Child Dies After Mistaking Lethal Dose of Meth for Breakfast – Police

I should have some sympathy for this dad, but instead I think he should be charged with manslaughter. So many children suffer unbelievably, horrible things because their parent(s) treat them as less important than the drugs they are doing. This has to stop! There should be no lenience from the courts for these people and child services should have zero tolerance for parents with children who are doing drugs.

A file photo of crystal meth. / Reuters

An Indiana father has been arrested after toxicology reports showed his 8-year-old son died due to ingesting 180 times the lethal dose of methamphetamine thinking it was breakfast.

Jackson County police say Curtis Collman III mistook a stash of the drug found at his father’s home for food while he was staying at the Seymour property on June 21. The methamphetamine was discovered on a plate and eaten by the young boy who subsequently fell extremely ill, reported WIS TV.

The 8-year-old’s father, Curtis Collman II, has now been charged with possession of the illegal drug as well as negligence of a dependant. An autopsy released on Thursday revealed the child had 18,000 nanograms of meth in his system, reported the Seymour Tribune newspaper. The dosage is 180 times what is generally considered lethal.

Negligence is not enough. The man was complicit in his son's death and should be charged as such.

Curtis Collman II is alleged to have refused to call emergency services after the accident and he instead drove his son from Seymour to Crothersville town.

The boy’s grandmother has since paid tribute to the child who was described as being “full of life.”

“He enjoyed riding his bicycle,” Rita Cook told ABC affiliate WALB news. “He enjoyed riding his scooter, he loved to watch Spongebob. He was a Minecraft tutorial person. He could tell you anything about Minecraft. He just loved life.”

Good-bye, Good Friday, You No Longer Exist in Bloomington, Indiana

Good Friday and Columbus Day renamed by 'inclusive' US city of Bloomington

From BBC US & Canada

    Good Friday marks the crucifixion of Jesus but is not a federal US holiday

The US city of Bloomington in Indiana has renamed Good Friday and Columbus Day as "Spring Holiday" and "Fall Holiday" to be more "inclusive".

Mayor John Hamilton said the move would "better reflect cultural sensitivity in the workplace", local media said.

It's not very sensitive toward Christians, I don't think! How is it that cultural sensitivity usually means offending someone? But, I guess, as long as those someones are just Christians or Jews, who cares, right? I just hope God doesn't notice the slight. Reducing the Crucifixion of Christ to just another holiday might not go down too well with His father.

Bloomington is a traditionally liberal city. Its county gave Hillary Clinton 58.6% in the presidential election.

But the move sparked a backlash on social media, with opponents condemning it as an act of political correctness.

The change was announced on Friday by Mr Hamilton in a memo to city employees.

"We are terrifically proud of our diverse workforce at the city," he wrote, according to the Herald-Times.

"That diversity makes us stronger and more representative of the public we proudly serve. These updated names for two days of well-merited time off is another way we can demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity."

Right, by excluding Christians, probably your biggest or second biggest demographic. Smart move!

Bloomington city employees receive paid time off for Columbus Day and Good Friday.

Columbus Day became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937 and celebrates the arrival of explorer Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492.

The holiday falls on the second Monday of October.

    A Columbus Day parade in New York. The day is not celebrated by all.  Image copyright EPA

However, it has drawn significant opposition from those who regard Columbus's arrival as a prelude to centuries of oppression.

A movement began in 1977 to replace it with a holiday that celebrates the indigenous peoples of North America. A few states now do not mark Columbus Day, or give it another title.

Good Friday is one of the most important dates of the Christian faith, marking the day Jesus Christ was crucified by the Romans.

It is not a federal holiday in the US but is a state holiday in some states.

Bloomington, with a population estimated at 84,067 in July 2016 by the Census Bureau, has long been regarded as a liberal city.

It is the home to Indiana University Bloomington and a number of other schools and institutes.

It enrolled in Tree City USA, a tree planting and tree care programme in 2015.

The renaming of the holidays drew strong social media responses, most of them condemning the move.

They included posts such as "How is the day Jesus died insensitive?" and "I'm guessing they will next rename Christmas to winter holiday".

Indiana Governor Wants Changes to Controversial Religious Objections Law

Gov. Mike Pence does not believe lawmakers intended 'to create a license to discriminate'

A major development in the ongoing battle of supremacy of rights between Christians and the LGBT lobby. An indication of the losing trend that will not reverse itself - partly because many of us Christians have a rather unChrist-like attitude toward gays and lesbians. Fighting them rather than praying for them is always going to result in loss.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said he wants new legislation on his desk this week that would ensure businesses are not allowed to discriminate against gays and lesbians based on religious grounds.

Gov. Mike Pence defended the measure as a vehicle to protect religious liberty but said he has been meeting with lawmakers "around the clock" to address concerns that it would allow businesses to deny services to gay customers.

The governor said he does not believe "for a minute" that lawmakers intended "to create a license to discriminate."

I wouldn't bet the farm on that, Mike!

"It certainly wasn't my intent," said Pence, who signed the law last week.

But, he said, he "can appreciate that that's become the perception, not just here in Indiana but all across the country. We need to confront that."

Religious Objections Protest

A crowd of at least 2,000 people, including Democratic elected officials,
rallied outside the Indiana Statehouse against the state's new Religious
Freedom Restoration Law. (Rick Callahan/Associated Press)

The law prohibits state laws that "substantially burden" a person's ability to follow his or her religious beliefs. The definition of "person" includes religious institutions, businesses and associations.

Although the legal language does not specifically mention gays and lesbians, critics say the law is designed to protect businesses and individuals who do not want to serve gays and lesbians, such as florists or caterers who might be hired for a same-sex wedding.

'Fix this now'

In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Indiana officials appeared to be in "damage-control mode" following an uproar over the law.

Earnest also took issue with Pence's claim that Indiana's law was rooted in a 1993 federal law. He said the Indiana measure marked a "significant expansion" over the 1993 law because it applies to private transactions beyond those involving the federal government.

Businesses and organizations including Apple and the NCAA have voiced concern over the law, and some states have barred government-funded travel to Indiana.

Also Tuesday, the Indianapolis Star urged state lawmakers in a front-page editorial to respond to widespread criticism of the law by protecting the rights of gays and lesbians.

The Star's editorial, headlined "FIX THIS NOW," covered the newspaper's entire front page. It called for lawmakers to enact a law that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

The newspaper says the uproar sparked by the law has "done enormous harm" to the state and potentially to its economic future.

Arkansas could pass similar law

Meanwhile, Arkansas was poised to follow Indiana in enacting a law, despite increasing criticism from businesses and gay-rights advocates.

The Arkansas House could vote as early as Tuesday on a proposal that would prohibit state and local governments from infringing on a person's religious beliefs without a "compelling" reason. And unlike in Indiana, Arkansas lawmakers said they will not modify their measure.

"There's not really any place to make any changes now," Republican Rep. Bob Ballinger of Hindsville said about his proposal. "If there are questions in two years, we can fix it."

Hundreds of protesters filled Arkansas' Capitol to oppose the measure, holding signs that read "Discrimination is not a Christian Value" and "Discrimination is a Disease," and chanting "Shame on You" at Ballinger after the measure was endorsed by a House committee.

"I believe that many people will want to flee the state, and many people will want to avoid our state," said Rita Jernigan, a protester and one of the lead plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit challenging Arkansas' gay marriage ban.

Similar proposals have been introduced in more than a dozen states. Nineteen other states have similar laws on the books.

Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who had expressed reservations about unintended consequences of an earlier version of the bill, has said he will sign the current measure into law.

"But I am pleased that the Legislature is continuing to look at ways to assure balance and fairness in the legislation," Hutchinson said Monday in a statement.

In a letter released Tuesday, Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola urged Hutchinson to veto the proposal, which he said would hurt the state's economic-development efforts because it "sends the message that some members of our community will have fewer protections than others. Our city and our state cannot be limited to only certain segments of society."

Apple CEO opposes measures

Sexual orientation and gender identity are not included in Arkansas' anti-discrimination protections. Last month, Hutchinson allowed a measure to go into law that prevented local governments from including such protections in their anti-discrimination ordinances.

Opponents of the bill hoped to target Hutchinson's promise to be a "jobs governor." The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights group, has run ads in Silicon Valley aimed at the same technology firms Hutchinson has said he wants to lure to Arkansas.

Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post over the weekend opposing the Arkansas and Indiana measures. Wal-Mart has said the proposal sends the wrong message about its home state. Little Rock-based data services company Acxiom also urged Hutchinson to veto the bill, saying the measure would enable discrimination and open the state up to ridicule.

"This bill is at direct odds with your position that 'Arkansas is open for business,"' CEO Scott Howe and Executive Vice President Jerry C. Jones wrote Monday in a letter to the governor.

Seriously? What kind of business is it not open to?