Here’s a perfect example of how the Internet gives us full access to news that no one cares about: Maryland, “The Free State”, proud owner of the title of “Highest Median Income in the United States” for the third year running, has made the shift from Southern Region of the Council of State Governments to the Eastern Region, making that crucial step away from being considered Southern that the rest of the country has so ardently desired for so long.
State Senator Catherine Pugh has said “I just don’t think we’re as Southern as people used to think,” echoing a statement I made to myself out loud in the shower this morning, between renditions of Prince’s “Purple Rain” and AC/DC’s “Big Balls”; make of that what you will. The state is registered as Blue, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans 2:1. This alone seems a fairly good indicator of the political leanings of the region.
The weird part about this whole story, though, is just how strong a hold the North/South divide has on Maryland, an issue that should have been considered long over by now. Honestly, I don’t even consider Maryland a part of the South at all. Check it out on the national map, sandwiched between Pennsylvania and Virginia — does that look South to you? The fact that that’s a consideration tells you just how long this state has been holding on to its Civil War-era identity, and how they really need to update their image, even if it’s just to themselves.
Best quote from the article, regarding the Northern influence: “Some of the new people that come in … are kind of preppy and all.” There you have it, the true indicator of change: J. Crew. However, I will say this in Maryland’s favor: they have a radical state flag.
