Linda Tuck, a library media specialist at Glen Burnie Park, has for many years introduced students to the state song. All Anne Arundel County fourth-graders study state history and civics in their social studies classes, and Tuck has incorporated those lessons into her weekly media class. She asks students to complete such tasks as critiquing the Anne Arundel government Web site and the state song.
At first, the students were confused by the song. They didn't understand words like "despot," or the Civil War era context behind the term "Northern Scum."
It was universally panned as "mean."
"I've done this for years," Tuck said. "And I've always said to my students, 'Do you want to do something about it?' And they always said, 'No.' But this year, the group said, 'Yes! We want to do something about it!' "
Beidle, an Anne Arundel County Democrat, almost dismissed the students' letters when they arrived in November. The District 32 lawmaker said she thought she would just have her intern send a form letter thanking the students for their interest, but informing them that the state song was not subject to change. That was until the intern, Spencer Dove, researched the song and discovered past attempts to do away with the song because of its controversial language.
The students burst into cheers upon learning Beidle, along with co-sponsor Del. Mary Ann Love, would take up their cause, said their teacher, Tuck.
"I'm hoping that it will encourage them to be responsible citizens," Tuck said.
The fourth-graders, though, missed the ubiquitous part of lawmaking: the political tussle. After testifying and singing, they boarded yellow school buses to make it back to school for dismissal.
That's when several opponents of the bill took to the podium and registered their distaste, calling any attempt to change the song an assault on the state's history.
"The state song well captures a tumultuous time in our country's history," said John Zebelean, a member of the John Eager Howard Chapter Sons of the American Revolution. "It demonstrates the strong feeling for liberty and individual rights that Marylanders held. No history should be changed simply because it may offend 21st-century sensibilities."
William Atwell, a Frederick County resident, and a member of the Sons of Confederacy, said, "I think the children today need to continue singing this song, not some flowery, meaningless, political-correctness song."
Beidle leveled with the students, explaining that the bill would need a "favorable" rating from committee members and 71 House votes. Then it would have to pass the Senate.
"Hopefully we'll have an ice cream party and celebrate," Beidle said.
