Pledge of Allegiance – Red Skelton

By Red Skelton.

“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.

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 is love for country.

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 — 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, fear, or some sort of retaliation.

And Justice — The principle, or qualities, of dealing fairly with others.

For All — For All… which means, boys and girls, it’s as much your country as it is mine.

And now, boys and girls, let me hear you recite the Pledge of Allegiance:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands; one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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?”

Today, the flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with 6 white. The stripes represent the original 13 colonies, the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of the flag are symbolic as well: Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor, White symbolizes Purity and Innocence and Blue represents Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.