A MINISTER from the community where 15-year-old Kipland Kinkel shot dead his parents and a classmate earlier this week, made an emotive at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh, yesterday.
The Rev Dan Bryant, of the First Christian Church, in Oregon, expressed his horror at the events that had unfolded and revealed he knew the parents of many of the children at Thurston High School, Springfield.
In a hushed debating hall, Mr Bryant, an overseas visitor to the Kirk conference, said: ''The peace of our land at this time and in our community is difficult.''
Calling on the church to pray for the families of the dead and injured, he said: ''Gunfire is the second major cause of death of teenagers in my country.
''More children were killed by guns during the last 13 years, than American soldiers during the 13 years of the Vietnam war.''
He described as ''alarming'' the escalating growth in teenage gun deaths in American schools and outlined the toll of murder that has engulfed his homeland since a 16-year-old murdered his mother and two classmates last October.
In a final plea to the Assembly, he said: ''I ask you good people of Scotland to not let this tragedy affect your homeland as you acquire new powers through your Parliament. I pray that you use these powers to keep your children safe, to keep guns out of your homes, your schools and out of your communities, for the sake of us all, for the sake of our children.''
Speaking afterwards, Mr Bryant, 43, from Eugene, claimed his first reaction to the shooting had been ''shock, fear for my own children and concern for my congregation''.
Mr Bryant said the five fatal shootings at schools in America in the last seven months had sparked a growing anti-gun movement in which his church had been involved. He blamed the unprecedented growth in gun ownership, an increase in violence on television and a sense of isolation surrounding American teenagers for the growth in shootings in schools.
Fears over the impact of television violence on children were also expressed by the Church of Scotland Guild.
Delivering its annual report to the Assembly, national convener Miss Kathleen Forsyth called on parents to monitor children's television and programmes before the 9pm watershed.
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