First introduced on the Red Skelton Show on CBS television, January 14, 1969. According to the introduction of the video at YouTube, it has twice been read in the Congressional Record of the United States.<\/p>\n
You can view it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n A slightly different version along with an mp3 file and the full text can be found at American Rhetoric<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Red Skelton’s Pledge of Allegiance:<\/p>\n “When I was \t\ta small boy in Vincennes, Indiana, I heard, I think, one of the most \t\toutstanding speeches I ever heard in my life. I think it compares with \t\tthe Sermon on the Mount<\/a>, \t\tLincoln\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Gettysburg Address<\/a>, and \t\tSocrates\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Speech to the Students.<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n We had just finished reciting the Pledge of Allegiance<\/a>, and he [Mr. Lasswell, the Principal of Vincennes High School] called us all together, and he says, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Uh, boys and girls, I have been listening to you recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester, and it seems that it has become monotonous to you. Or, could it be, you do not understand the meaning of each word? If I may, I would like to recite the pledge, and give you a definition for each word:<\/font><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \t<\/strong><\/p>\n I <\/font><\/strong> \t\t— Me; an individual; a committee of one.<\/font><\/p>\n \t<\/strong><\/p>\n Pledge <\/font><\/strong> \t— Dedicate all of my worldly good to give \t\twithout self-pity.<\/font><\/p>\n \t<\/strong><\/p>\n Allegiance<\/font><\/strong> \t\t— My love and my devotion.<\/font><\/p>\n \t<\/strong><\/p>\n To the Flag <\/font><\/strong> \t— Our standard. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Old Glory\u00e2\u20ac\u009d; a symbol of \t\tcourage. And wherever she waves, there is respect, because your loyalty \t\thas given her a dignity that shouts \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Freedom is everybody’s job.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/font><\/p>\n \t<\/strong><\/p>\n of the United<\/font><\/strong> \t\t— That means we have all come together.<\/font><\/p>\n \t<\/strong><\/p>\n States <\/font><\/strong> \t— Individual communities that have united \t\tinto 48 great states; 48 individual communities with pride and dignity \t\tand purpose; all divided by imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common \t\tcause, and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s love of country, of America.<\/font><\/p>\n And to the Republic<\/strong> — A Republic: \t\ta sovereign state in which power is invested into the representatives \t\tchosen by the people to govern; and the government is the people; \t\tand it’s from the people to the \t\tleaders, not from the leaders to the people.<\/font><\/p>\n For which it stands<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n One Nation<\/strong> — Meaning “so blessed \t\tby God.”<\/font><\/p>\n Indivisible<\/strong> — Incapable of being \t\tdivided.<\/font><\/p>\n \t\t<\/strong><\/p>\n With Liberty<\/font><\/strong> \t\t— Which is freedom; the right of power for one to live his own life \t\twithout fears, threats, or any sort of retaliation.<\/font><\/p>\n And Justice<\/strong> — The \t\tprinciple and qualities of dealing fairly with others.<\/font><\/p>\n For All <\/strong>— For All. \t\tThat means, boys and girls, it’s as much your country as it is mine.<\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Now let me hear you recite the Pledge of Allegiance:<\/font><\/p>\n I pledge 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: Under God<\/u>. Wouldn’t it be a pity if someone said, “That is a prayer” — and that be eliminated from our schools, too?”<\/font><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" First introduced on the Red Skelton Show on CBS television, January 14, 1969. According to the introduction of the video at YouTube, it has twice been read in the Congressional Record of the United States. You can view it here. … Continue reading \n
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\nto the Flag of the United States of America,
\nand to the Republic, for which it stands;
\none nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.<\/font><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n