A COLUMBINE STORY

Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? On Thursday, 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 f or 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.


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, mind, 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 presences 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.

"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!"