The Judiciary (Week 14)

  Loving v. Virginia, Case 

“In June, 1958, two residents of Virginia, Mildred Jeter, a Negro woman, and Richard Loving, a white man, were married in the District of Columbia pursuant to its laws. Shortly after their marriage, the Lovings returned to Virginia and established their marital abode in Caroline County. At the October Term, 1958, of the Circuit Court of Caroline County, a grand jury issued an indictment charging the Lovings with violating Virginia's ban on interracial marriages. On January 6, 199, the Lovings pleaded guilty to the charge, and were sentenced to one year in jail; however, the trial judge suspended the sentence for a period of 25 years on the condition that the Lovings leave the State and not return to Virginia together for 25 years. He stated in an opinion that: "Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And, but for the interference with his arrangement, there would be no cause for such marriage. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix." Loving v. Virginia

            This case shows racism and segregation between blacks and whites.  In the past, blacks were considered inferior than whites. Everything was segregated including bathrooms, schools, resources, communities and parks. The law prohibited marriage between whites and blacks. The court suggests that a white and a black can’t get married because it would influence family genes and race. They separated the couple for twenty-five years because of their anti-miscegenation law.  Something that called my attention is when one of the judges said that God separated races in different continents with the intended purpose of keeping races separate. In my opinion every human is free to choose who they want to marry, that’s something very personal and not law should interfere on that. The couple pointed out that the anti-miscegenation law goes against the fourteenth amendment. The fourteenth amendment protects citizens’ right of liberty, but judges said that the amendment doesn’t specifically talk about mixture of races. Judges decided that if any white and black person get married will be incarcerated for 1 year and up to five years.  

This case caught my attention because it reminds me segregation times, and how blessed we are today for not living under those laws. It’s sad how blacks were treated and how citizens ‘rights were invaded just because of imposed laws by racists. This couple deserved to choose what they want, to have children and live together. It’s sad how enforced laws and beliefs by powered people can deprive us and make our lives miserable. I think that this case is important because this make us feel grateful of the time we are living today. In the past there was a lot suffering, racial deprivation, injustice and no freedom. Today every human is free to marry who they want and everyone has the freedom to obtain what they want. However, I think that some people may show racism and angriness because of the racism history.