I Love Liberty I Love Liberty was a special developed by Norman Lear for ABC , which aired on March 21 , 1982 . The show was produced by , a non - profit organization formed by Lear to combat the growing influence of right - wing religious groups . Big Bird appeared live on the show , introducing a pre - taped sketch by the Muppets about the Second Continental Congress . The Paley Center for Media has this program in their archives , and the entire segment with the Muppets was released on YouTube by People for the American Way in 2008 . The Program . Billed as an all - star variety special saluting America in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of George Washington ' s birth , the show featured variety acts including Barbra Streisand singing " America the Beautiful " with the United States Air Force Band , Robin Williams doing a monologue as the American Flag , and a pre - taped Muppet sketch , introduced by Big Bird . The show was filmed at the Los Angeles Sports Arena , before an audience of 10 , 000 people . Celebrity performers included Desi Arnaz , Jr . , Christopher Atkins , Valerie Bertinelli , Jimmy Buffett , LeVar Burton , Patty Duke , Erik Estrada , Peter Falk , Jane Fonda , Bonnie Franklin , Anthony Geary , Barry Goldwater , Louis Gossett , Jr . , Valerie Harper , Gregory Hines , Judd Hirsch , Waylon Jennings , Burt Lancaster , Hal Linden , Shirley MacLaine , Melissa Manchester , Walter Matthau , Kristy McNichol , Mary Tyler Moore , Helen Reddy , Christopher Reeve , Kenny Rogers , Frank Sinatra , Rod Steiger , Dionne Warwick , Dick van Patten and Henry Winkler . Big Bird . In Big Bird ' s segment , the bird wanders onto the " theater in the round " stage , wearing his formal wear - - a black tie and shirt front , with white cuffs on his wrists . He calls out for the Muppets : " Kermit ? Floyd ? Fozzie ? Hey , where are you guys ? Miss Piggy ? Animal ? I ' m looking for you . . . wow ! " Big Bird notices that he ' s walked on stage , and he looks around at the huge crowd . " Look at all these people ! " he says . " Gee . Why , there must be thousands here ! Maybe even hundreds ! Who knows ? Dozens may well be involved . Hmm . Kinda makes me want to give a speech . " He clears his throat . " My friends - - on this great " I Love Liberty " occasion , it does my heart good to know that you are all pro - bird . " ( The crowd applauds . ) " Now , I know that we have never had a president who is a bird . . . or have we ? " Then Martin Sheen ' s voice is heard over a loudspeaker : " Big Bird . . . Big Bird , can you hear me ? " Big Bird looks around , bewildered : " Uh . . . yes , but I thought on the seventh day you rested ! " Sheen walks onststage , and tells Big Bird that they ' re about to discuss turmoil . " Turmoil ? " says the bird . " Is that anything like corn oil ? " Sheen says that " turmoil is as American as Big Bird . " When you have a democracy , turmoil goes with the territory , and turbulence , too . " Isn ' t that something to do with airplanes ? " the bird asks . Sheen says that there was a lot of turmoil and turbulence in the Second Continental Congress - - but by the end , they had forged a Declaration of Independence . Big Bird exclaims , " Well , I do declare ! " The Muppets . The scene shifts to a set , where the Muppets are rehearsing their scene about the Second Continental Congress . There ' s the usual squabbling , clucking and paper airplane throwing as Kermit the Frog ( playing Thomas Jefferson ) tries to get the cast organized . Fozzie Bear , playing John Adams , is looking over his script : " Who wrote this ? I don ' t understand these words . " Kermit yells , " Quiet down , I think we can start the play . " Miss Piggy enters , in contemporary clothes , and coos at Kermit : " Darling , don ' t you look adorable as Thomas Jefferson ! " She ' s confused about the play they ' re doing : " Even the title sounds weird . One thousand , seven hundred and seventy six ? " Kermit explains that it ' s " 1776 " , and the play takes place at the Second Continental Congress . Piggy asks , " What part does moi play ? " Kermit says that there ' s no part for her , and pushes her towards the door . " There were no women at the Continental Congress ? " Piggy asks . " No pigs ! " says Kermit , and closes the door on her . As Kermit begins the rehearsal , Fozzie complains that there ' s no jokes in his part . Gonzo , playing John Dickinson , also has script problems : " Shouldn ' t we do it like it really was ? It ' s full of fighting , and arguing , and shouting - - it ' s chaos ! " Kermit says , " The United States of America was founded in the midst of chaos ! " " My kind of country ! " grins Gonzo . The rehearsal begins , with Scooter playing Congressional President John Hancock , Floyd Pepper as Benjamin Franklin and Rizzo the Rat as Congressional Secretary Charles Thomson . The other members of the Congress include Bunsen Honeydew , Beaker , Rowlf the Dog , Sam the Eagle , Robin the Frog , Lew Zealand , Beauregard , the Swedish Chef , Pops , Lips , Dr . Teeth , Animal , Statler and Waldorf , Link Hogthrob ( who cries " Remember the Alamo ! " ) , Camilla , and Zoot . Rizzo ( Thomson ) introduces Scooter ( Hancock ) , who opens the floor to debate on American independence . Fozzie declares that the situation with Great Britain has grown intolerable . Gonzo says that he has no objections to being part of the greatest empire on Earth , and sharing in its benefits . " Benefits ! " Fozzie cries . " What benefits ? Crippling taxes ? Cruel repression ? Diminished rights ? Kermit , this stuff is not " funny ! " " Kermit tries to keep the scene moving , and Gonzo ( as Dickinson ) points out that they should take an example from a real patriot , like General Washington . Then Miss Piggy enters , dressed as Washington : " Did someone call for George Washington ? I cannot tell a lie - - moi am here ! " Kermit tells her that Washington wasn ' t at the Continental Congress - - he was preparing to go to Valley Forge . " Is that some kind of health spa ? " Piggy asks , as Kermit slams the door on her again . As the scene continues , Gonzo asks , " Gentlemen ! Why do you listen to this incendiary man ? " Fozzie and Gonzo argue , and start thrusting their canes at each other . The scene becomes chaotic . Floyd screams , " We will not be repressed ! " Sam looks disgusted as paper airplanes fly by . Miss Piggy returns , dressed as Abraham Lincoln : " Ahem ! Four score and seven years ago , our fathers brought forth upon this - - " Kermit interrupts : " Piggy ! You ' re four score and seven years too early for this play ! " He pushes her out the door again . Fozzie , still battling with Gonzo , says , " Fie upon you , sir ! Fie ! Kermit ! ( Go away ! ) Kermit , are you sure the Continental Congress was really like this ? " Kermit answers , " Well , actually , yes , it was . " " Fozzie " : " But where will it end ? " " Kermit " : " Well , in their case , it ended in the Declaration of Independence , and the founding of the United States of America . " " Fozzie " : " And in our case ? " " Kermit " : " What else ? Song cue ! " The cast yells , " You ' re welcome ! " , and they go into a musical number - - " Brotherhood of Man , " from " How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying " . " Kermit " : " There is a brotherhood of man . . . " " Cast " : " A benevolent brotherhood of man . . . " " Fozzie " : " A noble tie that binds " " Gonzo " : " All human hearts and minds " " Cast " : " Into a brotherhood of man ! " Ernie and Bert march by playing a fife and drum , with Grover carrying the flag , a la Archibald Macneal Willard ' s painting " The Spirit of ' 76 " ( also known as " Yankee Doodle " ) . They ' re followed by a group of penguins and chickens , singing " When the Saints Go Marching In " . Fozzie cries , " Modulate ! " , the cast merges the two songs , ending with a rousing final chorus of " Brotherhood of Man , " with everyone waving flags with 13 stars . As they reach the climax of the song - - " " into a Brotherhood of Man ! " " - - Miss Piggy returns , dressed as the Statue of Liberty , to add " " . . . and Women ! " " The Muppets bow as the audience applauds . Writing credits for the Muppet segment were given to Jerry Juhl and Peter Stone ( who wrote the book for the musical " 1776 " ) , with the note that this was a " Jim Henson ' s Muppet segment based on the play " 1776 " . "