COLUMBINE

[Cliff Fallon <fallon@eecs.wsu.edu>]

Columbine

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:

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"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 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 the erosion of 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 regard for
legislation that protects 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!"

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Be courageous enough to do what the media failed to do, let the nation
hear this man's speech.  Please send this out to everyone you can.