Red Skelton, during the presentation of his CBS television show on the night of January 14, 1969, read his version of the"Pledge of Allegiance"to the flag. He immediately received 200,000 requests for it, he recorded it and the record was widely played throughout the country. Skelton had learned his adaptation of the pledge as a schoolboy in Vincennes, Indiana. The teacher felt his pupils were bored reciting the pledge every morning (times haven't changed much), so he decided to explain to his students what the lines they were mumbling meant.

"I" — me, an individual, a committee of one.

"Pledge" — dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.

"Allegiance" — my love and devotion.

"To the Flag" — our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever she waves, there is respect because your loyalty has given her 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 50 great states. Fifty communities with pride and dignity and purpose, all divided by imaginary boundaries, yet common purpose and that's love for country.

" Of America"

" And to the Republic" — a state in which sovereign power in invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people and it's 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 under GOD" — meaning so blessed by GOD.

"Indivisible" — incapable of being divided.

"With Liberty" — which is freedom and the right or power to live one's own life without threats or fear of some sort of retaliation.

"And justice" — the principle or quality of dealing fairly with others.

"For all" — which means it's as much your country as it is mine."

Semper Fi

Skelton was a Classic...

I always loved that man.

Great find, DPeacher.

I agree!!

I always loved him too.I remember when he was on a episode of Captian Kangaroo.Great painter too.

I remember reading a story about him in Parade Magazine a couple of decades ago, and he said he always lived his life as if the next person he would meet was Jesus.

That's pretty good on a whole lot of levels!

His television show, The Red Skelton Show, ran from 1951 to 1971, on CBS, which is pretty much a record for a comedy variety show.

Eric The('AndMayGodBless')Hun[>]:)]

Eric,,, That line you just quoted from Red on living your life as the if the next person you meet is Jesus, is the most truthfull and realistic line I have ever heard. I hope to use it on myself and share it with others. Thanks.
I admired Red also, he was the best.

Does everybody know that the pledge was written by a socialist? And one of its purposes was to brainwash kids in to worshiping the state? Well it was and it was. Over on the JBirch mailing list, we came up with a better one, which uses the Constitution not the flag, and takes out the indivisible which is a reference to the Confederacy and violates the right to revolution and self gov't:

I pledge allegiance to the Constitution and to the Republic which it defines: a Nation of Sovereign States, united under God, with Liberty and Justice for all.

Much better in my opinion.

How about this modification, so that we keep the name of our country in the pledge.


I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the Republic which it defines: a Nation of Sovereign States, united under God, dedicated to Liberty and Justice for all.