The Pledge

When we lived in Nebraska I became friends with one of the older women in town. She did a lot of programs for the senior citizens home and other events in the community. One day she asked me to sing with her and to help with the patriotic program she was presenting. I was truly humbled and honored to join her. The program was the meaning behind the Pledge of Allegiance as given by Mr. Red Skelton. Now I remember watching his TV show as a young girl and absolutely loving it! I had never heard or seen this before and was truly blessed to read and recite these words.

Mr. Skelton shared this on his television show. His teacher, Mr. Laswell, felt the students in the class just thought of the Pledge as something to recite each day without understanding the meaning and significance of each word or phrase.

"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 respeect 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 48 great states (this was given when Mr. Skelton was a school boy so it was before Alaska and Hawaii had joined the U.S.) 48 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.

And To The 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 quality of dealing fairly with others.

For All - which means, boys and girls, it's as much you country as it is mine.

Mr. Skelton added, "Since I was a small boy, two states have 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 the Pledge is a prayer and that would be eliminated from our schools too?"

In light of all the different views being tossed around today - by some leaders and some wannabe leaders - this is just a reminder of exactly what those words mean when we say "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."