Red Skelton style ~
January 14, 1969 – During his weekly television show, comedian Red Skelton recalled a lecture by his teacher concerning an air of boredom and indifference by the students while saying the pledge. Here is a portion of that lecture – followed by an observation of his own.
I
(Me, an individual, a committee of one.)
Pledge
(Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.)
Allegiance
(My love and my devotion.)
To the Flag
(Our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom, wherever she waves there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts, “Freedom is everybody’s job.”)
Of The United
(That means that we have all come together.)
States
(Individual communities that have united into forty-eight great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that’s love for country.)
Of America. And to the Republic
(Republic–a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people; and it’s from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.)
For which it stands: One Nation,
(Meaning, so blessed by God.)
Indivisible
(Incapable of being divided.)
With Liberty
(Which is Freedom; the right of power to live one’s own life, without threats, fears, or some sort of retaliation.)
And Justice
(The principle or quality of dealing fairly with others.)
For All
(Which means it’s as much your country as it is mine.)
(Me, an individual, a committee of one.)
Pledge
(Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.)
Allegiance
(My love and my devotion.)
To the Flag
(Our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom, wherever she waves there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts, “Freedom is everybody’s job.”)
Of The United
(That means that we have all come together.)
States
(Individual communities that have united into forty-eight great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that’s love for country.)
Of America. And to the Republic
(Republic–a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people; and it’s from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.)
For which it stands: One Nation,
(Meaning, so blessed by God.)
Indivisible
(Incapable of being divided.)
With Liberty
(Which is Freedom; the right of power to live one’s own life, without threats, fears, or some sort of retaliation.)
And Justice
(The principle or quality of dealing fairly with others.)
For All
(Which means it’s as much your country as it is mine.)
Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country, and two words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance: Under God. Wouldn’t it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer, and that would be eliminated from schools, too? — Red Skelton
