Red Skelton and the Pledge of Allegiance

I remember hearing this for the first time when I was in high school (only I was at work at the time - you really didn't think they would play this in school did you?). It originally aired in 1969 as a part of one of Red's acts. You can go here to hear or watch him - Red's Pledge

Here is Red's definition of the words in our national pledge as he remembers from a school teacher:

I----meaning 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. 48 individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose, all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common cause, and that's love of country.
Of America.
And to the Republic----a 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 and the right of power to live one's life without threats or fear or any sort of retaliation.
And justice----The principle and 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 nation, and two words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance "under God." Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said, "That's a prayer" and that would be eliminated from schools, too?

Did you notice the word democracy in the pledge? No. Look again. Still no? What about Republic. Yes. Here is the most important part of the definition: "a 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."

When we stop fighting for this right, we become the little robots. We lose our freedom when we let the government tell us what to think and do. This is why so many people are upset about the president's upcoming address to the students.

Mr. Obama is the first sitting president to publicly address the students of the United States. The first thing I thought of was Russia's former leader Putin who started youth camps that teach youth what to think and how to react to those in opposition. I really get aggravated when the government steps into my territory as a parent.

The Bible says:

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

I would rather my kids get this training from home not straight from the Kreml... I mean White House. Maybe the White House should watch Red's Pledge, but then again they would probably see it as a prayer also.

Government is from the people to the leaders - not from the leaders to the people. The people should be governed by their faith and ethical standards, and my faith reminds me that "the government shall be upon His shoulder."

We must be careful not to divide our allegiance between the ideals of one party as opposed to the ideals that founded our nation. Our nation, experimental or not, stands today because it was founded upon principles of peace, fair representation, and common sense.

Over-taxing the people, initiating governmental takeovers, clawing at false science, running our government in a deficit while skyrocketing the national debt, and overemphasizing the governments role in society, all stand against our foundations as a nation.

Even though I may stand in opposition to the policies of the leading Democrats, I still have hope that they will once again start listening to the people and drop their "us over them" mentality. It did not work for the Republicans, and certainly looks worse on the Democrats.

One nation, under God, is indivisible only while liberty and justice for all is in place. I, the committee of me, am committed to help make this a great nation. A nation that:

• is committed to good stewardship (that means a balanced budget that is paying down the debt with a giant, government-sized debt snowball)
• is desiring to aid those who are in need by helping to stem the tide of poverty and the spread of infectious diseases
• is ready to aid when our own citizens suffer from natural disasters as well as aiding other countries who experience the same
• is prepared to protect itself in the midst of tyranny and oppression
• is a leader in educational goals which allows parents and guardians to provide the best possible education (me, I like vouchers that allow people to send their kids to private schools or home school - close the government schools)
• is environmentally sound and efficient in its energy uses (taking care of our environment is a good thing, recycling is a great idea, and renewable energy sources are a necessity)
  
• is sustained by the rule of law not the rule of ideals
• is determined to let the free market system correct itself and energizes the desire of corporations to keep their business here through lower corporate taxes (or finally seeing the passage of the FairTax and the removal of the income tax and other taxes like it forever)

I dedicate myself (pledge) to these type of common causes and believe that we can be United under such common causes that keep us together as one nation. Freedom is everyone's job - not just the work of those who represent us. It is just plain common sense.