Congressional
Testimony of Darrell Scott,
father
of one of the Columbine Shooting Victims
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 and 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. 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!"
True.
Mr.
Scott's powerful testimony was given to the subcommittee on crime
of the House Judiciary Committee on May 27, 1999 at the Rayburn
House Office Building in Washington, D.C.
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