I remember this one teacher,
To me he was the greatest teacher, a real sage of my time. He
had such wisdom. We were all reciting the Pledge of Allegiance,
and he walked over, Mr. Laswell was his name, He said: "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 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-- Individual communities that have united into
48 states, 48
individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose, all
divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common
purpose, and that's love of country.
AND TO THE REPUBLIC-- a state in which sovereign power
is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern.
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-- meaning, so blessed by God.
INDIVISIBLE--incapable of becoming divided.
WITH LIBERTY-- which is freedom and the right of 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."
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'S A PRAYER"
and that would be eliminated from schools, too?
Brother RED SKELTON
Submitted by
Brother Dennis
Foutch
McHenry Lodge No. 158
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