This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0027_01BFBC28.D8B02740 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ------=_NextPart_000_0027_01BFBC28.D8B02740 Content-Type: text/plain; name="[TNCANNON] Columbine Shootings.txt" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="[TNCANNON] Columbine Shootings.txt" From: "Lester W. McCormick" <wkmac@bellsouth.net> To: <TNCANNON-L@rootsweb.com> Subject: [TNCANNON] Columbine Shootings Date: Friday, May 12, 2000 2:15 PM 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 subcommittees.. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful. It needs to be heard by every politician,every socialogist, 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 the heroic teachers 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 Abel out in the field. The villian 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 tradgedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to point at groups such as the NRA. I am not even a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter.I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent nor defend the NRA because I don't believe they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore, I don't believe that they need to be defended. If I believed that they had anything to do with Rachel's murder, I would be their strongest opponent.I am here today to declare the Columbine Shootings was not just a tradgedy. It was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the blame lies. Much of the blame lies here within 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 and Universities 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 like the Columbine tradgedy 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 villian 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 don't need more religion. We don't need more gaudy television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We don't need more million dollar chuch building built while people with basic needs are being ignored. We do need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgement that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God!" As my son, Craig, lay under a table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he didn't hestitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! On April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School, prayer was brought back into our schools. Do not let the prayers offered by these students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millineum 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 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 America will not allow that to happen." 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. Thank you. 00 ------=_NextPart_000_0027_01BFBC28.D8B02740--