Wonder What My Cousin Thinks?

You are always hearing about attempts of local school boards to find new and creative ways to introduce religion into the public schools. It usually happens in states like Texas. Or Alabama. Or Florida. Or Kansas. But you usually don't hear about it in California, and most people might be surprised because they get this idea that California is some gargantuan blue state.

Let me correct you right now: California's major cities are blue to the core. The rest of the state? As Jon Stewart might say, "ah, not so blue."

And so I came across an article about a local school board in California debating a recent decision to allow students in their public schools to attend a "church class." I know, big deal. Happens all the time. Why do I care? In this case, I care because of two things: first, one of the members of the audience at the board meeting brought up my dear Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster; second, this all happened in the city of Atascadero, California. Atascadero happens to be the city where a cousin of mine teaches middle school. So, I'm curious what she makes of all of this.