A Strong Message

On Thursday, May 27, 1999, Darrell Scott, the father of
Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School
Shootings in Littleton Colorado, was invited to address
the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee.
What he said to our national leaders during this
special session of Congress was painfully truthful.
It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher,
every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist,
and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken
by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply
personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a
voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion
of the transcript:
 "Since the dawn of creation there has been both good and
evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the
seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my
wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that
heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must
not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his
brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club
he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association.
The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could
only be found in Cain's heart. "In the days that followed the
Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began
to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of
the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not
here to represent or defend the NRA because I don't believe that
they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not
believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had
anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest
opponent. I am here today to declare that Columbine was not
just a tragedy - it was a spiritual event that should be forcing
us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies
here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing
fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four
nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written
way before I knew I would be speaking here today.
				Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
				Your words are empty air;
				You've stripped away our heritage,
				You've outlawed simple prayer.
				Now gunshots fill our classrooms
				And precious children die;
				You seek for answers everywhere
				And ask the question "Why".
				You regulate restrictive laws
				Through legislative creed;
				And yet you fail to understand
				That God is what we need!
Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body,
soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part
of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice,
and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual influences
were present within our educational systems for most of our
nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological
seminaries. This is an historical fact. What has happened to us
as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in doing so, we
open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as
terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs, politicians immediately
look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to
pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our
personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive
laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors.
No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning
this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
Political posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers.
The young people of our nation hold the key. There is a spiritual
awakening taking place that will not be squelched! We do not need
more religion. We do not need more gaudy television evangelists
spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million
dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are
being ignored. We do need a change of heart and a humble
acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of
simple trust in God! As my son Craig lay under that table in the
school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes,
he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician
to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America,
and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at
Columbine High School - prayer was brought back to our schools.
Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain.
Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for
legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him.
To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA - I give to
you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before
casting the first stone! My daughter's death will not be in vain.
The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
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Be courageous enough to do what the media failed to do, let the
nation hear this man's speech. Please take a minute to send this
out to everyone you know.