COLUMBINE STUDENT'S FATHER 12 YEARS LATER

COLUMBINE  STUDENT'S FATHER 12 YEARS LATER !! Guess our  national leaders didn't expect this. 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  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.  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!"  -  Darrell Scott