miko33
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U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/08/28...-maryland/
Quote:On Monday, the University of Maryland shared that its marching band has cut the Southern-leaning state song from its line-up. After the deadly rallies in Charlottesville, the controversial anthem will no longer be playing on the university’s campus at all.
The song is a nine-verse war poem, put to music. It was used as a pro-Confederate battle hymn and talks of spurning the “Northern scum.”
“To be honest, I don’t even know what the tune is. I’d be more upset if they didn’t play the fight song, I think,” said University of Maryland student, Chris Rogers.
Another student said that they didn’t think people would even notice.
Maryland lawmakers however, will certainly notice just as they did in 2016 when they launched into debates on to how to handle the pro-confederate tune.
I don't know the history of Maryland all that well aside from the fact that the people were deeply divided over their sympathies between the Union and Confederacy. Interesting to see that the fight song for the university was a pro-Confederacy composition. I wonder what percentage of the students going to Maryland actually know this let alone the words to the song.
As a notorious mayor of Chicago once said "never let a good crisis go to waste"... Looks like some people at the school are jumping on the opportunity to remove an "embarrassing" reminder of their history circa the 1860s.
My best guess is that most students won't care either way.
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08-29-2017 07:53 AM |
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arkstfan
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
A handful of sources say Marylanders joined the Union forces at about a 3:1 ratio to joining the Confederacy.
Some historians believe one of Lee's biggest mistakes was invading Maryland because his invasion to liberate Maryland actually turned a significant number of supporters against the Confederacy. (Mildly off topic but Confederate forces entering Kentucky before Union forces is often seen as critical in keeping Kentucky in the Union).
A lot of the pro-Confederate post-war sympathies in Maryland were created during the Civil Rights tensions on the 1910's and 1920's and again in 1950's and 1960's.
Maryland is a prime example that the world is not binary there were a lot of different factors at play.
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08-29-2017 08:04 AM |
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ark30inf
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
You are correct, most students won't care either way. Most non-students won't care either way.
Which is exactly how a small group of people on each side who do care can lead the country around by its nose and stir up crap until things break.
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08-29-2017 08:05 AM |
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Dr. Isaly von Yinzer
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
I couldn't agree more with that statement. Both sides are equally guilty of it.
I see this as a Maryland issue that should be dealt with by the people of Maryland – specifically people at the University of Maryland.
That said, if I were recruiting against Maryland I would definitely subtly use this information in my spiel when talking to African-American student-athletes. That's just how it goes.
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08-29-2017 08:24 AM |
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solohawks
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
Reminds me of when UNCW banned cotton eyed joe to appease 1 influential donor
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08-29-2017 08:43 AM |
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ApexNiner
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
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08-29-2017 08:57 AM |
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NJ2MDTerp
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
First it was Rock N Roll Part II. Now its Maryland My Maryland, which, btw, is the official state song. It isn't sung at any games. The fans just enjoy the band music and tradition. I imagine the state flag will be the next to go.
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08-29-2017 09:29 AM |
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quo vadis
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
(08-29-2017 09:29 AM)NJ2MDTerp Wrote: First it was Rock N Roll Part II. Now its Maryland My Maryland, which, btw, is the official state song. It isn't sung at any games. The fans just enjoy the band music and tradition. I imagine the state flag will be the next to go.
I grew up in Maryland, and have always enjoyed the state song, though surely I've never heard it in is entirety, and I didn't know anywhere near all the words, including the "northern scum" lyrics. Lots of these kinds of songs are rarely played in their entirety. E.g., at the Preakness Stakes, they typically sing just the third stanza.
I say just eliminate the rest of the song and keep the third stanza, the Preakness version, which IIRC has no confederate references (Maryland was not a part of the confederacy so no need to be referencing it in our song) and refers to two revolutionary war heroes. That eliminates the confederacy stuff while retaining original lyrics and music.
The legislature should be able to handle that.
(This post was last modified: 08-29-2017 09:48 AM by quo vadis.)
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08-29-2017 09:43 AM |
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bluesox
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
The war chant is classic and is crazy to get rid of.
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08-29-2017 10:01 AM |
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JRsec
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
(08-29-2017 07:53 AM)miko33 Wrote: http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/08/28...-maryland/
Quote:On Monday, the University of Maryland shared that its marching band has cut the Southern-leaning state song from its line-up. After the deadly rallies in Charlottesville, the controversial anthem will no longer be playing on the university’s campus at all.
The song is a nine-verse war poem, put to music. It was used as a pro-Confederate battle hymn and talks of spurning the “Northern scum.”
“To be honest, I don’t even know what the tune is. I’d be more upset if they didn’t play the fight song, I think,” said University of Maryland student, Chris Rogers.
Another student said that they didn’t think people would even notice.
Maryland lawmakers however, will certainly notice just as they did in 2016 when they launched into debates on to how to handle the pro-confederate tune.
I don't know the history of Maryland all that well aside from the fact that the people were deeply divided over their sympathies between the Union and Confederacy. Interesting to see that the fight song for the university was a pro-Confederacy composition. I wonder what percentage of the students going to Maryland actually know this let alone the words to the song.
As a notorious mayor of Chicago once said "never let a good crisis go to waste"... Looks like some people at the school are jumping on the opportunity to remove an "embarrassing" reminder of their history circa the 1860s.
My best guess is that most students won't care either way.
They should just replace it with the One Eyed One Horned Flying Purple People Eater song. But I suppose if they did one eyed cannibal's who were convinced they were actually unicorns would be offended.
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08-29-2017 10:30 AM |
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ken d
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
(08-29-2017 09:43 AM)quo vadis Wrote: (08-29-2017 09:29 AM)NJ2MDTerp Wrote: First it was Rock N Roll Part II. Now its Maryland My Maryland, which, btw, is the official state song. It isn't sung at any games. The fans just enjoy the band music and tradition. I imagine the state flag will be the next to go.
I grew up in Maryland, and have always enjoyed the state song, though surely I've never heard it in is entirety, and I didn't know anywhere near all the words, including the "northern scum" lyrics. Lots of these kinds of songs are rarely played in their entirety. E.g., at the Preakness Stakes, they typically sing just the third stanza.
I say just eliminate the rest of the song and keep the third stanza, the Preakness version, which IIRC has no confederate references (Maryland was not a part of the confederacy so no need to be referencing it in our song) and refers to two revolutionary war heroes. That eliminates the confederacy stuff while retaining original lyrics and music.
The legislature should be able to handle that.
Over the years, they have pointedly resisted handling exactly that. In today's political climate, which includes strong pro-confederacy sentiments in many US states, I doubt whether the legislature has the stones to deal with this.
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08-29-2017 01:59 PM |
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ark30inf
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
(08-29-2017 01:59 PM)ken d Wrote: (08-29-2017 09:43 AM)quo vadis Wrote: (08-29-2017 09:29 AM)NJ2MDTerp Wrote: First it was Rock N Roll Part II. Now its Maryland My Maryland, which, btw, is the official state song. It isn't sung at any games. The fans just enjoy the band music and tradition. I imagine the state flag will be the next to go.
I grew up in Maryland, and have always enjoyed the state song, though surely I've never heard it in is entirety, and I didn't know anywhere near all the words, including the "northern scum" lyrics. Lots of these kinds of songs are rarely played in their entirety. E.g., at the Preakness Stakes, they typically sing just the third stanza.
I say just eliminate the rest of the song and keep the third stanza, the Preakness version, which IIRC has no confederate references (Maryland was not a part of the confederacy so no need to be referencing it in our song) and refers to two revolutionary war heroes. That eliminates the confederacy stuff while retaining original lyrics and music.
The legislature should be able to handle that.
Over the years, they have pointedly resisted handling exactly that. In today's political climate, which includes strong pro-confederacy sentiments in many US states, I doubt whether the legislature has the stones to deal with this.
Well, just arrest the legislature and replace it.
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08-29-2017 02:27 PM |
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NJ2MDTerp
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
(08-29-2017 02:27 PM)ark30inf Wrote: (08-29-2017 01:59 PM)ken d Wrote: (08-29-2017 09:43 AM)quo vadis Wrote: (08-29-2017 09:29 AM)NJ2MDTerp Wrote: First it was Rock N Roll Part II. Now its Maryland My Maryland, which, btw, is the official state song. It isn't sung at any games. The fans just enjoy the band music and tradition. I imagine the state flag will be the next to go.
I grew up in Maryland, and have always enjoyed the state song, though surely I've never heard it in is entirety, and I didn't know anywhere near all the words, including the "northern scum" lyrics. Lots of these kinds of songs are rarely played in their entirety. E.g., at the Preakness Stakes, they typically sing just the third stanza.
I say just eliminate the rest of the song and keep the third stanza, the Preakness version, which IIRC has no confederate references (Maryland was not a part of the confederacy so no need to be referencing it in our song) and refers to two revolutionary war heroes. That eliminates the confederacy stuff while retaining original lyrics and music.
The legislature should be able to handle that.
Over the years, they have pointedly resisted handling exactly that. In today's political climate, which includes strong pro-confederacy sentiments in many US states, I doubt whether the legislature has the stones to deal with this.
Well, just arrest the legislature and replace it.
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A page out of Abraham Lincoln's playbook.
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08-29-2017 02:39 PM |
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NJ2MDTerp
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
(08-29-2017 09:43 AM)quo vadis Wrote: (08-29-2017 09:29 AM)NJ2MDTerp Wrote: First it was Rock N Roll Part II. Now its Maryland My Maryland, which, btw, is the official state song. It isn't sung at any games. The fans just enjoy the band music and tradition. I imagine the state flag will be the next to go.
I grew up in Maryland, and have always enjoyed the state song, though surely I've never heard it in is entirety, and I didn't know anywhere near all the words, including the "northern scum" lyrics. Lots of these kinds of songs are rarely played in their entirety. E.g., at the Preakness Stakes, they typically sing just the third stanza.
I say just eliminate the rest of the song and keep the third stanza, the Preakness version, which IIRC has no confederate references (Maryland was not a part of the confederacy so no need to be referencing it in our song) and refers to two revolutionary war heroes. That eliminates the confederacy stuff while retaining original lyrics and music.
The legislature should be able to handle that.
I thought the issue was resolved nearly 3 decades ago by the MD General Assembly.
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08-29-2017 02:41 PM |
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quo vadis
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
(08-29-2017 02:41 PM)NJ2MDTerp Wrote: (08-29-2017 09:43 AM)quo vadis Wrote: (08-29-2017 09:29 AM)NJ2MDTerp Wrote: First it was Rock N Roll Part II. Now its Maryland My Maryland, which, btw, is the official state song. It isn't sung at any games. The fans just enjoy the band music and tradition. I imagine the state flag will be the next to go.
I grew up in Maryland, and have always enjoyed the state song, though surely I've never heard it in is entirety, and I didn't know anywhere near all the words, including the "northern scum" lyrics. Lots of these kinds of songs are rarely played in their entirety. E.g., at the Preakness Stakes, they typically sing just the third stanza.
I say just eliminate the rest of the song and keep the third stanza, the Preakness version, which IIRC has no confederate references (Maryland was not a part of the confederacy so no need to be referencing it in our song) and refers to two revolutionary war heroes. That eliminates the confederacy stuff while retaining original lyrics and music.
The legislature should be able to handle that.
I thought the issue was resolved nearly 3 decades ago by the MD General Assembly.
Perhaps, but bottom line is that if the University of Maryland band won't play the song, that puts the issue back on the burner.
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08-29-2017 05:04 PM |
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Kaplony
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
Fitting they should abandon their fight song. Their football team hasn't put up much a fight since the Fridge years.
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08-29-2017 05:56 PM |
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gosports1
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
Can't they just change the lyrics?
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08-29-2017 06:58 PM |
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ark30inf
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
(08-29-2017 06:58 PM)gosports1 Wrote: Can't they just change the lyrics?
Perhaps "We love the northern scum now, we love the northern scum, they are the greatest, all hail the northern scum! Fight!"
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08-29-2017 07:13 PM |
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MWC Tex
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
(08-29-2017 08:57 AM)ApexNiner Wrote: Illinois has ended its "war chant" song at all athletic events and has many extremely disappointed with the AD and administration.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/col...story.html
Soon they will rename the state because they dare to name it after an Indian tribe. Goes for Delware also.
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08-29-2017 07:21 PM |
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miko33
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RE: U. of Maryland to abandon fight song
(08-29-2017 07:21 PM)MWC Tex Wrote: (08-29-2017 08:57 AM)ApexNiner Wrote: Illinois has ended its "war chant" song at all athletic events and has many extremely disappointed with the AD and administration.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/col...story.html
Soon they will rename the state because they dare to name it after an Indian tribe. Goes for Delware also.
I thought Maryland was named after Mary Queen of Scots because she was the last Catholic monarch before Elizabeth I pushed England back to the Anglican Church, and persecuted English Catholics left for the new world just like the Puritans did for religious reasons?
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08-29-2017 10:47 PM |
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