There is little doubt Keith Bardwell’s time had run out as an effective Louisiana justice of the peace.

 The Ponchatoula justice brought plenty of shame and embarrassing national headlines to our state when he refused to marry an interracial couple last month.

Bardwell, whose term was set to run through 2014, finally resigned last week. Before leaving, he said he refused to marry interracial couples at least four times in the past two and a half years.

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While claiming not to be a bigot, Bardwell said his actions were justified because through his own experience and discussions, he concluded blacks and whites do not readily accept offspring of such relationships, so the children end up suffering. 

If President Barack Obama can ascend to the nation’s highest office and New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter can become arguably Major League Baseball’s most popular player, then it might be time for Bardwell to retire his tired public mantra against children from interracial couples finding acceptance out of their reach in this country. Bardwell’s retreat into the silence and safety of retirement is a must.

In fact, that would be good for everybody in Louisiana. Only, there is one problem. Beth Humphrey will not let the issue go.

Humphrey, the white woman who Bardwell chose not to marry because the proposed nuptial was with a black man, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit with her now husband, Terence McKay, against Bardwell and his wife. Their lawyer, Laura Catlett, said Bardwell’s resignation will not stop the lawsuit.

The Associated Press reported Catlett as saying Bardwell’s quitting “does not in any way change the fact that he, with his wife’s help, discriminated against an interracial couple while he was a public official.”

That is all well and true, but Humphrey and McKay still were able to get married. They received their marriage license from the parish clerk of court and easily found a sensible justice of the peace after Bardwell’s wife explained why her husband would not marry the couple.

Yet, the lawsuit remains. There seems to be no endgame in this action other than money, which will only paint Humphrey and McKay in a bad light while keeping this story of Louisiana racism in the national news.

If living well is the best revenge, then Humphrey and McKay need only enjoy their time together as their marriage and, hopefully, their family grows throughout the years.

This initial roadblock already is passed and the public outcry has already forced Bardwell’s resignation, thus ensuring he can never cause such pain to someone else.

They’ve already won, so why keep fighting? The lawsuit is reminiscent of a similar action Rutgers women’s basketball player Kia Vaughn took when she sued Don Imus because of radical remarks the radio personality made degrading black women.

Vaughn initially said remarks uttered on air were “false, defamatory, sexually degrading and slanderous statements.” Vaughn’s contention was the minutes-long rant, which was replayed many times nationally, damaged her reputation and caused her humiliation and embarrassment.

She sought unspecified damages from Imus, CBS Corp. and CBS Radio, among others. A couple weeks later she dropped the lawsuit.

She and her teammates were not victims in that situation. They were held up as heroes and role models for other strong women. Imus was the one humiliated and fired.

Such is the same with Humphrey and McKay. They are not humiliated by this. If anything, they should be emboldened that one man with questionable thinking cannot stop them from what is promised in this country: Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

It’s time for this story to die.

It’s time for Humphrey and McKay to drop their lawsuit and get on with their married life. Living well need be the only revenge.

STEPHEN HEMELT is city editor of The Daily Iberian. He can  be reached at stephen.hemelt@daily-iberian.com.