Pledge of Allegiance

The following words were spoken by the late Red Skelton on his television program as he related the story of his teacher, Mr. Laswell, who felt his students had come to think of the Pledge of Allegiance as merely something to recite in class each day.

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's respect 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. 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.
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 your country as it is mine.