State song reminds us of sacrifices of our early citizens

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

The ignorance of our state's history and heritage expressed in the media by the sponsors of this bill, Sen. Jennie Forehand, Del. Jolene Ivy, Del. Pam Beidle and Del. Mary Love is astounding. Del. Ivy stated the state song "glorifies the Confederacy."

The song never mentions the Confederate States of America but it does reference those rebels who stood against the English King George in 1776, such as John Eager Howard and Charles Carroll, one of the four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence. In 1902, Carroll was recognized as one of Maryland's noteworthy Sons at Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol rotunda.

Other Maryland heroes mentioned include Ringgold, Watson and Lowe from Maryland's support of the struggles with England in 1812 and with Mexico in 1848 and "The Old Line's bugle fife and drum" that saved Washington's army at Long Island, N.Y.

All of the bill's sponsors admit to the press that they "don't even know the lyrics to the state song."

Del. Beidle, who introduced the bill in the House on Feb. 13, states her interpretation of the song "conveys anger at Union troops marching in Baltimore." Those "Union troops," the 6th Massachusetts, did not just march in Baltimore, they killed 12 of its citizens and shot down scores of others.

I wonder if Del. Beidle would be "angry" if today the Massachusetts National Guard came into Maryland to occupy and subjugate the state and shoot down a dozen of her constituents, seize and shut down the news media, arrest the state's elected officials, imprison her citizens without charge or trial, illegally search private homes and

seize property without warrant etc.

Perhaps the letters she received from elementary school students in protest would have the opposite theme if the students received a fair and balanced perspective in their history lessons.

I urge Sen. Miller to not let those people eradicate the state song that reminds us of the sacrifices of Maryland citizens who advanced the cause of liberty and the history and heritage of the great state of Maryland.

Jim Dunbar, La Plata