Group,
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. 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:
"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 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
reek 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 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!"
Tom, Redding CA - #216 D/CC
PS:
I'm pleased that the Maxton Meet was a success, sorry for the loss of
life on the highway. I have often said, "If we can get to and from the
events without mishap, we will likely be OK while there. Way to go
Keith, sounds as though you are content with the performance of the
Camaro.
|