IT IS DEJA VU IN LOUISIANA, NO MIXED MARRIAGES?

Rewind to pre-1967 anti-miscegenation South, when it was 'treasonable felony', punishable by death by public lynching and hanging on a tree branch for some macabre display, for any "nigger" seen messing around with any white girl? That South, with such a dark mindset, still exists today? Albeit without the vagrant exhibitionism of lynched, life-drained bodies dangling from tree branches. That South under advisement appears to remain true in today's 2009 Louisiana!

Anyone in doubt about the continuous existence of that kind of south or generally, racism in America, never visited the deep southern part of America? Better still, that person should continue reading this story; of a Justice of the Peace who would not wed a couple because they are of mixed race? America's deep south, the bastion of racism, which plunged the country into a civil war that claimed the lives of more than 600, 000 Americans because they wanted to retain slavery? Who says that racism is dead in America; no, not really and not even with President Barack Obama election as president?

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way!" With those words, a Tangipahoa Parish's 8th Ward Louisiana justice of the peace, Keith Bardwell pictured below right in cap and wearing a t-shirt with "got love" written on it; refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple Beth Humphrey, 30, and Terence McKay, 32, pictured here below left, both of Hammond Louisiana. In his attempted insane of an explanation, JP Bardwell said, 'it is my experience that most interracial marriages do not last long; which forces Icheoku to retort, is it mono-racial marriages that lasts long? This is simply a holier-than-thou attitude which has been proved wrong severally in the past. It is the same warped theory which preaches against gay couple raising children, but yet do not find anything wrong with a woman marrying severally and sometimes up to five times, forcing her children to tag along into several step-fathers' homes in the process; and same goes with some men. Further, Mr. Bardwell claimed his refusal to marry the couple was out of concern for their children's place in America?

Continuing, Mr. Bardwell said that he came to the conclusion that 'most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does the white society!' Icheoku yields to this point, since such children are usually accused of either not being black enough or too tanned for comfort?' Recall that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had racially referenced the Obamas as "tanned"?

This is the truth about America and anyone pretending otherwise is being very economical with the truth. Admitted that President Barack Obama is a living example of a successful bi-racial child, and an ambassador of racially mixed marriages; but that alone does not completely wipe out the attached 'stigma' as neither race accepts the 'product-child' as a bona-fide member of their group. Actress Hale Berry has done well for herself too, but how many Hallie Berrys are there in the American society? Admitted that there are mixed marriages and mixed couples practically everywhere, but society still stares down at them as an aberration. Like Rush Limbaugh, JP Keith Bardwell has now also braved a thorny issue, although politically incorrect, but is the real situation in today's America where the color of the skin still matters a lot and makes most, if not all the difference.

The late King of Pop, Michael Jackson was so frustrated with what was going on with race relations in America that he sarcastically tried to find motivation in it with his song "black or white"? The singer had sang "it does not matter if you are black or white;" but Icheoku says, sure it does really matter and greatly too! Now the Justice of Peace in Tangapahoa parish Louisiana, Keith Bardwell, right, has once again proved according to his fellow travelers in days of yore, that "slavery had its merits?"

Continuing, Mr Bardwell said, "there is a problem with both groups (black and white) accepting a child from such a marriage; I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it." In other words, Mr. Bardwell refused to be an instrument used in bringing children to be touted, discriminated against and rejected by a society of color, which is still heavily prejudiced, admitted it is now mainly subterranean. Icheoku says, anyone claiming ignorance of the fact of racism or pretending that "it is so unbelievable" or that "it's not something you expect in this day and age;" is simply speaking with a forked tongue and in denial of the obvious truth prevalent in our society till date.

It is also rather regrettable that this 'no-mixed marriage' decision is happening in America's 2009; forty-two years since the Supreme Court ruling in the 1967 case of Loving vs Virginia, which held "that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry?" In the courts own ruling, it said, "Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the state." Icheoku says, it is and will not be the first time people have circumvented a valid subsisting ruling of the Supreme Court in one way or another; as Board of Education vs. Brown has been subverted by private and public schools systems - one for the affluent white majority and the other for blacks and minorities living in the hood?

Mr. Bardwell, who has been a Justice of the Peace for 34 years, concluded "I didn't tell this couple they couldn't get married. I just told them I wouldn't do it." Sounds logical, it depends on who is judging the judge! "I don't do interracial marriages because I don't want to put children in a situation they didn't bring on themselves. I feel the children will later suffer." Icheoku queries, could this JP's expressed concerns be genuine, in an American society which is still color phobic? May be, but we find it contradictory, the assertion of Mr. Bardwell that he 'treats everyone as equal.' If this is the case, why not simply marry the "equal" black and white couple or was he saying they were unequally yoked in love? It will be recalled that Tangipahoa Parish is as white and monolithic in racial distribution as you can get with over 70 percent white and 30 percent black and other minorities. But does these facts give Mr Bardwell the right to dictate who one marries? Icheoku says, we don't think so; but he correctly argued his position that he merely declined a service but never barred the couple from marrying!