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, 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 w ithin 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!"