The Pledge of Allegiance by Red Skelton

As a schoolboy, one of Red Skelton's teachers explained the words and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance to his class.   Skelton later wrote down, and eventually recorded, his recollection of this lecture.   It  is followed by an observation of his own.

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 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 of America - - Individual communities that have united into forty-eight 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 is love for country.
And to the Republic - - 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   ( symbolic representation - ed. 6/11/05)
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 qualities, of dealing fairly with others.
For All - - For All--which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine.

And now, boys and girls, let me hear you recite the Pledge of Allegiance:
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America,
and to the Republic, for which it stands; one nation, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all. "

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?

Red Skelton

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IS THIS NORMAL?

Four thousand gathered for midday prayer in a downtown cathedral.
A New York City church, filled and emptied six times last Tuesday.
The owner of a Manhattan tennis shoe store threw open his doors
and gave running shoes to those fleeing the towers. People stood
in lines to give blood, in hospitals to treat the sick, in
sanctuaries to pray for the wounded.

America was different this week. We wept for people we did not
know. We sent money to families we've never seen. Talk-show hosts
read Scriptures, journalists printed prayers. Our focus shifted
from fashion hemlines and box scores to orphans and widows and the
future of the world.

We were different this week. Republicans stood next to Democrats.
Catholics prayed with Jews. Skin color was covered by the ash of
burning towers. This is a different country than it was a week ago.

We're not as self-centered as we were. We're not as self-reliant
as we were. Hands are out. Knees are bent. This is not normal. And
I have to ask the question, "Do we want to go back to normal?"

Are we being given a glimpse of a new way of life? Are we, as a
nation, being reminded that the enemy is not each other and the
power is not in ourselves and the future is not in our bank
accounts?

Could this unselfish prayerfulness be the way God intended for us
to live all along? Maybe this, in his eyes, is the way we are
called to live. And perhaps the best response to this tragedy is
to refuse to go back to normal.

Perhaps the best response is to follow the example of Tom Burnet.
He was a passenger of flight 93. Minutes before the plane crashed
in the fields of Pennsylvania he reached is wife by cell phone.
"We're all going to die," he told her, "but there are three of us
who are going to do something about it."

We can do something about it as well. We can resolve to care more.
We can resolve to pray more. And we can resolve that, God being
our helper, we'll never go back to normal again.

Max Lucado

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A Good Question!!!!!!???????

NOW that the President has called us to prayer.....

NOW that Congress has called us to prayer.....

NOW that our Governor has called us to prayer....

NOW that the Mayors of most cities in PA have called us to prayer....

NOW that the "liberal" media and most other branches of our American
    society have called us to prayer.....

AND NOW that our churches are assembling in special prayer....

"Honorable" Justices of the Supreme Court, I have only one question.
    Would it be O.K. to pray in our schools........??

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  On Monday there were people fighting against praying in schools
  On Tuesday you would have been hard pressed to find a school where someone was not praying

  On Monday there were people trying to separate each other by race, sex, color and creed
  On Tuesday they were all holding hands

  On Monday we thought that we were secure
  On Tuesday we learned better

  On Monday we were talking about heroes as being athletes
  On Tuesday we relearned what hero meant

  On Monday people went to work at the world trade centers as usual
  On Tuesday they died

  On Monday people were fighting the 10 commandments on government property
  On Tuesday the same people all said 'God help us all' while thinking 'Thou shall not kill'

  On Monday people argued with their kids about picking up their room
  On Tuesday the same people could not get home fast enough to hug their kids

  On Monday people picked up McDonalds for dinner
  On Tuesday they stayed home

  On Monday people were upset that their dry cleaning was not ready on time
  On Tuesday they were lining up to give blood for the dying

  On Monday politicians argued about budget surpluses
  On Tuesday grief stricken they sang 'God Bless America'

  On Monday we worried about the traffic and getting to work late
  On Tuesday we worried about a plane crashing into your house or place of business

  On Monday we were irritated that our rebate checks had not arrived
  On Tuesday we saw people celebrating people dying in the USA

  On Monday some children had solid families
  On Tuesday they were orphans

  On Monday the President was going to Florida to read to children
  On Tuesday he returned to Washington to protect our children

  On Monday we emailed jokes
  On Tuesday we did not

  It is sadly ironic how it takes horrific events to place things into perspective, but it has. The lessons learned this week, the things we have taken for granted, the things that have been forgotten or overlooked, hopefully will never be forgotten again.

  On Monday - pray and be thankful
  On Tuesday - pray and be thankful
  On Wednesday - pray and be thankful
  On Thursday - pray and be thankful
  On Friday - pray and be thankful
  On Saturday - pray and be thankful
  On Sunday - pray and be thankful