(no subject)

[Guest guest]

Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? Darrell ,

the father of , a victim of the Columbine High School shootings

in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary

Committee's sub-committee. 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 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, Joy ,

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

'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 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 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 our personal and private liberties. We do not need

more restrictive laws. " 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.

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! "

PLEASE... Do what the media did not...let the nation hear this man's

speech.

Please send this out to everyone you can!!!