“Now getting back to school, getting back to school. I remember a teacher that I had. Now I went through the seventh grade, I left home when I was ten-years-old because I was hungry. This is true I’d work in the summer and go to school in the winter. But I had this one teacher, he was the principle of the Harrison school in Vincennes, Indiana, to me this was the greatest teacher a real sage of my time anyhow. He had such wisdom. And we were all reciting the Pledge of Allegiance one day. And he walked over this little old teacher Mr. Laswell was his name. Mr. Laswell and he says, I’ve been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester. And it seems as though it’s becoming monotonous to you. If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you, the meaning of each word.”
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Me; an individual; a committee of one. |
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Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity. |
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My love and my devotion. |
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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”. |
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That means that we have all come together. |
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Individual communities that have united into forty-eight great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided by imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that’s love for country. |
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Republic: a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And the government is the people; and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people. |
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One Nation; Meaning so blessed by God. |
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Incapable of being divided. |
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Which is Freedom. The right of power to live one's own life without threats, fears, or any sort of retaliation. |
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The principle or qualities of dealing fairly with others. |
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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 be eliminated from our schools, too?” |
