I pledge allegiance to the United States of America and to the several Republics for which it stands, a federation established by mutual Consent for the Common defense, with liberty and justice for all.

This is as good a time as any...

Pass this onto the children whom attend the schools you wish to put back in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Make sure the children know.

From the Red Skelton Hour, January 14, 1969 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.

Red Skelton's Commentary on 'The Pledge of Allegiance'

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.

United - - That means that we have all come together.

States - - 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

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?

Now I know why they called him "Red".

Wasn't Bellamy a socialist and wasn't the pledge of allegiance first introduced in those "populist" and "progressive" states along with Dewey's educational reforms and Bernay's statist propaganda?

Before you start flaming me; I grew up saying it too but I think it delayed my political development. When I graduated from highschool I honestly couldn't tell the difference between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. and thought that state governments were obsolete.