Red Skelton - What the Pledge Means to Me Minute Flag and the Freedom America

The late comedian Red Skelton shares his prophetic views of the American pledge of allegiance to the flag, recorded some 40 years ago in 1969, on his CBS television series "The Red Skelton Show".

In 1969, Red Skelton gave his personal view of the Pledge of Allegiance.
The statement he made at the end, I think, tells it all.

Red Skelton, one of America's best loved Comedians and star of Motion Pictures, Radio and Television, was also a true Patriot. A man who loved his Country, its Flag and the Freedom America stood for. On January 14, 1969, Red touched the hearts of millions of Americans with his "Pledge Of Allegiance," in which he explained the meaning of each and every word. Red's "Pledge" was twice read into the Congressional Record of the United States and received numerous awards.

Red Skelton - What the Pledge means to ME

This was first broadcast on:
From The Red Skelton Hour, CBS TV, January 14, 1969.
COPYRIGHT 1969 RICHARD RED SKELTON

I remember this one teacher. To me, he was the greatest teacher, a real sage of my time.
He had such wisdom. We were all reciting the Pledge of Allegiance one day, and he walked over.
Mr. Lasswell was his name.
He said, "I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester, and it seems as though it is becoming monotonous to you.
If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?"

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 48 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: a state in which sovereign power is vested 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, fear, or some sort of retaliation.
AND JUSTICE: the principle or quality of dealing fairly with others.
FOR ALL: which means, boys and girls, 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?