Well, poopy-farts!!! I had to bale out of the hospice vol. training today. Horrible night last night with much coughing, sneezing, snotty nose.. I couldn't sleep till after 0330! So I thought it best I not go sit in a room full of people...
I've called the lady in charge and left abject apologies on her machine ~ I feel so bad about having to bow out!
I have NO idea how often they put on these classes; hopefully there will be another one soonish.
Poop.
The A**hole who refused to marry an interracial couple has resigned!! Now they just need to revoke his license, and sign his scraggy ass up for anti-bigotry classes and tons of hours of community service!!
No, I don't need it ~ but I am going to work with it!
As some of you know, I've always been good at dealing with 'death & dying' situations as an ICU nurse. And that I've always thought I'd be good working in some type of hospice situation.
Well, on Monday, an ad in our local paper jumped out at me and slapped me upside the head! It was a full page thing all about the biggest Hospice agency in town (it's connected to the hospital where I had my surgery), and at the bottom of it was a bit about a 2 day Volunteer Training session they were having Nov. 9 & 10. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about this agency ever since we've been here.
Clever me decided that this was a call from the universe for me, so signed up I am! (pardon the Yoda - ism!)
When I got to talking with the co-ordinator of the program, she seemed excited by the fact that I was an RN, with lots of D&D experience... seems there aren't a lot of nurses who sign up, though there is one other one in this session. I did let her know about my back, and she doesn't think it will be a problem.
I'm very excited; I can't wait to hear what they've got to say ~ and who knows where it might lead... this agency is also going to be opening up Hospice residence here in town within the next year or so; having a foot in the door can't hurt!!
So ~ YaY for me!! (you may do a cartwheel or two for me, if you like!)
All in all, I'm doing OK. The surgical pain is very manageable now that I'm on the Percocet, and the incision looks great. I see my surgeon tomorrow for a follow-up; he'll take out about half the staples.
The itch of healing is what's driving me nuts!! And my massive bruising is turning that lovely yellow/green shade!
I am having a few minor problems, somewhat related to the surgery, that I'll be talking with him about tomorrow. One is no big deal; the other may require minor surgery to fix.
Sitting upright is still a bit uncomfortable, but I've been able to do a few crafty things (some card-making)
UN-FLIPPING-BELIEVABLE!!!
NEW ORLEANS – A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have. Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.
"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."
Bardwell said he asks everyone who calls about marriage if they are a mixed race couple. If they are, he does not marry them, he said.
Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with blacks and whites, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.
"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage," Bardwell said. "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."
If he did an interracial marriage for one couple, he must do the same for all, he said.
"I try to treat everyone equally," he said.
Bardwell estimates that he has refused to marry about four couples during his career, all in the past 2 1/2 years.
Beth Humphrey, 30, and 32-year-old Terence McKay, both of Hammond, say they will consult the U.S. Justice Department about filing a discrimination complaint.
"That was one thing that made this so unbelievable," she said. "It's not something you expect in this day and age."
Humphrey said she called Bardwell on Oct. 6 to inquire about getting a marriage license signed. She says Bardwell's wife told her that Bardwell will not sign marriage licenses for interracial couples. Bardwell suggested the couple go to another justice of the peace in the parish who agreed to marry them.
"We are looking forward to having children," Humphrey said. "And all our friends and co-workers have been very supportive. Except for this, we're typical happy newlyweds."
"It is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009," said American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana attorney Katie Schwartzmann. "The Supreme Court ruled as far back as 1963 that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry."
The ACLU sent a letter to the Louisiana Judiciary Committee, which oversees the state justices of the peace, asking them to investigate Bardwell and recommending "the most severe sanctions available, because such blatant bigotry poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the administration of justice."
"He knew he was breaking the law, but continued to do it," Schwartzmann said.
According to the clerk of court's office, application for a marriage license must be made three days before the ceremony because there is a 72-hour waiting period. The applicants are asked if they have previously been married. If so, they must show how the marriage ended, such as divorce.
Other than that, all they need is a birth certificate and Social Security card.
The license fee is $35, and the license must be signed by a Louisiana minister, justice of the peace or judge. The original is returned to the clerk's office.
"I've been a justice of the peace for 34 years and I don't think I've mistreated anybody," Bardwell said. "I've made some mistakes, but you have too. I didn't tell this couple they couldn't get married. I just told them I wouldn't do it."
This man needs to be fired from his job, dis-barred from EVER practicing law in any way, shape or form again, and made to both attend educational classes about racism, and to do a TON of community service.
Then, I would like to see someone take him out behind the woodshed, and beat the living s*** out of him...
