Small Town News

Slain girls writings inspire millions of readers

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When Rachel Joy Scott woke up on April 20, 1999, she was just another 18-year-old high school student with a dream of changing the world through kindness and compassion.

Little did she know she would do just that. Rachel was killed that day during a shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado. Her father, Darrell Scott, was at McFarland Middle School Sept. 9 to talk to the public about a program he started to spread Rachel's message of love and hope.

"Eleven years ago, my daughter was the first of 13 innocent people murdered, "Scott said. "This is a simple program to honor those individuals."

Rachel wrote an essay a couple of weeks before she died, called "My Ethics, My Codes of Life." In it, she outlined what she called a chain reaction of kindness and compassion.

"Darrell and his family suffered a terrible tragedy, "McFarland principal Dennis Adams said. "Today, well over 1 million students have heard this story and are actively involved."

Hundreds of people were seated in the school's auditorium to hear Scott speak.

"It's a real pleasure to see such a big group, "Adams said.

The program, Rachel's Challenge, has multiple people who travel around the country spreading its message, but Othello received such a distinguished guest, the program's founder and Rachel's father, because McFarland was recently recognized by the group.

"In June, we were awarded the middle school of the year, "Adams said. "It's really an honor."

Though it has been years since Rachel was killed, as Scott stood at the front of the room and observed the assortment of people sitting in front of him, a mixed See look of loss and hope was still present on his face.

"I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, it will start a chain reaction of the same, "Scott told the crowd Rachel wrote in her essay.

One of the biggest things she spoke out against was prejudice.

"I am guilty of prejudice, "he said. "Prejudice just means prejudging. I have been guilty of prejudging someone based on their attitude or the look on their face. That is such the wrong way."

Rachel had a different theory about people. She told her father you should give someone three chances before you decided whether you get along with them or not, This way, you know they are not just having a bad day.

Scott said everyone should try this approach for 30 days.

"If you look for the best in others, you will never have a problem with prejudice, "he said. "We draw out from people what we look for. If you look for the best, you find the best. If you look for the worst, that's what you are going to find."

One person who learned this was a man named Austin.

Austin was watering the grass at Rachel's grave when Scott visited a few weeks after the shooting. As Scott began talking to the man, he discovered Austin did not know Rachel well. In fact, he had only known her for about 15 minutes or so.

Austin had been having a terrible day. He had been yelled at by his boss, it was snowing and as he was driving home, his car got a flat. He soon discovered he had neither an umbrella nor a flashlight.

What Rachel did next is something that fathers fear their daughters will someday do, Scott said. She stopped by and helped a man she didn't know. She held an umbrella and used her flashlight to help him see. Rachel returned home uninjured but didn't tell her father about the situation, because she knew he would be upset.

Weeks later, Austin picked up a local paper to see Rachel's face on the front page. He attended Rachel's funeral, along with thousands of other people, and made a vow he would be less selfish and try to pass on the kindness this young woman had showed him.

He was so moved by Rachel he named one of his children after her. He has not been the only person to do so.

"There are actually 25 or 30 little Rachel's running around that we know of, "Scott said.

Rachel drew a lot of her inspiration from Anne Frank, who died at age 15 in a concentration camp in Nazi-controlled Germany. People know Anne's story because of the diary she left behind. It was because of her that Rachel, too, kept a diary.

"They both had a sense of destiny and purpose, "Scott said.

What's more, Rachel died on Adolf Hitler's birthday. A day specifically picked by her murderers.

"The influence of the same man took the lives of the two girls, "Scott said.

In her diaries, Rachel outlined goals that were seemingly impossible.

The first was to start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion that would be heard by people everywhere. In the past few years, Scott has spoken to 10, 000 teenagers bused into the Olympic Stadium in Australia. He has spent time at a nomad camp in Iran, telling them of Rachel's Challenge by way of an interpreter.

"Her words are being heard around the world, "he said.

While going through Rachel's things after she died, Scott came across a drawing she had made on the back of her dresser. In marker, Rachel had outlined her hands. Then, she wrote "These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will one day touch millions of hearts."

Little did she know she would do just that as she now has countless people promising to spread her message, including celebrities like Chuck Norris, Cloris Leach-man and Jerry Mathers.

"This year alone, she has touched a million people, "Scott said.

Clubs at schools around the world have packaged millions of meals to send to countries in need. Last year, in just seven hours, Friends of Rachel clubs containing more than 4, 000 people packaged 1 million meals to send to Haiti. This year, the group plans to package 3 million for the Dominican Republic.

"We break world records every year, "Scott said. "Rachel inspired us to dream big."

Scott said people are frequently telling children to dream big, but that should not change as you age.

"I challenge you, as adults, no matter your circumstances, to dream as big as you possible can, "he said.

Sometimes, bad things happen, Scott said, but that is no reason to give up on dreams.

"In one moment, my dreams were shattered, "he said. "Suddenly, my life changed. But my dreams didn't change. They just shifted. Sometimes it's rough, but you can't give up. When life breaks down, don't give up."

Scott told the story of a student from Rachel's school who approached him at her funeral. This student was developmentaky disabled. Because of that, he was constantly picked on by other students.

One day, as his books were being repeatedly hit out of his hands onto the floor, Rachel came charging down the hallway. She stepped between the boy and the members of the football team who were taunting him. She raised fists and told the tormentors they would have to go through her if they wanted to pick on the other student any more.

As they laughed and walked away, she turned around and be-friended the person she had just helped. She invited him into her social circle. He told this story to Scott and, with tears in his eyes, confessed he had planned to kill himself, but Rachel's kindness made him change his mind.

"She never knew the impact she had on this boy's life, "Scott said. "And I never would have heard the story if she hadn't died. Sometimes, I think we should have our funerals before we die."

This boy was not the only life Rachel has saved. Scott said he has received messages from more than 1, 000 people who have reconsidered suicide after seeing a Rachel's Challenge presentation.

"It's not just, that their lives were saved, they also now believe they can go out and help other people, "Scott said.

That's what Rachel's Challenge is all about, Scott said. To do good to other people with no thought of how they will repay you.

"There are people who are hurting, "Scott said. "Simple words and acts of kindness can be that little thing that can start the chain reaction that will go across the world."



Copyright 2010 The Othello Outlook, Othello, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2011 The Othello Outlook Othello, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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