Columbine: 20 Years Later might change your view on Frank Deangelis

This extended cut of Columbine: 20 Years Later might be one of the most inspirational videos about Columbine you'll ever see.
Sean Graves is one hell of a guy, and we also get to see rare video of Kelly Flemming talking with her parents.
I usually never get choked up easily, but for some reason this video really made me feel for all the families.

People here probably know of my disdain for Frank Deangelis, but seeing him crying at Red Rocks made me realize that maybe he isn't the total douche he is made out to be.
I had no idea that he wanted to resign, but the board wouldn't let him, and he also goes around helping out schools around the country that experienced gun violence.
Frank undoubtedly made mistakes, and it's completely possible that he is a douche, but after watching this I feel like he tried to do everything he could to fix his mistakes, and for that I have to give him some respect.

For the people who watched, do you look at Frank any differently for trying to right his wrongs?
What are your thoughts about how he handled things post Columbine?

Thx for the thoughts, I will definitely check it out !

I won't have any respect for him until he admits the culture he created at the school in the 90s was not good toward the average students, only the jocks.

Marianna wrote:

Thx for the thoughts, I will definitely check it out !  

No problem, enjoy.

I don't think DeAngelis is responsible for the shootings. He probably wasn't a particularly great principal if he didn't notice the jock bullying stuff but I only think the bullying stuff is a secondary factor in causing the massacre to happen. With kids like that, anyone could've been principal and it probably would have happened. As it does at loads of other high schools. (No I am not parrotting Cullen with that remark.)

He has done well after the massacre.

Well, I think he was a former coach and in my opinion that shouldn't qualify him to become a principal. Because you know he's going to favor the athletes over everyone else.

I don't have a huge prob with DeAngelis himself really. I do think he turned a blind eye to a lot prior to 99 but I do feel he is sincere with his efforts since then. However what really bugs me (sorry to mention this yet again) was his lying to the press about what he did on the 20th. How he inserted himself into a larger role. He just can't be honest about that I guess

One thing impprtant to remember is that people are more than just Black and white. Most people have good and bad traits.

It is wrong to lump blame onto him. It isn't his fault Eric and Dylan butchered his school, but still crazies take issue with him being furiously angry with them for their actions.

That guy is responsible for the toxic environment that went on in that school and did nothing about it. He should've punished the jocks just as equally as he would have any other student misbehaving. He let them get away with everything just because they played sports. I have no sympathy for him.

bradt93 wrote:

That guy is responsible for the toxic environment that went on in that school and did nothing about it. He should've punished the jocks just as equally as he would have any other student misbehaving. He let them get away with everything just because they played sports. I have no sympathy for him.

He's responsible for a mass shooting because he wasn't big on punishment?

Back then, there was also a "kids will be kids" mentality. A lot of us were told to just brush it off or ignore it... or even more toxic, if a boy was mean to a girl it meant he liked her.

Hindsight is 20/20 and while I do believe the culture at Columbine was a toxic one, because the area back then wasn't a really open one like it is now, I think the culture fed into Eric and Dylan's hate, but someone like Zach Heckler had even more hate for the school, I am 99% sure his senior quote was "I hate this school" they ultimately decided to do what they did and it was their decision.

Screamingophelia wrote:

Back then, there was also a "kids will be kids" mentality. A lot of us were told to just brush it off or ignore it... or even more toxic, if a boy was mean to a girl it meant he liked her.

Hindsight is 20/20 and while I do believe the culture at Columbine was a toxic one, because the area back then wasn't a really open one like it is now, I think the culture fed into Eric and Dylan's hate, but someone like Zach Heckler had even more hate for the school, I am 99% sure his senior quote was "I hate this school" they ultimately decided to do what they did and it was their decision.

No, my point is he should've punished each kid equally and not given special privileges to a select few.

I agree with you!

Mr. D is a really good guy and while I don't think he was responsible in the first place everything he thinks that might have helped before he turnedvaroind and made sixth a point to change and spread this message to principals and educators not just nationally but around the world.

He's a really good man and even pre shooting he personally tried to treat all kids equally. Now he makes a very pointed effort to  connect to kids that dont seek him oir or that he sees regularly.