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 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 ourageous 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 bloodcries 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 they don't 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 makeup, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and reek 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 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 ourpersonal 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 wasbrought back to our schools.

 

Do not let the many prayers offered by thosestudents 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!"

Dear friends,

 

When I ask my friends and neighbors here in Rhea County, Tennessee

whether they plan to support Al Gore, they invariably look at their

feet, clear their throats and mumble a reply. Sometimes they say, "No, I

don't think so." Other times, with great discomfort, they say, "Yeah,

probably." Regardless of the response, I was bewildered at the sense of

embarrassment that the mention of Al Gore's name brings. You see, Al

Gore represented our district in the House of Representatives since the

tender age of 28. He was one of Tennessee's senators for 8 years until

becoming vice president. It is hard to find people who haven't voted for

him at one time or another. Why are locals now so embarrassed when this

man, whom they supported for so long, makes it big on the political

scene? You think they'd be as proud as punch. Here in east Tennessee

being honest, honorable and true to your word is vastly more important

than how much money you make or how powerful you are. People here know,

better than anyone else in America, that Al Gore has reversed most of

his fundamental convictions. When confronted, he has blatantly lied. He

is not viewed as the "local-boy-made-good." Instead, most folks, even

his supporters, harbor the uneasy suspicion that Al Gore has sold his

honor and his good word for political power. This week's editorial from

our local newspaper, The Herald News, explains it all. I hope you will

spread this as far and as wide as you possibly can, and ask your friends

to do so as well. 

* Jeff Myers

And the Lord spoke to Noah and said:

 

"In six months I am going to make it rain until the whole Earth is covered with water and all of the evil people are destroyed, but I want to save a few good people and two of every kind of living

thing on the planet. I am ordering you to build me an ark."

 

And in a flash of lightning, he delivered the specifications for the ark.

 

"Okay," Noah said, trembling in fear and fumbling with the blueprints.

 

Six months later it starts to rain. Thundered the Lord, "You had better have my ark completed or

learn to swim for a very long time." And six months passed. The skies begin to cloud up. Rain began to fall. The Lord saw that Noah was sitting in the front yard weeping. And there was no ark.

 

"Noah," shouted the Lord, "where is my ark?" A lightning bolt crashed to the ground next to Noah.

 

"Lord, please forgive me," begged Noah. "I did my best, but there were big problems. First, I had to get a building permit for the ark's construction project, and your plans did not meet code. So I had to hire an engineer to redraw the plans. Then I got into a big fight over whether or not the ark needed a fire sprinkler system.

 

"My neighbors objected, claiming I was violating zoning by building the ark in my front yard. So I had to get a variance from the City Planning Commission. Then I had a big problem getting enough wood for the ark because there was a ban on cutting trees because of the spotted owl. I had to convince U.S. Fish and Wildlife that I needed thewood to save the owl, but they would not let me catch any owls. So, no owls.

 

"Then the carpenters formed a union and went out on strike. I had to negotiate a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board before anyone could pick up a saw or hammer. Now I have 16 carpenters going on the boat and still no owl. Then I started gathering up animals and got sued by an animal rights group. They objected to me taking only two of each kind. Just when I got the lawsuit dismissed, EPA notified me that I could not complete the ark without filing an environmental impact statement on the proposed flood. They did not take kindly to the idea that you had jurisdiction over your conduct and you were the supreme being.

 

"Then the Army Corps of Engineers wanted a map of the proposed new floodplain. Right now I am still trying to resolve a complaint from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over how many Croatians I am supposed to hire, and the IRS has seized all of my assets, claiming I am trying to avoid paying taxes by leaving the country, and I just got a notice from the state about owing some kind of use tax. I really do not think I can finish your ark for at least another five years," Noah wailed.

 

Then the skies began to clear. The sun began to shine. The rainbow arched across the sky and Noah looked up with a smile. "You mean you are not going to destroy the Earth?" Noah asked hopefully.

 

"No," said the Lord sadly. "The government already has."