It takes all kinds. I can't imagine anyone shocked by this. It's not right but I believe that reverse racism is almost as bad and maybe even hinders peoples ability to be more tolerant. Why can't we have a colorblind society?

I'm not following your analogy here.

To me if a judge did this it would have to be appealed and he would have to be removed from office.

A JOP , so you find another to marry you.

totally agree ......road trip to vegas

In this case, it's not a generic race issue (as in any ol' race), it's a black guy marrying a white woman issue.

Just because your true, ignorant colors have shown, doesn't mean I have my head up my ass. You probably have the most absurd, close-minded opinion regarding just about any topic. Unless you're married to a black woman, you really have no business trying to relate yourself to the situation.

What exactly is the reality, since I'm so far up in the stink to see it? Because I think the reality is that even in 2009, racism is still quite prevalent everywhere, but almost socially acceptable in the South.

Your right JD it is and it goes both ways. We now are seeing race baiting bought to a whole new level.

Your blanket statement about the south is just plain wrong. I have plenty of family that were born here and moved south (who could blame them) and I have seen the reality first hand.Sure there are sections that are racist, as there are sections of America where a white person would be hated, perhaps even unsafe.

The elitist, I'm right,your wrong, attitude that many from up here have is just as offensive IMO

Again, no problem refusing to perform the ceremony, but in the aspect of obtaining the license, he is acting in the same regard as a county clerk. he should just have issued it.

and the fact that he is an Elected Official makes it even worse.

I remember people getting all worked up because an Elected Official sided with a Black man over a White Cop....and that it was totally outrageous. But now we have an elected official siding with "Racial Purity" over "Mixed Race" and its A-OK :kewl:......Can't have it both ways

So racism against Blacks is all that matters?

Also, he did not specify black or any race in his statement. He said he will not perform interracial marriages. So I doubt he would have married me and my wife either. That being said, I still think it's his right to not marry those he chooses. He didn't tell they they couldn't get married, he even suggested the other JOS that would be happy to do it. He was not the one granting the license, just providing the service.
I see it in much the same view as the doctor that refuses to conduct abortions. If he has moral objections, then it is not my right to try to force him to do something he feels is morally wrong when I have many other people (other JOS and every preacher in town) to conduct the ceremony.

Thanks--I had you in the pool for who'd be the first guy on SB to defend this maroon. :kewl:


I had RI Jimmy to place, and he didn't disappoint either :humpty:

Absolutely. That sean character is a perfect example of it going the other way - if someone was critical of Obama smoking, he'd someone turn it into a race issue.

I have some friends that live down South, and have had to travel South many times. My friend from NC has commented before on how a lot of the older people are still very racist. Stories like this from Louisiana just reaffirm that racism is very prevalent still.

A blanket statement that racism is acceptable across the board down there probably is unfair, but I do strongly believe that it is quite prevalent.

With regards to your comment about there being places where a white person would be hated, perhaps even unsafe... as I type this, I'm currently in Springfield visiting my girlfriend who's taking Graduate classes. She unfortunately lives in a neighborhood and I'm consistently given dirty looks and always feel like I have to look over my shoulder whenever we go anywhere.

In fact, last night an 18y/o girl was shot in the head in a house almost directly across the street from my girlfriend. Talk about safe.
Springfield woman shot in her Wilmont Street Home; neighbor Daniel Horn arrested | Breaking News - MassLive.com - - MassLive.com

He wouldn't grant them the License.......Which, as an elected official, he should do.

From the news article....

"Keith Bardwell, a white justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish in the southeastern part of the state, refused to issue a marriage license earlier this month to Beth Humphrey, who is white, and Terence McKay, who is black."

"THOSE PEOPLE"......:hs:.

You just stereotyped an entire geopraphical region..."those people".You're no better than that moronic JP.You should be ashamed for yourself for making such a lame blanket statement.A lot of "those people" are fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan.One could actually argue that you're a bigot for lumping an entire region into a stereotype.

PS.Your Civil War re-enactment statement is equally as lame.Fact:as in any state including those that were Union or Confederate,the "battles" reflect the results of the real battles.The majority of Civil War battles were won by the Confederacy.No state sanctioned re-enactment that has ever occurred in any former Confederate state has ended with the result of Grant surrendering to Lee.

Get your $h!t straight Johnny.

JohnnyD gets taken to the woodshed...

I spend about 1/2 of my work time down south. Sure there's still a lot of backwards people but also a lot of the South is every bit as up to speed and sophisticated as us elites in New England :hihi:

-spence

If you read the entire post, as opposed to your panties getting bunched over two words, you'd have seen that I replied to buckman saying that lumping them all together was probably unfair.

Saying "Those people" is no worse than saying "people in the South", the rich, poor, white people or referring to any other group of people.

One certainly could argue that I'm a bigot - with all that close-mindedness I'm consistently demonstrating.:smash: You seem quite sensitive on the subject.

And as I mentioned before, I have friends that live in NC that state racism is still widespread. My girlfriend visited old friends in Jacksonville and it was widespread there, and I've witnessed it first hand in my travels.

This story alone demonstrates that racism still exists down there and I'm sure for every one that we hear about, there are a ton more that no one hears about.

It's quite straight.

Exactly the response I expected.

Wow,amazing you have friends NC.Holy crap your gf visited old friends in Jax.Wow.Y'all must be true blue because ya'll have friends down south!

Doesn't change a thing,you still lumped an entire region into a stereotype.

Give it up chief,you insulted way to many people to continue to squawk your bs.

You're completely out of your mind. As I mentioned before, I did note that it was unfair to label the entire region. But, experience has show that the feelings are still prevalent. I travel quite regularly for work, have over a hundred clients nationwide and internationally. I have a pretty diverse pool of people to poll from.

What exactly is your proof to the contrary?

Like I said before, you seem awfully sensitive about the issue.

What Paul said....

Content of their character, not the color of their skin.

I thought the greatest beneficiaries of affirmative action have been women, white women at that.

for a lawyer, your pretty dumb, i did not defend him. I defend his right to choose. Like it or not, you live in a country where the klan, nazis and anyone else can march down the street, I dont defend them, but I defend their right to march. We are not a country that enforces its beliefs, right or wrong on others. I said - fire him take what ever action deemed necessary. Public offical aside - ALL of you judging him are no less guilty than he is - imposing your beliefs/values on others. think about it.

referring to a comment by Sonia Sotamayor - supreme court justice

While some of my judgments may be controversial, none of my judgments have ever restricted the civil rights of other people.

You are 100% lit my friend.

There's no denying you stereotyped an entire geographical region.How can you deny this?You referred to the entire south as "those people".I pointed this out.Simple.You changed your tune in a post afterwards in a reply to buckman as this:"A blanket statement that racism is acceptable across the board down there probably is unfair, but I do strongly believe that it is quite prevalent."Your original post referring to "those people" still stands.

This changes nothing,you made an ignorant comment about an entire geographical region of the USA.And yes I'm sensitive to your lame-ass comments as many of "those people" have died in war so that you can make such lame-ass comments.

Well, "those people" are from an ass-backwords, sister-marrying, roadkill-eating, uneducated society; that have hardly made a baby step towards progress. At least that's what I must have said based off of your inexplicable sensitivity to the issue.

Also, I secretly hate everyone from South of the Mason-Dixon line - I guess it's not much of a secret any more. You're still a clown.

JD...you can't effectively backpedal from yet another foolish statement if you continue to lash out .....serenity now......maybe try pulling some numbers out of your butt again that you can't substantiate....like this...95% of people from the south are racists and it's even higher in restaurants..... for laughs...:uhuh:...try distracting them with your unique brand of humor rather than rage...serenity now....

What About Moonshine and NASCAR :huh:

heh heh heh

this is a fun thread http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...YS/chicken.pnghttp://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c6...UYS/mellon.jpg

Marijuana is the "new" moonshine down there.
the Mountain people are some of the most clever
and innovative people in the whole country.

I wish I can remember his name, but there is a British guy that does a travel show in the US. Its a grea show because its a foreign opinion of the US. He is very candid and basically thinks the North is full of pompous, cold, unfriendly people while the south is a warm inviting place that welcomes people with open arms. Its a shame that all of us were misguided in our education by believing the civil war was about slavery. It was about the rights of states to govern themselves. Slavery was just one issue. News flash - states in the union HAD SLAVES - Missouri, Maryland, Delaware HAD SLAVES !!!
The victors write the history books, and it slants history its way. yes, there are some backass people in the South, but take a drive through Lowell, Southie, Revere, Cranston, etc and there many, many backass people living right around here, more concentrated than down south.
I dont know I keep repeating myslef, but I've posed a number of times that this guy is wrong, he should be fired. However, as a strong believer in the constituiton - all the good and bad, I believe he has the right to follow his beliefs and not do something he feels is inappropriate. Even if we, the moral high ground, feel its wrong.

:doh:
what is a backass person?
sounds like there might be a few posting on this thread :eek::chatter

He had the right to believe it, as do the neo-nazi's, neo cons, panther party, nation of Islam, Rush followers etc.. (:rotf2: like that grouping :D) have their rights to believe what they want, BUT as a civil servant, he doesn't have the right to deny someone their right to marry. he could have said I don;t approve and half-assed the ceremony, but he shouldn't have denied it. Fire him as a JOP.

I think we are saying the same thing here RIJ....

yup

who cares???? is this the only jop in the state? didn't he actually do these kids a favor? would YOU want to have this guy officiate your wedding and/or sign your marriage certificate and find out later that he harbored these feelings and was involved in this kind of controversy? .....he made them public and he should suffer whatever scorn, loss of business or ability to provide the service legally that comes with his actions....he's not elected is he? or a government employee, I thought he was just a jop that probably dresses up like Elvis and does drive thru weddings in his garage....unless these kids really had their hearts set on being married by Elvis, they should find someone to marry them that respects them and everyone will be happy...there are like 300 million people in this country...funny how worked up people can get over one Elvis impersonator....oh crap...does this make me intolerant of Elvis'

Nope.
What he did was a violation of the couple's civil rights.
So long as their paperwork is in order, his job is to professionally officiate and not comment publicly or privately with respect to his personally held beliefs of approval or disapproval or discriminate in any manner.

There are Racists and A-Holes in all 50 states......none are better and none are worse.....(Well, Maybe Alabama :hihi:)

it all depends on the experiences you have when you visit an area. All it takes is one a-hole to make you think that northerners are snobs or southerners are inbread. You could meet 10 people and 9 of them could be the salt of the earth....but that 10th one is the one you will reference as to character of the area. Its easier to lump people together in a category than try and see the differences.

Earlier it was stated the JOP was an elected official. If that is true then he is drawing money from tax dollars.....possibly this couple's tax dollars. So he needs to put his personal beliefs aside and do his job, which was to issue a marriage license. After that, if he didn't want to perform the ceremony for personal reasons...provided its not a requirement of his elected position....he can pass.

If it is part of his elected position then he has a choice...marry them or not. With that choice comes options.....if he marries them then he gets paid...if he doesn't then he gets fired....but that his choice. If he can sleep better at night with whatever he chooses...great. His beliefs are intact and he can find other employment...

what a wonderful world it would be :uhuh:

wouldn't you rather know? do you want a stealth racist issuing licenses or is it better to get this out in the open and save these poor kids a bunch of trouble? As long as he keeps his mouth shut everything is fine?....that's like saying, as long as the pedophile doesn't touch the kids he can teach a third grade class...eventually, there's gonna be an incident:uhuh:


sounds like what should happen IS happening....

"His refusal has prompted calls for an investigation or resignation from civil and constitutional rights groups and the state's Legislative Black Caucus.

Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal said in a statement a nine-member commission that reviews lawyers and judges in the state should investigate.

"Disciplinary action should be taken immediately — including the revoking of his license," Jindal said."

or maybe they could all just go to the White House for a beer?

"Disciplinary action should be taken immediately — including the revoking of his license," Jindal said."

end of story.

and they should confiscate his Elvis costume :uhuh:

you forgot the nuts that actually believe in Global Warming :uhuh:

I would like to kill several people. I have fashioned Voodoo Dolls of these people, and I stick pins in them in them each morning, and I spend about ten minutes a day meditating on bad thoughts about them. I've gotten a few over the years also. (Or maybe their demise was a coincidence).
But I'm smart about it. I contain my thoughts and actions to the small makeshift Voodoo room I've set up in my basement. Nobody knows - because outwardly, I'm polite and kind to all - the Thought Police got nothing on me. Ha! Ha! Ha!
If a person is a closet racist, but he never articulates this, and his actions never reflect his racism, then society never knows he is a racist because there is no evidence of such. Once a person takes action, evidence emerges and it becomes a different matter.
We don't abandon our ideals simply because an idiot JOP in an Elvis costume falls short of fulfilling his sworn obligation of upholding them.

this IS a good thread :uhuh:

I'll trade you a Jointed RM Swimmer for some hair and nail samples and a recent photo. :biglaugh:

like it or not, racism is not illegal. Discrimination is and those who do, should be punished.

I love this stuff, I could debate all day - here is one for you -

Bill is a computer programmer, great resume, great personality, etc. He is interviewing with Sally for a new position. The interview is goign extremely well, they hit it off, Bill is exactly what Sally needs. As the interview concludes, Sally says she is off to lunch, and will walk Bill to his car. As they get to Bill's car, Sally notices the swastika and other nazi parphanalia in Bill's car. Bill says goodbye to Sally and reiterates his interest in the role. Sally is Jewish.
So, will Bill get the job? Of course not. However - were his civil rights violated? Sally did not hire him based on his personal beliefs, that is illegal. Although Bill's affiliations may be deplorable, he still has rights. Now what it Sally was muslim and Bill had a cross or christian symbols in his car? Millions of Muslims were massacared by Christian while they pulled out from the Crusades? Where do we draw the line with freedom and discrimination. That was the point I was trying to get across with my posts. Interesting stuff for those that like to think.

make it two and you're on :rotf2: