The Profound and Painful Truth

‘The Columbine High School Shootings’

I can’t say that our national leaders did or did not expect to hear this when on the anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the 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 the most profound and painful truth they had ever heard.

The people of the House Judiciary were not prepared for what he had to say, nor was it well received. But indeed it needed to be said and it needs to be heard by every American, every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert, because as you will soon discover, they are wrong, they are all wrong…

These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are so profoundly powerful, so penetrating, and so deeply personal, that there is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the self-indulgent wilderness of the US Congress.

The following is a portion of Darrell Scott’s transcript spoken before the Congress of the United States of America:

de Andrea

To the congress of the United States of America:
"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. And 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 right here in this room. (Emphasis mine) 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, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge the third part of our make-up, we create a vacuum that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak 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 the erosion of our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. The shooters, 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!"

Darrell Scott,
In memory of Rachel Joy Scott, Columbine High, Littleton Colorado.