Maryland American Pride Number Plates

Marylanders are rightfully proud of this state’s connection to the national anthem. When Francis Scott Key wrote what would become the anthem’s lyrics, he was drawing from his experience at the Battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

It’s a bit like knowing the “amber waves of grain” of “America the Beautiful” came from your backyard or the actual “oceans, white with foam” mentioned in “God Bless America” happened to be located along the Ocean City boardwalk. The War of 1812 may not get the press of other U.S. wars, but you can’t attend a baseball game without hearing about that one inspiring battle.

But such pride in our role is getting stretched a bit far in Annapolis, where lawmakers would like to rewrite Maryland vehicle number plates to add this sales pitch: “Home of Our National Anthem.”

Just because Maryland doesn’t currently have a slogan running between the bolt holes of its standard-issue number plates doesn’t mean we ought to have one, especially a version that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

Like any proud parent of a 196-year-old that has gone off to accomplish great things, let us take pride in our role in the nurturing of the anthem, but not still claim it as some kind of live-in dependent.