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By Alexandra Tanner / Staff Writer
New face of America (MLB)
By Alexandra Tanner / Staff Writer
Chocolate and vanilla swirls are a figurative work of art.
I cannot believe when it came down to it, a Justice of The Peace from Louisiana thought he could stop two human beings from creating a new born work of art.
Keith Bardwell is a Justice of The Peace in Louisiana.
His duties and privileges include; appearing in court and deciding whether the accused is guilty or not. They also can issue warrants, and have the privilege of legally providing a wedding ceremony.
Bardwell, however, thought it inappropriate to conduct a wedding ceremony this month for an interracial couple in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana.
He excused his refusal on the belief that any children the couple had would suffer because of their mixed race.
In an interview on The Early Show, Bardwell compares his right to deny an interracial couple a marriage ceremony the same as he would a couple who came to him with the same request, intoxicated.
Bardwell thinks the environment or life of an interracial child would be harder than the average child.
He refused to encourage procreation between two people because, in his opinion, he was protecting another human from suffering.
Socially, kids that grow up with interracial backgrounds have to deal with the same challenges as every other adolescent in this country.
Emotionally and domestically everything in an interracial household depends on the parents.
In this case the individuals, who weren’t even parents yet, were rejected of a requested wedding ceremony and their offense is completely justified.
Bardwell isn’t breaking the law, he knows the law and it is fully lawful for him to refuse to perform a ceremony, but for him to refuse a ceremony because he thinks he can act like a social worker for the new couple was blatantly disrespectful.
When two people come together and proclaim their excitement for the commitment they feel they’re ready to make in marriage, that is a positive sign of a healthy beginning.
The responsibility of Bardwell was to make sure their wish was carried out and to encourage a positive relationship.
But instead he discouraged their actions and the possibility of a potential family all because of his personal bias.
That’s where he abused his authority.
I’m proud to recognize most of society isn’t okay with his behavior.
Interracial kids in my eyes are the product of an eye opening example of unconditional love that some people seem to still not understand.
This isn’t just about romantic unconditional love either, this is referring to unconditional platonic love that just neighbors and ordinary people can have for one another.
The trends of discrimination against interracial kids have been mentioned before in American culture since the early 1800s until the late 70’s.
The actions that we should be taking is to encourage the idea of mixed race families.
The idea of race being an issue in marriage shouldn’t even be a question in this country.
But it is.
Honestly, it kind of upsets me that I still have to stress concern on this issue.
I currently have a boyfriend who is white, my ethnicity is black.
I still notice the odd stares and surprised faces who notice when we’re together in public or sometimes around new acquaintances.
I don’t see what the big deal is.
Children, though, should never be subjected to that type of discouragement.
Bardwell shouldn’t have made the comments he made.
It is never anyone’s place to discourage the pride that two people have for their relationship let alone the possibilities of a future family.
The discouraging views that Bardwell has about interracial children and whether or not they’ll be “accepted” by one race or another should be considered completely separate from his responsibility as a Justice of the Peace.
Bardwell imposed an inconvenience on someone else while representing the values of his state and American government in general.
The state government of Louisiana is strongly pushing to remove him from his duties and hopefully he’ll learn what he did was wrong.
It’s not about being considered a racist, its the principle.
Bardwell was stepping in when he wasn’t asked to, and not for the sake of the children either.
