5, 2009 9:43 AM
Now they need to go after the idiot that let him pull this shit.
Posted by: democommie | November 5, 2009 9:57 AM
Hey, he's just trying to protect those kids from people like him. Give the guy a break!
Posted by: Philbert | November 5, 2009 10:00 AM
Isn't it a provision of one of the civil rights acts that if, under color of authority you violate another person's civil rights that you (personally) can be held liable for money damages?
I believe that it would serve the public good for there to be a consequence for this schmuck beyond just losing his job and public humiliation.
Posted by: Preston | November 5, 2009 10:03 AM
Of course if Bardwell claimed it was his religious conviction that mixed race couples should not be married, that would be another kettle of fish.
Posted by: The Moiety | November 5, 2009 10:12 AM
I don't know of any good example of a mixed-race person being even modestly successful in life. Well, there is that one guy who's president...
And then there's some golfer. Oh, yeah, there are several actresses....
Posted by: gwangung | November 5, 2009 10:20 AM
There's another guy who's the captain of the champions of baseball. Jerek Deter! Yeah, that's it.
Posted by: FishyFred | November 5, 2009 10:25 AM
And another guy who's been modestly successful at his sport - someone named Woods.
Posted by: Taz | November 5, 2009 10:26 AM
Preston @5,
What public humiliation? He's getting high-fives at the club where the only blacks are there to clean up after. He hasn't admitted that he did anything wrong, only that he would lose in court. Odd sentiment for a justice.
Posted by: MikeMa | November 5, 2009 10:29 AM
"They was going to take me to court." I love it.
Posted by: Solly Hofman | November 5, 2009 10:55 AM
because they was going to take me to court, and I was going to lose
Guess what? They is still taking you to court and one hopes you is gonna lose big-time.
Posted by: Shay | November 5, 2009 10:57 AM
In all seriousness, though--the whole "I'm worried about biracial kids having a hard time [from racists like me, no doubt]" is of a kind with the concern-trolling homophobes who insist their worry is that gay kids are greater risks for depression and suicide. Well, no shit--bigots like you insist on drilling their evilness and ungodliness into their skulls constantly, so can you be surprised?
Posted by: Solly Hofman | November 5, 2009 10:58 AM
MikeMa @10 Then I really hope my vague memory of one of the civil rights acts allowing civil liability for rights violations is correct. I realize this couple probably doesn't need a set of sheets with eye holes, a poster of David Duke and some loose change but it's important for their to be a consequence.
Posted by: Preston | November 5, 2009 11:13 AM
it's along the same lines as the, "We can't let gays in the military because straight guys in the military might discriminate against them."
Really? Your argument is that we can't have equal rights because doing so will piss off the bigots?
Posted by: dogmeatib | November 5, 2009 11:56 AM
Preston @14,
Me too. The idea that this bigoted asswipe will just walk away from a lifetime (assumed >1 but 1 is too many) of civil rights violations sucks.
Bardwell doesn't exist in a vacuum. If the environment did not condone his actions, he would not have existed at his post for as long as he did. Public shaming would be more useful than a fine or jail but I don't think they'd allow use of stocks, even in LA.
Posted by: MikeMa | November 5, 2009 12:09 PM
I'm glad the guy resigned.
I wonder how many of you have ever really talked to a mixed race person about what they experience? Things might not be quite as good as you hope. But then, people in the majority assuming other groups don't have it bad has always been a problem.
Posted by: rnb | November 5, 2009 12:50 PM
I wonder how many of you have ever really talked to a mixed race person about what they experience? Things might not be quite as good as you hope. But then, people in the majority assuming other groups don't have it bad has always been a problem.
As someone in an inter-racial marriage with mixed-race relatives, I can say that there are certainly problems, but, as others have pointed out, the problems are mainly that racist assholes give them grief, and it's not for other racist assholes to decide for the mixed-race folks whether to run that risk.
Posted by: CJColucci | November 5, 2009 1:11 PM
"Really? Your argument is that we can't have equal rights because doing so will piss off the bigots?"
Dogmeat, this is precisely what I hear whenever a politician mentions "political capital" when the subject of gay civil rights comes up.
"We can't do what's right!! Think of the cost!!"
Posted by: Rick R | November 5, 2009 1:15 PM
Really? Your argument is that we can't have equal rights because doing so will piss off the bigots?
"WE CAN'T STOP DISCRIMINATING AGAINST THEM, OR ELSE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO PROTECT THEM AGAINST OTHER PEOPLE WHO MIGHT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THEM!!!"
Posted by: FBI Regional Bureau Chief GORDON COLE!!! | November 5, 2009 2:04 PM
Keith Bardell:
Huck Finn:
In both individuals, the person's "conscience" encourages them to be racist. But the no-account rapscallion rejects most of the racism of the culture he grew up in, even while surrounded by such racism. The former justice of the peace retains his racism, despite it dying in the culture around him.
Posted by: llewelly | November 5, 2009 2:14 PM
rnb:
Are you serious? I have many acquaintances and some friends and family in mixed race relationships. It's only a problem when they have to deal with dickheads who don't think they're quite as human. Fuck racists.
Posted by: democommie | November 5, 2009 2:28 PM
I'll ask my kids...
They say: it's not a problem.
Posted by: heddle | November 5, 2009 2:34 PM
IMO, the guy's isn't too bigoted to be a JP; he's too stupid.
It's one thing for him to think "These two? Sheesh." It's another for him to share his thoughts with the happy couple--without them once passing through the part of his brain that edits private opinions from those that might be fruitfully shared with others.
This result--him losing his job in a cloud of public ridicule--couldn't have been more predictable once the story hit the media. Bigots may call this sort of public disapproval "political correctness," but most of them are at least sharp enough to recognize that it exists. Bardwell is too dumb for even that.
Posted by: Molly, NYC | November 5, 2009 2:47 PM
What public humiliation? He's getting high-fives at the club
Have you seen a full photo of Bardwell? I doubt he's privy to many high-fives.
Posted by: Loren | November 5, 2009 3:15 PM
So, how many mixed-raced people have you talked to personally?
Posted by: James Hanley | November 5, 2009 4:48 PM
I talk to myself all the time ... might be why I get all the strange glances... ;o)
For me it is more of an annoyance because I can rather easily pass for white though I don't want to. On the other hand I get to hear racist comments about my ancestry including the time my cousins were referred to as squaw, "forrest nigger," spear chucker, etc. I also have to deal with idiots who think because I look white I am white, who assume I don't know anything about discrimination, who think I'm just some "rich white kid" (ROFL rich) who feels guilty about the "red man," and other bullshit.
Nothing compared to people who can't "pass," but still an annoyance at times.
Posted by: dogmeatib | November 5, 2009 6:58 PM
Following this guy's logic, anyone who is already of mixed race is not permitted to get married, as their children would be (by definition) also of mixed race, and thus would be discriminated against (for example, by people who'd refuse to let them get married).
Whee! Disenfranchisement for all! Or some, at any rate.
Posted by: Snoof | November 5, 2009 7:48 PM
It's funny that people only consider color when discussing "mixed-race" issues. The difference between an Irishman and an Anglo-Saxon vs. that Irishman and a Nigerian is just a matter of degree. I would bet money that dumbfuck EX-judge is an impure mixture of European "races" at least. I am mostly German/French and if it weren't for being informed by family of a tiny percentage of Arab, from a few generations back, I would never guess in my life that I was anything other than a whitebread Euro-mutt.
Also, my maternal grandmother was widowed shortly after her first child, my mother, and married a wonderful man, from an American base in Germany, by the name of Rudolf Sanchez, with whom she had four more children, eventually ending up at Fort Sill. Each of them is more successful, both socially and financially, than my "pure" bred immediate family.
It's guys like this that *almost* make me wish there really was a grand Liberal/Atheist/Satanist/Muslim/Jewish/Reptilian/WTF? conspiracy to eat white, xian babies.
Posted by: chrstphr | November 5, 2009 9:20 PM
I'll be sure to ask my nieces and nephews if they think other people should have decided whether or not their parents should have fucked.
P.S. Wtf is wrong with you?
Posted by: Leni | November 6, 2009 2:41 AM
Snoof,
I know that there is a provision, I believe in Florida, that wont allow Native Americans to adopt kids. Don't know if it is actually enforced anymore, etc., but it was still on the books two or three years ago. So this situation where a group of people are denied rights isn't limited to this jackass.
Posted by: dogmeatib | November 6, 2009 8:55 AM
Oh cripes. What's this guy's problem? I mean, what century does he think he's living in? Even in Louisiana. People who think this way shouldn't ever be allowed to administer laws of any kind; they're incapable of administering them unless the laws in question conform to their outdated beliefs.
Anne G
Posted by: Anne Gilbert | November 6, 2009 6:14 PM