No singing of state song at the Preakness Stakes

Three cheers for Speaker Adrienne A. Jones for being the first state leader that I can remember to publicly proclaim that she will work to repeal our pro-Confederate state song “Maryland, My Maryland” (“House of Delegates Speaker Jones: Civil War-themed state song, ‘Maryland, MyMaryland,’ needs to go,” June 23).

While it will take a law to erase the song from our state code, Gov. Larry Hogan doesn’t have to wait for that glorious day to arrive before he can take action that would begin to put Maryland on the right side of history. He could request that the song not be sung at the Preakness Stakes horse race this fall. Perhaps only an instrumental version of the tune could be played.

Anything, even a moment of silence, would be better than hearing that dark dirge belted out one more time on national television.

Sean Tully, Baltimore