Comments on: Settled issues http://jessekirchner.com/blog/2009/10/17/settled-issues/ Hope for the future Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:38:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Sir Magpie De Crow http://jessekirchner.com/blog/2009/10/17/settled-issues/#comment-63 Sir Magpie De Crow Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:24:36 +0000 http://jessekirchner.com/blog/?p=64#comment-63 Latest comments from the Republican (in)Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell (source: USA Today) “Everybody hates me,” he tells reporters. “Really. I don’t know why. I treat people, I figure, equal. I have one problem with mixed marriages and that is the offspring.” I guess some offspring are more equal than others... One would think he could answer the mystery of why everyone hates him by meditating on his last comment regarding interracial “offspring”. I suppose an interesting question that should be asked is how a person this stupid ever got this position in the first place? His only legal argument is his personal dislike of the existence of interracial kids. Pathetic. Latest comments from the Republican (in)Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell (source: USA Today)
“Everybody hates me,” he tells reporters. “Really. I don’t know why. I treat people, I figure, equal. I have one problem with mixed marriages and that is the offspring.”

I guess some offspring are more equal than others…

One would think he could answer the mystery of why everyone hates him by meditating on his last comment regarding interracial “offspring”. I suppose an interesting question that should be asked is how a person this stupid ever got this position in the first place?

His only legal argument is his personal dislike of the existence of interracial kids. Pathetic.

]]> By: Jesse http://jessekirchner.com/blog/2009/10/17/settled-issues/#comment-62 Jesse Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:09:55 +0000 http://jessekirchner.com/blog/?p=64#comment-62 It appears that the JP refused to issue a license. In any case, a JP is an officer of the state. Whether refusing to grant a license or to officiate a ceremony, he is making an improper racial classification—equal protection fail. The clergy exception you mention was a sop to the bigots. Members of the clergy are not state actors. The Constitution protects religious bigotry as emphatically as it prohibits state bigotry. (One could argue that protection for religious bigotry is protected even more emphatically.) It appears that the JP refused to issue a license. In any case, a JP is an officer of the state. Whether refusing to grant a license or to officiate a ceremony, he is making an improper racial classification—equal protection fail.

The clergy exception you mention was a sop to the bigots. Members of the clergy are not state actors. The Constitution protects religious bigotry as emphatically as it prohibits state bigotry. (One could argue that protection for religious bigotry is protected even more emphatically.)

]]> By: daniwitz13 http://jessekirchner.com/blog/2009/10/17/settled-issues/#comment-61 daniwitz13 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:53:47 +0000 http://jessekirchner.com/blog/?p=64#comment-61 I don't have all the facts but did he refuse to issue them a license or did he refuse to officiate their marriage. If they had a marriage license in hand and called on the phone for him ot officiate, that makes a difference because in that case, he did not refuse them marriage, only the ceremony of which he passed it on to someone else in the parish. Like saying next window please. The question is does he have a right not to perform a ceremony for whatever reason any person may have? Consider that legislatures in passing same sex marriages, a clergyman can refuse to marry them with no problem. So why isn't it no problem for this case. One is for race the other for gender. I don’t have all the facts but did he refuse to issue them a license or did he refuse to officiate their marriage. If they had a marriage license in hand and called on the phone for him ot officiate, that makes a difference because in that case, he did not refuse them marriage, only the ceremony of which he passed it on to someone else in the parish. Like saying next window please. The question is does he have a right not to perform a ceremony for whatever reason any person may have? Consider that legislatures in passing same sex marriages, a clergyman can refuse to marry them with no problem. So why isn’t it no problem for this case. One is for race the other for gender.

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