Confederate Flag & Maryland's Current Support of the Confederacy
Many are happy that South Carolina government officials are saying it's time to remove the Confederate battle flag (it was never the flag of the Confederate government) from its Capitol grounds, that a Republican leader of the Mississippi legislature is saying it's time to remove the Confederate battle flag from its state flag, and that Walmart is saying it's time to remove items with the Confederate battle flag from its stores.
If this continues, the only state in the country that will still glorify the Confederacy and the institution of slavery for which it stood will be Maryland. Maryland?
Our state song, embedded in legislation, is "Maryland! My Maryland!" That title sounds innocent, but the statute includes the words to this nasty song.
In its very first line, Maryland My Maryland tells our citizens
that “The despot's heel is on thy shore.” The “despot” being
referred to is Abraham Lincoln, who asked loyal Americans to come
to the aid of the U.S. government against threats from the rebel
Confederate government to attack Washington D.C..
Then it urges our citizens to “Avenge the patriotic gore, That flecked the streets of Baltimore." This "patriotic gore" refers to American soldiers defending themselves when Baltimore gangs attacked the soldiers who were peacefully marching from one train station in Baltimore to another. This song is cheering for the Baltimorians who attacked and killed U.S. soldiers who were defending our county.
It goes on to tell Maryland, “Come! for thy dalliance does thee wrong." This refers to the “dalliance” of delaying from seceding from the United States and joining in making war against the United States to support slavery. It goes on, “Virginia should not call in vain,” meaning Maryland should join Virginia in making war against the United States. If this isn’t clear enough, we then hear, “Better the blade, the shot, the bowl,” so Maryland’s state song is making it clear that Maryland should make war upon the United States.
And it ends with, “Huzza! she spurns the Northern scum!" The northern scum referred to here is the United States army, Abraham Lincoln, and the United States government.
It is an embarrassment for Maryland to still have this state song. Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy, years ago repealed its state song that idealized the culture of the old Confederacy, and South Carolina is doing the right thing now by removing the Confederate flag from its Capitol grounds. Even in Mississippi some state legislators are making a move to remove the Confederate battle flag from its current state flag. Maryland should not be left behind as the only state that still glorifies the Confederacy, treason, and the fight to preserve slavery.
The Maryland General Assembly should adopt a law repealing Maryland Code, General Provisions, Title 7. Emblems; Designations; Commemorative Days and Months, Subtitle 3. Additional Emblems; Designations, Part II. Arts, Culture, and Food, Md. Ann. Code art. GP, § 7-318 (2014)
The General Assembly could then provide for a contest, as Virginia has done, to welcome all Maryland citizens to prepare original songs that celebrate the beauty of our state, the spirit of our people, and our exciting history. That would certainly get a lot of good publicity and excite our people with this contest for a new state song for Maryland.
Then it urges our citizens to “Avenge the patriotic gore, That flecked the streets of Baltimore." This "patriotic gore" refers to American soldiers defending themselves when Baltimore gangs attacked the soldiers who were peacefully marching from one train station in Baltimore to another. This song is cheering for the Baltimorians who attacked and killed U.S. soldiers who were defending our county.
It goes on to tell Maryland, “Come! for thy dalliance does thee wrong." This refers to the “dalliance” of delaying from seceding from the United States and joining in making war against the United States to support slavery. It goes on, “Virginia should not call in vain,” meaning Maryland should join Virginia in making war against the United States. If this isn’t clear enough, we then hear, “Better the blade, the shot, the bowl,” so Maryland’s state song is making it clear that Maryland should make war upon the United States.
And it ends with, “Huzza! she spurns the Northern scum!" The northern scum referred to here is the United States army, Abraham Lincoln, and the United States government.
It is an embarrassment for Maryland to still have this state song. Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy, years ago repealed its state song that idealized the culture of the old Confederacy, and South Carolina is doing the right thing now by removing the Confederate flag from its Capitol grounds. Even in Mississippi some state legislators are making a move to remove the Confederate battle flag from its current state flag. Maryland should not be left behind as the only state that still glorifies the Confederacy, treason, and the fight to preserve slavery.
The Maryland General Assembly should adopt a law repealing Maryland Code, General Provisions, Title 7. Emblems; Designations; Commemorative Days and Months, Subtitle 3. Additional Emblems; Designations, Part II. Arts, Culture, and Food, Md. Ann. Code art. GP, § 7-318 (2014)
The General Assembly could then provide for a contest, as Virginia has done, to welcome all Maryland citizens to prepare original songs that celebrate the beauty of our state, the spirit of our people, and our exciting history. That would certainly get a lot of good publicity and excite our people with this contest for a new state song for Maryland.
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