state songs and state birds

The despot's heel is on thy shore,
Maryland!
His torch is at thy temple door,
Maryland!
Avenge the patriotic gore
That flecked the streets of Baltimore,
And be the battle queen of yore,
Maryland! My Maryland!

The beginning of Maryland's State song is rousing, and embodies the State's willingness to fight against cruel tyranny. Woe that the tyrant in this case is Abraham Lincoln.

There's a debate going on in Maryland's State Legislative halls on this subject. It's been going on for years.

It's time to end it. The question poised is "should a song that has embarassing historical significance continue to be the official song of the state?" If most of the state's residents are too embarassed to sing the song, then maybe it is time to look for a replacement.

The last battle over the the changing of the song was the result of a homework assignment, last year.

The rest of the song appears on the Maryland web site: "Maryland, My Maryland"

Should that despot Lincoln continue to be immortalized in Maryland's confederate anthem? I hope not. But that's not my choice. The people, and the legislators, of Maryland should decide.

I'm glad to say that the Delaware State song appears to hold no such controversy. If it reads a little like a high school anthem, that's ok. Most of us like it anyway.

But, it's easy to make that argument against Maryland's State Song as an outsider. How would Delaweareans feel if an organization like PETA urged us to change our state bird, the Blue Hen Chicken (scroll halfway down the page) because it reflects a barbaric and cruel custom of cock fighting.

Or was it named as state bird to immortalize those who fought in the revolutionary war on our behalf, the men who became known as the Delaware Blue Hens?
- William Slawski