DARRELL SCOTT TESTIMONY
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 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 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 ColumbineHigh Schoolprayer
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!"
