Columbine by Darrell Scott

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. They were not
prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. 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:


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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 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 a historical fact. What has happened
to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, 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 did not — let the nation
hear this man's speech. Please send this out to everyone you can!!!