THOUGHT THIS WORTHWHILE TO PASS ON:
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 sub-committee. 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 & 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 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 a
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 the erosion of 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 regard for legislation that protects 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!" |
