Three years ago was another period of unrest about the past and about history, especially here in Maryland.
As a result, 53,000 people signed a petition urging Governor Larry Hogan, then-Senate President Mike Miller, and then-Speaker Mike Busch to Save Our Flag.
The effort got a lot of media attention. I mean a lot.
I case you don’t know, the flag of Maryland is the heraldic banner of our state's founder, the first Lord Baltimore. It combines the arms of the Calvert family and the Crossland family.
During the Civil War, troops from Maryland flew both coats of arms; those supporting the Union flew the Calvert arms, while those supporting the Confederacy flew the Crossland arms. Our current flag was first flown in 1880 as a symbol of unity and reconciliation between the two factions.
Now, three years later, we’re back here doing the same thing over again. The new House Speaker, Adrienne Jones, is leading yet another effort to change Maryland’s State Song.
Given the mood in the country, it seems likely that Jones will target Maryland’s flag next.
We’re in a different place in 2020 than we were in 2017. In 2017, there were three established leaders respectful of Maryland’s history and institutions But Mike Miller is no longer Senate President, and Mike Busch has passed away. Only Governor Hogan remains in place. Neither Speaker Jones nor Senate President Bill Ferguson has expressed an opinion yet.
That day will likely come soon. Especially when you consider the rhetoric fellow Democrats like Senator Cheryl Kagan are using as it relates to the State Song.
Let us hope, like 2017, our concerns are misguided. However, just to be sure, here are a bunch of photos of Speaker Jones with the State Flag. Just in case she decides our beloved symbol of unity needs to be canceled…..
Maryland is blessed to at least have one of the few interesting state flags. Don't mess with it.
If a new flag were created by a bunch of monkeys with paint brushes, they would find something in it that was racist. It's gotten that bad.