| September 30, 1951 to August 1, 1971 |
| On his TV program, "The Red Skelton Hour", he related what his teacher, Mr. Laswell, told the class about what each word meant to the Pledge Of Allegiance. This has been circulating and heard hundred's of thousdands of times and still as popular today as it was at the time he made this recording from his show. |
| "I have been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge Of Allegiance all semester, and it seems as though it's becoming monotonous to you. If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?" |
| Me, an individual, a committee of one. |
| Dedicate all my wordly goods to give without self-pity. |
| My love and my devotion. |
| Our standard. Old Glory. A symbol of freedom. Wherever she waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts, "Freedom is everybody's job!!" |
| That means that we have all come togther. |
| 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. |
| One Nation-----meaning so blessed by God. |
| Republic -- A state in which soverign power is invested in representitives chosen by the people to govern, and government is the people, and it's from the people to the leaders, and not from the leaders to the people. |
| Which is Freedom! The right of power to live one's own life without threats, fear or some sort retaliation. |
| Incapable of being divided. |
| The principle, or qualities, of dealing fairly with others. |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said it is a prayer, and that it would be eliminated from schools too? |
| Click on the photo to see my website on the life of Red Skelton...from his birth to his death and all the wonderful years inbetween. From the man, to the perfofrmer, to the artist to the humanitarian. He was an icon and an inspiration to so many. |
