I Pledge Allegiance

By Jerry Stewart - Vision Productions YEARS AGO THERE WAS A VERY FUNNY COMEDIAN. HIS NAME WAS RED SKELTON. HE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH HE LOVED OUR COUNTRY. ONE EVENING ON HIS TELEVISION PROGRAM HE GAVE A COMMENTARY ON OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG. LISTEN CLOSELY TO WHAT HE SAID.

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 OUR LOYALTY HAS GIVEN HER A DIGNITY THAT SHOUTS, "FREEDOM IS EVERYBODY'S JOB".

UNITED -THAT MEANS WE HAVE ALL COME TOGETHER.

STATES - INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE UNITED INTO 48 GREAT STATES, 48 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 - 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 - WHICH MEANS IT'S AS MUCH YOUR COUNTRY AS IT IS MINE.

AND HE CLOSED WITH THIS THOUGHT. HE SAID, "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?"