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 national leaders during this
special session of Congress was painfully
truthful.
These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful,
penetrating, and deeply personal. The following is a portion of the
transcript:
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 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 eroding 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 fingers 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!"