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 the 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 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 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 terrible

As the Columbine tragedy occurs, politicians seek to pass

More restrictive laws eroding away our personal

Liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan could 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

or more gaudy television evangelists spewing

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 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

Columbine High School prayer was brought back into our schools.

Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain.