Yes, kiddies, it is that time again . . . time for another adventure from yesteryear. Yes, we all know you are all ready for another adventure of Rusty Rucker, and today's exciting episode is chock full of spine-tingling tales. So gather around, hush your mouths, make sure the parents are in the other room and let's get this show on the road:
Old Rusty lives way back in the boonies with a couple of hound dogs and one lazy ole mule. With nothing to do all day except whittle and listen to the radio, he gets some off-the-wall ideas about our political structure and its impact on our daily lives. Maybe you will get a chuckle out of some of the stuff he comes up with, and who knows, you might even agree with part of it.November 2000 Updated regularly -- Totally new first of every month.
I'm gonna start out a bit different this month. It is the time of Thanksgiving and we all have lots to be thankful for. So first thing, I want to THANK my dear friend, Kim, for allowing me to use her poem to help get us all into a Thanksgiving frame of mind:
THANKSGIVING The time of year has come, my friend
The summer's passed away
The morning air now holds a chill
Which grows each passing dayThe trees have just begun to sleep
Their leaves dance to the ground
The beauty of their fall, unique
And scattered all aroundThis time of year is special
And different in its ways
It offers us reflection
Of this years passing daysWe call this time Thanksgiving
For so much, it is due
So we give thanks for those we love
And friendships old and newIt won't be long until the trees
Reach toward the sky so bare
And icy winds will soon replace
The chill that's in the airBut those cold winds will not affect
The warmth our hearts still hold
For all the ones that we give thanks
Will help us through the coldI send this so that you will know
Within my heart so true
When I give thanks, Thanksgiving Day
My thoughts will include you
~ < c >K. Plaisance 11/99It's also the time for electing a new President of these United States of America. Now, I have mixed emotions about the election. I know we need a new President. No quarrel with that. Only thing is, which one do we need least. It's a shame that our political system is in such a muddle that we are compelled to choose by elimination. Don't s'pose we'll ever have any real say as to who holds this office of the highest power in the world.
In a message dated 10/11/2000 5:21:34 PM Central Daylight Time, Shanvau writes:Do what the media did not ... let the nation hear this man's speech. Please use the form[*] at bottom of this page to send this to everyone you can!!!Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? 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 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 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 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.
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!
Thanks for the ride. Y'all come back now ... Ya hear!!!
If you don't believe you have anything to be thankful for, be thankful for the privilege to express that belief. --Rusty Rucker
*Of course, there is no form at the bottom of this post, but there is a permalink which you can use to (re)inform people of this message which I have not personally checked for accuracy.
See all of the currently published Rusty Rucker works by clicking on this link.
Rusty Rucker posts are from previously published monthly columns of my late father that had been lost until I discovered Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
Posted by Tiger at August 12, 2003 11:29 PM