Governor O'Malley is a vocal supporter of gay marriage legislation. He recently stated that "one does not have to be an advocate for same-sex marriage in order to support equal rights under the law." His message made me realize that private school students in Maryland are not being treated equally either.
Private school students receive very little aid from the state of Maryland. Their parents shoulder most of the burden of their education. This is unfair. Every student in Maryland should be allocated state funds equal to the annual budget for education divided by the total number of elementary and secondary school students.
I realize opponents of this idea will state that Maryland has a financial obligation only to public school students. But just as Governor O'Malley states that marriage can not be defined only as a union between a man and a women, a state-funded education should not be narrowly confined to a sub-set of all of Maryland's schools. All Maryland students attending schools open to the public should share equally in state education funds.
Your recent editorial on same-sex unions noted that "it is a matter of fairness, of equal rights, and social justice to ensure same-sex couples are not treated as second-class citizens" (Marriage, equality and Maryland," Feb. 16). The Sun's position is laudable. Now I challenge you to replace the words "same-sex couples" in the above sentence with "private school students."
Fair funding for all school age children will improve test scores and help minorities. Governor O'Malley and The Sun can then rightfully claim that they support equal rights under the law.
Christopher Payne, Bel Air