Red Skelton and his unforgettable rendition of the Pledge of Allegiance. Skelton rose out of abject poverty to become one of the great comedians of his time. As the above video indicates Skelton also had his serious side. His message about the Pledge is good to remember this Fourth and every day.
A Pledge
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 41 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Nice but God didn’t get much mention.
Did you miss the ending Joe?
The addition of under God to the pledge of allegiance in 1954 of course echoes this sentence from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:
“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
The Pledge was altered with that phrase of Lincoln specifically in mind:
http://acheritagegroup.org/blog/?p=12
I just put the flag out with my two sons and we said the Pledge of Allegiance. The musical 1776 is playing on the TV. Cathy has some tasty ribs for our lunch and then our family reading of the Declaration. The Fourth is off to a traditional start at House McClarey!
I admit, Don, I quit watching after about 3 minutes because I figured he was through with his definitions.