Anderson Cooper The Journalist

Terence McKay, one half of the interracial couple that Bardwell refused to marry

A while ago, we mentioned to you the issue of race relations being a generational one in America:  younger people in cosmopolitan areas are more accepting of interracial relations than older persons.  This opinion was buttressed by a story reported on Friday’s AC360 about a justice of the peace in Louisiana refusing to marry an interracial couple.

Keith Bardwell has been a justice of the peace for 34 years, but he refuses to marry interracial couples, fearing he fears for what would become of their children.  Bardwell expects his comments to hold water despite the offspring of mixed racial couples now occupying the Presidency of the United States, the shortstop position for the New York Yankees, and being one of the most dominant golfers the world has ever seen.  For those who sincerely may not know, the reference is to Barack Obama, Derek Jeter, and Tiger Woods, all the offspring of racially-mixed parents.

Undoubtedly, there are many others who are living less-notable but equally successful lives.  Notably, they are of a newer and younger generation than Keith Bardwell, pointing once again to the generational divide that is separating the races within American society.  Today, there are many persons calling for the revocation of Bardwell’s license as a justice of the peace, inasmuch as has violated Louisiana’s decry calling for unbiased commitment to the position by those who hold it.

Such calls need to be made in pursuit of moving the agenda further and making racism a thing of the past.  Thus, it is appropriate for the NAACP, Gov .Bobby Jindal and Senator Mary Landrieu, among others, to mount a movement calling for the revocation of Bardwell’s license.  But they need not pursue it.  As abhorrent as Bardwell’s views may be to younger people and older ones with a sense of social justice and fairness, it also needs to be recognized that Bardwell is an unfortunate product of his generation and environment.

In his defense, once he finds that a couple is racially mixed, he refers them to a justice of the peace who is willing to perform such ceremonies.  He privately opposes the ceremonies but does not block them:  he refers them elsewhere, apparently willingly, and he deserves some credit for the things he does as well as condemnation for those he does not.

Is it abhorrent that he will not perform such ceremonies?  Absolutely.  Should he be punished for not performing them?  Probably not.  It is time for America to recognize that as we try to broaden citizens’ views and help them to grow their understanding, we also need to understand a little ourselves.  We may not like what Bardwell has proclaimed.  Indeed, we may be aghast by it.  But rather than seeking to harm the messenger, we sometimes need to deal with the overall issue rather than the individual transgressor.

Condemnation of Bardwell’s views and abhorrence of them as expressed through publicly-voiced outrage is sufficient.  Vengeance, on the other hand, is not ours to seek and should be left to higher powers. – George Curcio