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 under God, Indivisible,

with Liberty and Justice for all

As a schoolboy, one of Red Skelton's teachers explained the words and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance to his class. Mr. Skelton later wrote down, and eventually recorded, his recollection of this lecture.

"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 — which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine.

"God Bless America!"