Interesting E-Mail

[Executive]

Sent from an old friend:
Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? On Thursday, 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, 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.
"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 Sc hool 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!"


Chris

 

[hminsky]

Umm, so the logic here is that adding prayer sessions to public school will prevent mass murders from students armed with guns and bombs?

I don't buy that.

 

[Adam_MA]

That's great!

 

[Pilgrim]

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/scott.htm

This gives validity to the speech but calls the preface into question.

Non the less, well done. I wish there were more like him.

 

[SnakeEye]

more people have died in the name of religion and god than any other single reason in the history of mankind.
I appreciate his sentiment, but his religious overtones invalidate it all..

 

[Adam_MA]

I think you are missing the point.

Read the poem again, and try to see the meaning past the nouns, and verbs.

Also, see what exactly he is accomplishing for us gun people. He doesn't specifically set out to do it, but he takes the blame away from the actual gun itself and places it EXACTLY where it belongs... On the people and actions, not the tools of doing so.

Adam

 

[SnakeEye]

blaming lack of religion for violence is just as foolish as blaming it on guns.
its just another scapegoat ,except one that suits his particular ends..
now the religious right is using the souls of their own dead children to push a religious agenda back into the spotlight and back into our schools..
its too high of a cost, even if it is a positive to the pro gun.//

goverment imposed religion has no place in a free society.
Only individuals with free minds can have real beliefs, lives and dreams.
and if religion is known for anything, its for being non-conducive to free and independent thought..

 

[TonyD]

How did you make the jump to government mandated religion? And, your analogy of guns v. religion is lunacy.

It has become a very sad society that lambastes what the true word of God is. Such things as the Ten Commandments, doing no harm or evil to his fellow man, and to punish those who do evil, especially when these evils are committed in His name. Yes, I see how teaching, believing, and living by that Word has caused our problems.

Our children don't need to read the Bilble, they'll be plenty of time for them to read it in prison.

And before you come up with some lame excuse about not every one who doesn't read the Bible committs evil, it's quite a coincidence of the declining religious teachings, in the home and elsewhere, and the increasing of crimes and apathy.

 

[SnakeEye]

how did make the jump to goverment mandated religion?
obviosly you didnt read the email in its entirety..

I challenge
every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on
April 20, 1999 , at Columbine High Sc hool 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.

And, your analogy of guns v. religion is lunacy

and i made no such analogy. i merely stated that guns dont kill people any more than lack of a bible in the nightstand does..

So your argument is what, that good values cant exist without religion???

 

[TonyD]

blaming lack of religion for violence is just as foolish as blaming it on guns.

Maybe I misunderstood the above.

Your other quote still has nothing to do with mandating a religion by the government. It sounds like the discrimination against religious freedom was lifted somewhat.

 

[SnakeEye]

If ive learned anything in my life, its that arguing with someone over matters of faith is absolutely useless.
no matter how much die hard fact, heart and desire either side puts into their respective aruments, neither side will budge and it will always end ugly..

i agree to disagree with you and call it a day..

best wishes!

 

[Scrivener]

"It has become a very sad society that lambastes what the true word of God is."

And who determines what that allegedly "true word" is?

There are many such proponents; all have a different take and many are violent in their adherence to their particular devotion to the "true word." Some of the bloodiest massacres were perpetrated in the name of "true believers" cleansing the world of supposed infidels; i.e. anyone who exercised free will and arrived at a different opinion.

Like 9/11.

And the Crusades.

Ever hear of the Saint Swithin's Day Massacre?

How about burning "witches" and "heretics" ?

Muslims v. Hindus v. Sikhs?

Iran's ayotollahs v. everyone else's?

Need I go on?

 

[FPrice]

It's funny (ironic funny, not ha-ha funny) how those who want to blame religion for so many evil deeds sound suspiciously like those who want to blame guns for so many deaths.

I tend to think that such people are really afraid to blame the imperfect nature of all men (and women) and the evil that we are capable of in the name of our own desires.

 

[Lynne]

I tend to think that such people are really afraid to blame the imperfect nature of all men (and women) and the evil that we are capable of in the name of our own desires.

+1 Frosty. That and the fact that too many have been taught to not accept responsibility for their on actions and whatever problem occurs due to their actions. They're better at point their finger at someone else rather than at themself.

I'm not Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc. I'm Pagan (Wiccan infact) and we live by one all encompasing rule - "An it harm none, do what thou wilt." We believe what we do returns 3 fold, and in THIS lifetime, not the "hereafter". (And before anyone can ask or make any reference to - No, we do not worship the devil. He's part of Christianity and we aren't Christian.)

 

[reinbeau]

+1 Frosty. That and the fact that too many have been taught to not accept responsibility for their on actions and whatever problem occurs due to their actions. They're better at point their finger at someone else rather than at themself.

I'm not Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc. I'm Pagan (Wiccan infact) and we live by one all encompasing rule - "An it harm none, do what thou wilt." We believe what we do returns 3 fold, and in THIS lifetime, not the "hereafter". (And before anyone can ask or make any reference to - No, we do not worship the devil. He's part of Christianity and we aren't Christian.)

Very close to my own feelings, Lynne, I'm a Pantheist, we have Pagan members, too. We need to work on creating heaven here on this earth we're living on and not for a 'reward' after we're dead.