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 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 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 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!"
