Maybe you should read history before you teach it

In Rolling Their Eyes, Maybe, over at Hullabaloo, Digby mentions some, well, hullabaloo over "a teacher [reportedly] suing his principal for allegedly refusing to let him teach the Declaration of Independence because it mentions God".

Quoth the quoted article,

"It's a fact of American history that our founders were religious men, and to hide this fact from young fifth-graders in the name of political correctness is outrageous and shameful," said Williams' attorney, Terry Thompson.

Digby points out, quite clearly, that both the founders and the nation 'itself', so to speak, make the point that this is not a Christian nation, and that the founders were not trying to create one, not being all...ardently religious men themselves.

For example,

The 1796 treaty with Tripoli, negotiations begun under Washington and signed by Adams states:

[As] the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion.

Is it so hard to understand?

One garter-stitch scarf in variegated yarn

One garter-stitch scarf in Jiffy's worsted weight "quick and easy mohair look yarn", fall colors ('El Paso', I think), variegated yarn. Finished yesterday while visiting at a friend's for the holiday.

Cast on about 35 stitches on size 10.5 needles. Knit back and forth in garter stitch forever. Repeat until 5-6 feet in length, whatever suits. Cast off loosely.

That many stitches makes a rather broad scarf. Some people like 'em skinny and very long, but I used to have an off-white scarf about this width and style and, apparently, have always wished to recreate something similar. The nice thing about a thick garter scarf like this is you can drape it around your neck, turn the edge back to look like a shawl collar, and pin shut with a broach. I rather like the idea of that look.

Cool - Free Lunch

Free Lunch: Freegans prove there is such a thing as they Dumpster-dive for food for themselves and the homeless

Where's His Domicile?

Over on Eschaton, Atrios links to Is the senator an 'inhabitant' of Pennsylvania?, an article proposing that Rick Santorum is not a resident of the state which he represents, which is a violation of Article I of the US Constitution, which requires a representative to be a resident of the locale he or she represents.

Well, the article says,

Rick Santorum last won election in November 2000, when he owned the house at 111 Stephens Lane in Penn Hills plus a house in Virginia. Where he was an "inhabitant" at the time only he can say.

Actually, that's quite true, if my supposition is correct.

I'm guessing that the term resident or inhabitant is what in law school we refer to as domiciliary. Is Senator Santorum's domicile in Pa or Va?

You can own lots of residences, but only have one domicile. That is your "permanent residence", so to speak. Your true home base. The place you do not plan to leave. You only ever have one of those at a time, and when you move from one state to another (like I did, recently), you might be construed as still being domiciled in the previous state, even though you're living day-to-day in a different one, unless you make it clear - by word or deed - your intention to put down roots and stay in the new locale.

Ways to show that intent? That varies from case to case and state to state. From anecdotal data, I hear Alaska relies heavily on voter registration as an indicator of domicile. From my casebook on Civil Procedure, New Hampshire appears rather fond of voter registration, business incorporation and activities, and where you file your taxes. (Voter registration is nice because you're only supposed to vote once, in one place, and that seems to parallel the whole 'domicile' concept.)

Mostly, though, if you say so, well, you're kinda presumed to be more aware of your intent than anyone else.

Senator Santorum could have almost no contacts at all with Pennsylvania, and still be domiciled there, if he hasn't moved his domicile elsewhere. You're always domiciled somewhere, even if it's not where you are at the moment.