La. Judge Suspended for Wearing Blackface

[Kizzy]

A judge who wore blackface makeup, handcuffs and a jail jumpsuit at a Halloween party will be suspended for six months, the Louisiana Supreme Court (search) ruled Monday.

 

[crabcake]

but it was okay to do cracka-face in "white chicks"

 

[Tonio]

Paging Ted Danson...

 

[ylexot]

but it was okay to do cracka-face in "white chicks"

While I agree that there is a huge double standard, it is pretty amazing that the judge would do that. Ok, so he wants to be a convict for Halloween. Big deal, but why be a black convict? Maybe he wanted to be as different from himself as possible. Unfortunately, it can also be seen as a racial bias in someone that that is supposed to be impartial.

 

[crabcake]

Ok, so he wants to be a convict for Halloween. Big deal, but why be a black convict?

Because he was trying to disguise himself. And so what if he (personally) is a racist bigot. He's off duty; IMO, what he does -- however tasteless -- in his off-duty time is his business. Bill Clinton got a hummer while he was actually at work in the oval office and he got to keep his job. :shrug:

 

[Kizzy]

I agree, I think the decision to suspend him for this was a bit over zealous. He was at a party, not sitting on the bench giving decisions dressed this way.

 

[ylexot]

Because he was trying to disguise himself. And so what if he (personally) is a racist bigot. He's off duty; IMO, what he does -- however tasteless -- in his off-duty time is his business. Bill Clinton got a hummer while he was actually at work in the oval office and he got to keep his job. :shrug:

So you think he can be a racist bigot when he's off work, but when he's at work he isn't? I seriously doubt that.

 

[crabcake]

So you think he can be a racist bigot when he's off work, but when he's at work he isn't? I seriously doubt that.

Yes, I do believe that there are people who have the ability to separate their personal life from their professional life. If he had a history of making racial/bigotted decisions, I doubt he'd have been still sitting on the bench.

 

[ylexot]

I agree, I think the decision to suspend him for this was a bit over zealous. He was at a party, not sitting on the bench giving decisions dressed this way.

I agree with that. Instead of automatically suspending him, they should have looked into his past judgements. If his judgements had an obvious racist slant, then he should be punished or possibly fired.

 

[Kizzy]

So you think he can be a racist bigot when he's off work, but when he's at work he isn't? I seriously doubt that.

This was all for fun, a Halloween costume. I guess if he would have dressed up as women, somebody would have said he is a sexist. If he would have dressed up as a nun, somebody else would have said he has a religious preference. What if he dressed up as a pimp?

See where this can go? We put so many restrictions on the things we do in fear of offending someone, because something will come up that wasn’t even a thought at the time, that we take the fun out of life.

 

[crabcake]

This was all for fun, a Halloween costume. I guess if he would have dressed up as women, somebody would have said he is a sexist. If he would have dressed up as a nun, somebody else would have said he has a religious preference. What if he dressed up as a pimp?

Just imagine if he'd have gone as a lawyer!

 

[vraiblonde]

I hold judges to a higher standard than your average joe on the street. I think what he did was inappropriate and the suspension was correct.

HOWEVER had some black judge dressed up as a white convict, I doubt anyone would have complained. That old double standard, doncha know.

The party's host, Ellender's brother-in-law, was dressed as Buckwheat.

Nope, no racism in this family, nosiree!

Nevertheless, they ordered him to take a sociology course "which will assist him in achieving a greater understanding of racial sensitivity."

This is stupid too. So there's stupid on both sides of the fence.

 

[FromTexas]

Yes, I do believe that there are people who have the ability to separate their personal life from their professional life. If he had a history of making racial/bigotted decisions, I doubt he'd have been still sitting on the bench.

We are talking Louisiana....

 

[Tonio]

I wasn't offended by "White Chicks," but maybe that's because I'm not a white woman.

Blackface was originally invented to portray blacks as subhuman. Was that the judge's intention? I don't know. I'm with Ylexot--a simple convict costume for Halloween wouldn't have needed blackface.

 

[crabcake]

We are talking Louisiana....

are you implying that every person in Louisiana is a racist?

 

[Kizzy]

I hold judges to a higher standard than your average joe on the street. I think what he did was inappropriate and the suspension was correct.

HOWEVER had some black judge dressed up as a white convict, I doubt anyone would have complained. That old double standard, doncha know.


Nope, no racism in this family, nosiree!


This is stupid too. So there's stupid on both sides of the fence.

Hey, I dressed up as Buckwheat one year and Aunt Jemima even carried around a bowl and a wooden spoon and pretended to be whipping up some pancakes, just because it was funny, never to be a racist.

 

[crabcake]

I wasn't offended by "White Chicks," but maybe that's because I'm not a white woman.

Blackface was originally invented to portray blacks as subhuman. Was that the judge's intention? I don't know. I'm with Ylexot--a simple convict costume for Halloween wouldn't have needed blackface.

I wasn't offended by "White Chicks" either ... but I'm not looking for a quick lawsuit settlement over some PC . I see this just like I see the whole 'race' issue ... so long as individual races or whatever continue to segregate themselves (UNCF, Asian this, Latin that ...) there shouldn't be any "I'm offended" crap.

 

[ylexot]

This was all for fun, a Halloween costume. I guess if he would have dressed up as women, somebody would have said he is a sexist. If he would have dressed up as a nun, somebody else would have said he has a religious preference. What if he dressed up as a pimp?

See where this can go? We put so many restrictions on the things we do in fear of offending someone, because something will come up that wasn’t even a thought at the time, that we take the fun out of life.

I never said he was a racist bigot and even said "Maybe he wanted to be as different from himself as possible." Crabcake said "And so what if he (personally) is a racist bigot. He's off duty" which started a related, but separate, discussion topic.

 

[Kizzy]

Gotcha y

He very well could be a racist bigot. He is entitled to his own opinion, just as long as his judgments are not tainted, showing an obvious racist hatred, giving longer sentences to blacks than whites. This is not what this seems, but I am sure now that this story is out, it will open a can of worms. He will be accused of that next.

 

[FromTexas]

are you implying that every person in Louisiana is a racist?

No, I am implying that we are talking about Lousiana... Where racism is still prevalent in the backwaters to a large degree. I am talking many places i Lousiana where schools are pretty much segregated (without being legally so). It negates the fact that you think he would be kicked out of office solely for being a racist bigot.