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
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. 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 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!"
******
Do what the media did not - let the nation hear this
man's speech. Please send this out to everyone you
can!!!