The title of a recently released Yahoo! article is "Interracial couple denied marriage in La." Considering that this is the 21st century, this is absurd.

The first sentence is "A Louisiana justice of the peace said (that) he refused to issue marriage licenses to an interracial couple out of concern for any children (that) the couple may have". "out of concern for any children the couple may have?" Come on now. We are living in the USA in the 21st century, not in Nazi Germany, fascist Italy or Communist Russia, where survival of the fittest is preached. This is absurd.

The second sentence is even more absurd: Keith Bardwell, the justice of the peace in Tangipahoa says IT IS HIS EXPERIENCE that interracial marriages don't last long". If this is truly what this guy thinks, he obviously hasn't "experienced" very much, not to mention the fact that this is incredibly racist and insensitive.

So how does Bardwell back himself up/justify his actions? "I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way". He seems pretty sure of himself there. "I have piles and piles of black friends". This is unbelievable, based on his comments, at least. "They come to my home, I MARRY THEM (is he crazy?), they use my bathroom". Not only is this guy a racist, he is a SEGREGATIONIST like Strom Thurmond. Look at his comment about the bathroom. This takes us way back to the time of segregated toilets and water fountains, a dark chapter in our history. "I TREAT THEM LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE". Based on his previous comments, Bardwell is a liar.

"Bardwell says he asks every couple who calls about marriage if they are a mixed race couple. If they are, HE DOES NOT MARRY THEM, he said". Disgraceful. There are simply no other words to describe this action and this man.

"Bardwell says he has discussed this topic with blacks and whites, along with winessing some interracial marriages". How many is "some"? Also, merely attending a couple of weddings is a very poor indicator of how long those marriages are going to last. "He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not accept offspring from such relationships and neither does white society". Another disgraceful comment. Where's your data, Bardwell? most = 50% or more. You can't just be saying stuff. Back yourself up.

Bardwell tries even harder to justify his actions: "There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage. I think those children suffer and I won't put them through it". OK, so you're trying to protect kids? How? By indoctrinating them with racist ideas/ideals? If anything, we should be teaching kids EMPATHY, SYMPATHY, RESPECT and RESTRAINT, NOT RACIAL HATRED AND INDOCTRINATION.

"I try to treat everyone equally". No you don't, Bardwell. You're racist.

Beth Humphrey, 30 and her fiance, Terence McKay, 32, were incredulous. According to Humphrey, "That was one thing that was UNBELIEVABLE. IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU EXPECT IN THIS DAY AND AGE". They are incredulous and justifiably so.

"We are looking forward to (eventually) having children. And all our friends and co-workers have been very supportive. EXCEPT FOR THIS, we're typical happy newlyweds". Well, because of "this", their relationship is not yet official because they now have to find someone else in order to tie the knot.

According to Katie Schwartzmann, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), " It is really ASTONISHING and DISAPPOINTING to see this come up in 2009". Many people feel the same way. We are incredulous, flabbergasted and angry as well.

The ACLU has sent a letter to the Louisiana Judiciary Committee, calling for "the most severe sanctions available, because such blatant bigotry poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the administration of justice". Bardell should be fired IMMEDIATELY.

Schwartzmann continued: "HE KNEW HE WAS BREAKING THE LAW, but continued to do it". This is a man living in the past without a conscience and without any sense of the distinction between right and wrong.

Finally, Bardwell said: "I've been a justice of the peace for 34 years AND I DON'T THINK (that) I've mistreated anybody. I didn't tell them (that) they couldn't get married. I just told them (that) I wouldn't do it". Bardwell, you know, Harry Truman did it better than you. Truman's enemies continue to say that he was racist, but IN PUBLIC, he always seemed to be fighting for the Negro because there's something called PUBLIC IMAGE/PERCEPTION. In other words, you want people to say good things about you instead of 'This guy is really a jerk'. Unfortunately, in light of recent events, the latter is how you will be perceived, because what you said is disgraceful and unforgivable.