Red Skelton – What the Pledge means to ME Minute
In 1969, Red Skelton gave his personal view of the Pledge of Allegiance.
The statement he made at the end, I think, tells it all.Red Skelton, one of America’s best loved Comedians and star of Motion Pictures, Radio and Television, was also a true Patriot. A man who loved his Country, its Flag and the Freedom America stood for. On January 14, 1969, Red touched the hearts of millions of Americans with his “Pledge Of Allegiance,” in which he explained the meaning of each and every word. Red’s “Pledge” was twice read into the Congressional Record of the United States and received numerous awards. Red Skelton – What the Pledge means to ME
The following words were spoken by the late Red Skelton on the Red Skelton Hour television show, January 14, 1969. 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.
When I was a small boy in Vincennes, Indiana, I heard, I think, one of the most outstanding speeches I ever heard in my life. I think it compares with the Sermon on the Mount, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and Socrates’ Speech to the Students. We had just finished reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and he [Mr. Lasswell, the Principal of Vincennes High School] called us all together, and he says, “Uh, boys and girls.
“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’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, 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 country and two words have been added to the pledge of Allegiance…UNDER GOD, Wouldn’t it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that would be eliminated from schools too?
God Bless America!
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Thank you
It isn’t the Govt privilege nor the States Rights to teach about God but those PARENTS to their CHILDREN–NOT ANY STATE NOT ANY GOVT!
best ever
RED SPOKE THE TRUTH!
It is a shame what America has turned into. The liberal party is fully responsible for the mess we are in as well as the Patriots for not standing up to defend our freedom!
Thank you in advance for your consideration. I only hope my comments will cause the people of America to reflect on what the pledge of allegiance really means.
Thank you for running this I pray many will read it and chew on it
Thank you bringing this out I pray many will read it and chew on its
Your message was received and it was great and I hope more people will read this
First of all, the pledge of allegiance has God in it!
So this is not a true representation of the pledge of allegiance!
At first, I thought the same thing but if you watch through the very end you’ll see he elaborates why he didn’t say it. It was the old version that his teacher had said and Red was remarking how bad it would be if ‘under God’ it was taken away like school prayer had been.
I CHALENCE EVERY ONE TO REPOST THIS BECAUSE (*% OFTHE PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT REALY MEANS DO YOU??
Red had a way to get people to listen to what he had to say and make it sink in.
I HOPE AND PRAY WITH ALL MY HEART EVERYONE WILL TAKE THE TIME TO ABSORB THIS SHORT VIDEO FROM A TRUE AMERICAN, MR. RED SKELTON. ONE OF OUR FINEST COMICS HAD SUCH A SERIOUS SIDE SO FEW PEOPLE EVER NEW. MAY YOU REST IN PEACE MR. SKELTON, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE OF COUNTRY AND HUMANITY !
Thanks for the America I remember I love it so much it brings great fear to my heart to see where we are heading
I can remember when Red Skeleton did this on his show so many years ago.i remember the pride I felt at that time. Such an impressive performance. Thank you Red Skeleton. You were beaming with pride and so was I. Red Skeleton you are missed.
Thank you, Red. And RIP
Thank you I am a citizen by choice of this great country United State of America that I love it is a good lesson I learned the true meaning of the pledge.
Beautiful and true. But sadly it is not being taught and many children are not aware that our Government will not allow
It to be taught. I recited The Pledge each day when I was in school.
This is utterly fantastic and everyone should listen to this over and over. I’ve listened to this for as long as I discovered it.
Thank you explaining that to all of us Americans I just wish you were still with us today to tell this to all of our children the REAL MENING of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and I also wish that they still did that in our schools today as we did when I was a kid
Thank You