Sunday, February 25, 2007
The Klan doesn't have a monopoly on stupidity
I saw this in the Guardian today.
Wouter Van Bellingen has a good Flemish name. He is a former patrol leader in the Boy Scouts. He is an elected official of a party that wants more autonomy for Flanders. And he is a Belgian black.Maybe they were afraid that a black registrar presiding would result in their having black babies? I wonder what the town's namesake saint would say. He would probably be pleased by the reaction of the great majority of the citizens.
Now, three couples in the town of Sint Niklaas - whose patron saint is Santa Claus - have judged their registrar by his skin and cancelled their weddings. 'I am not really surprised. I'm used to having more space on the train than my fellow passengers,' said van Bellingen...
...The cancellations happened independently of one another but in each case the couples or their parents were clear about their reason; they didn't want a black man officiating.
My books are now full until August and the people I marry all want me in their wedding photograph. The people of St Niklaas are so proud of their black registrar.'Sounds like a party to me.
As a result of the marriage controversy, local members of Belgian human rights groups have organised a symbolic mass wedding on the market square of St Niklaas to take place on 21 March, which is World Anti-Racism Day.
'It's going to be such fun,' said Van Bellingen. 'We have 200 couples so far and we're going to have the most crowded wedding photo ever, the biggest wedding dance ever and the most multicultural buffet imaginable.'
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