Do you ever feel sorry for E&D?

Hi, everyone - first post.

Now, before anybody takes this the wrong way, I'm not saying "feel sorry" in some idolizing, empathetic way but more referring to a recognition of failure (bear with me) and disappointment.

I know pretty much all there is to know about Columbine and one thing that has always resonated is: "it could have been so much worse". Of course, it was a tragedy and devastating enough and we thank the stars that it didn't go as expected BUT I can't help but rack my brain over how it must have FELT for Eric and Dylan.

Imagine: an idea you have meticulously constructed, planned detail-for-detail and dreamt and fantasized about for YEARS fails at the final, final hurdle. All of the time and effort that went into talking it up, obtaining materials, hiding it from families and friends.. wasted. I believe I've read somewhere that it COULD potentially be a factor in Eric and Dylan not "trying harder"; the crushing realisation that their "Godlike" plan had essentially failed.

Now, I'm not saying it's a bad thing it failed - absolutely not; don't read into that... but to imagine the soul crunching revelation, as they stood outside the school, that the bombs weren't going to detonate must have been almost unbearable.

I hope this post really isn't taken the wrong way.

Thanks, all.

i do have sympathy for them

If you take it out of context and not think about the damage they caused, it had to have been really devastating to especially for Eric that their planned failed. You work really hard on something for so long and literally stake your life on it, you play everything up and then it's just a mess.

I don't feel sorry or bad for them for that, but I can understand they must have been pissed off.

I have sympathy for them to a certain point. That certain point ends when they followed through with the plan to kill innocent people.

Do I feel sorry that their plan didn't go as they wanted and they likely felt disappointed? HELL NO! I only wish they had gotten stopped BEFORE the plan was ever set into motion that morning.

ShadowedGoddess wrote:

I have sympathy for them to a certain point. That certain point ends when they followed through with the plan to kill innocent people.

Do I feel sorry that their plan didn't go as they wanted and they likely felt disappointed? HELL NO! I only wish they had gotten stopped BEFORE the plan was ever set into motion that morning.

That’s my line as well. Up until 10:50am on 4/20 then I lose my empathy

well, I feel truly sorry about their parent, I guess. And I feel sorry that no one could see how deeply mentally traumatized they was, but most saddest thing is that many of us in their age was very angry, because it's difficult to be emotional stable if you have a cocktail of hormones inside you, especially if you are social outcast. I remember that I was very sad and lonely girl inside too, but now I know that our life is not a scene from the game or book, it's realty and only we can change this reality.

In fact, I'm sorry that this plan seemed to them the only way out. And I'm sorry that they became the inspiration for other idiots who decided to do something similar to what they did.

Love wrote:

In fact, I'm sorry that this plan seemed to them the only way out. And I'm sorry that they became the inspiration for other idiots who decided to do something similar to what they did.

couple days ago two stupid kids in Russia inspired by Eric and Dylan went to school and tried to kill someone with knifes, and injured 10 kids (10-12 years) and teacher who tried to protect her students (they hit her 17 times, and she is seriously injured)

When getting into their fucked up mindsets I can feel sorry for them but in the bigger context I dont feel sorry for them at all, their victims didn't get to die peacefully, why should they?

I just hope they felt shitty about the whole thing and not just the bombs failing, maybe for a short while they regret what they did. I hope so even if it means they suffered more, because it shows they had at least a fraction of their humanity left when they died which in some weird way means something to me.

munchkinphone wrote:

When getting into their fucked up mindsets I can feel sorry for them but in the bigger context I dont feel sorry for them at all, their victims didn't get to die peacefully, why should they?

I just hope they felt shitty about the whole thing and not just the bombs failing, maybe for a short while they regret what they did. I hope so even if it means they suffered more, because it shows they had at least a fraction of their humanity left when they died which in some weird way means something to me.

I'm hoping their interactions with John, Bree and Val brought them back to reality in a way, even for a second. They were being as cruel as how they thought the world treated them.

I do sometimes hope Dylan felt it a bit after he shot himself. You're right, their victims didn't die in peace, they died terrified.

I have absolute sympathy for them, because I know if certain things wouldn't have happened, they wouldn't have went down the spiral that they did. Something fucked up their minds and made them fucked up in the head and that's why I feel sorry for them. They were victims just like the other thirteen victims. So yeah, I feel sorry for them a lot. They may have been seventeen and eighteen, but in all retrospect, these were kids, kids who were filled with such anger, hurt and pain that they did what they thought was the only solution to end their pain and hurt. So in my eyes, they're shooters of Columbine, but they're also victims of Columbine as well.

42099_4EVA wrote:

Did you deliberately post at 4:20pm?

aperiogaming wrote:

Did you deliberately post at 4:20pm?

Wow, I had no idea I did, as I wasn't even looking at the time during me writing the post lol, but wow...

I have sympathy for them to an extent, as many on here have already mentioned. I believe they had severe issues and their reasoning was impaired. I don't think it's impossible to be sympathetic to E&D while at the same time honoring and remembering the victims. I agree that my sympathy pretty much ends where their actions began.

On a humanistic level I think the majority of people on here (but not in the wider public) feel some sympathy for them. I feel bad that they had felt so ground down by the world that they felt like they had to lash out. They felt powerless in their world and this was a way of taking back the control from their oppressors.

I know as a teen I felt powerless and depressed and I can understand a little bit of how they felt and how they yearned to be accepted. Do I feel bad for their plan failing? Nope.

sympathy that their lives were so bad in their minds and whatever biological factors out of their control or otherwise that contributed to the events of 4/20.

It's hard to feel much sympathy though, I've interacted with a survivor that will never function to their fullest and has lost any chance to find happiness in ways that most of us take for granted every day.

I do feel sry for them that they didn’t see other way. Graduation was only weeks away smh...
I’m not judging,but I feel sry that teachers didn’t do shit as some said .

No. If they had attacked people that were actually mean and evil to them I could understand it to some point, but not agree with it. Now they attacked people who had done nothing to them whatsoever and were ruthless to completely innocent people.

But I guess it's sad in one way that Dylan, as an example, just wouldn't kill himself if he hated life so much, but felt the only way for him to die was to push to the absolute limit and even over it before he would take his own life. If he had just killed himself, he would be missed by a lot of people and his family wouldn't have to carry the shame and everything else that came with Columbine. Same goes for Eric obviously.

Rebbie556 wrote:

I do feel sry for them that they  didn’t see other way. Graduation was only weeks away smh...

The thing is, if they had just graduated and left school without going on the massacre they'd have to consider themselves no better than the billions of other people who go about their daily lives without doing something noteworthy. Under their mindset, it wasn't about just ending the torment they received from bullies. It was about giving the world a big middle finger to go with it.

To be honest with you, maybe a part deep down inside of me feels something similar to "sympathy" knowing that they are now completely screwed, there is no other way out and are killing themselves for nothing. But on a more surface level? I find it more hilarious. These two boys who thought they were "God-like" and everyone should bow to couldn't even properly succeed at something they spent years of obsessive planning on. All those journal entries and webpages stroking (mostly Eric) their egos about their bomb making skills and they turned out to be total lemons.

No. Natural selection, as Eric said.
Still can't get why these guys have so many fans. NBK was totally failed.

Jea wrote:

No. Natural selection, as Eric said.
Still can't get why these guys have so many fans. NBK was totally failed.

The irony of a kid who prior to deep throating a shotgun broke his nose from the recoil when he held his shotgun near his face during a failed bombing attempt (failed partly from not testing to see if his bombs would even work) dying in a shirt that says "Natural Selection" will never be lost on me.

I think they failed at half of what they were trying to do, because I read somewhere that towards the final days it was as if Eric wasn't even trying to check and make sure everything was right and perfect for NBK. There were multiple things that Eric failed to do, and I think he failed to do it on purpose. I sometimes wholeheartedly believe that during the final days - maybe a day before, two days before, I believe Eric may have been having silent, cold feet, a silent change of heart, like maybe NBK shouldn't be done, but he knew they had come too far for him to back out at that point, so he just went ahead with it.

I do feel sympathy for them, because I know they're not like TJ Lane, they're not like Charles Manson, they're weren't monsters, they were two kids who were hurting mentally and emotionally badly and unfortunately they expressed and unleashed their hurt through violence.

Kids back then and kids today still - they're hurting, just like Eric and Dylan were but no one is helping them though and that's what sad.

Pho3nix wrote:

Jea wrote:

No. Natural selection, as Eric said.
Still can't get why these guys have so many fans. NBK was totally failed.

The irony of a kid who prior to deep throating a shotgun broke his nose from the recoil when he held his shotgun near his face during a failed bombing attempt (failed partly from not testing to see if his bombs would even work) dying in a shirt that says "Natural Selection" will never be lost on me.

you got it!

Eric’s Natural selection thing is bull imo
It should be artificial selection but whatever he would probably say artificial selection sounds stupid I bet he didn’t know the hell that even meant

42099_4EVA wrote:

I think they failed at half of what they were trying to do, because I read somewhere that towards the final days it was as if Eric wasn't even trying to check and make sure everything was right and perfect for NBK. There were multiple things that Eric failed to do, and I think he failed to do it on purpose. I sometimes wholeheartedly believe that during the final days - maybe a day before, two days before, I believe Eric may have been having silent, cold feet, a silent change of heart, like maybe NBK shouldn't be done, but he knew they had come too far for him to back out at that point, so he just went ahead with it.

This is really something I hope happened, I mean ffs they made the propane bombs the morning of it's not like they were really trying anymore. Unfortunately, in their twisted minds NBK was the only way to do something worthy of their lives and what else would they do? Dylan had a death wish, and Eric needed to be more than ordinary (and was suicidal as well judging by that form he filled out).

I do have sympathy, only because I understand what it's like to be so angry at everyone around you and the world, and so sad and depressed. But then you listen to the 911 call, and you hear Val scream, and you hear Lauren get shot, and it's really hard to find any sympathy at that moment.

But then again sympathy doesn't mean you excuse what they did or condone it, it just means you can put yourself in their shoes for a second.

is is really something I hope happened, I mean ffs they made the propane bombs the morning of it's not like they were really trying anymore. Unfortunately, in their twisted minds NBK was the only way to do something worthy of their lives and what else would they do? Dylan had a death wish, and Eric needed to be more than ordinary (and was suicidal as well judging by that form he filled out). wrote:

I honestly believe that's what happened, Eric was purposely not trying as hard, in the days that lead up to NBK and the day before NBK because I think maybe he was thinking, "shit, maybe we shouldn't do this," or "I don't think I can really do this."

I don't think they wanted to do NBK because they wanted to do something worthy with and of their lives. I honestly believe the creation of NBK came from a lot of hurt and pain, and also a lot of suicidal feelings and depression.

Like I said, I have sympathy for them but after watching the film Faith Under Fire last week on LMN, I have even more sympathy for them, because how that male character was in that film, how he felt - the hurt and the pain, it seemed to resemble how Eric and Dylan felt, but unfortunately there was no Antoinette Tuff there at Columbine for Eric and Dylan, had there been one, there's a strong belief with me that Eric and Dylan would've been saved, as well as the other Columbine victims.

What Eric and Dylan did is inexcusable and was ABSOLUTELY wrong, but I understand wholeheartedly why they did what they did and the reason why they did what they did is why I have sympathy for them. Eric and Dylan were in a lot of emotional and mental pain, and I bet if someone had truly worked with Eric intensely and had gotten Eric to truly drop his persona "REB", I bet he would've broken down completely to reveal the true, inner hurt and pain that he was feeling and had been feeling for some time and then he could've been treated and saved.

The same thing with Dylan, Dylan seemed to have a lot of depression, sadness and turmoil pinned up inside him and had someone helped him to see that he could've been happy here in this world, and that he had so much to offer this world, he would've been treated and saved. So that's my thoughts on it.

Pho3nix wrote:

Jea wrote:

No. Natural selection, as Eric said.
Still can't get why these guys have so many fans. NBK was totally failed.

The irony of a kid who prior to deep throating a shotgun broke his nose from the recoil when he held his shotgun near his face during a failed bombing attempt (failed partly from not testing to see if his bombs would even work) dying in a shirt that says "Natural Selection" will never be lost on me.

God love you.

This is one of the greatest posts I have ever seen in regard to this entire subject.

Absolute perfection.

Pho3nix wrote:

Jea wrote:

No. Natural selection, as Eric said.
Still can't get why these guys have so many fans. NBK was totally failed.

The irony of a kid who prior to deep throating a shotgun broke his nose from the recoil when he held his shotgun near his face during a failed bombing attempt (failed partly from not testing to see if his bombs would even work) dying in a shirt that says "Natural Selection" will never be lost on me.

Or the irony over the fact of how kids - everyday, who are like Eric and Dylan, decide not to shoot up a school, but instead decides to put a pistol in their mouth and blow their brains out or they hang themselves from their rooms because they're so fucked up in the mind and they don't know what they can do to get out of their pain and misery and the fuck face kids at their school(s) are making it worse by bullying/teasing/ridiculing the shit out them.

People with fucked up minds, hearts and emotions react one way, while some react in other ways, people never know how others with fucked up minds, hearts and emotions will react when it's felt they have no way out and no outlet to unleash what's happening inside of them.

tfsa47090 wrote:

Pho3nix wrote:

Jea wrote:

No. Natural selection, as Eric said.
Still can't get why these guys have so many fans. NBK was totally failed.

The irony of a kid who prior to deep throating a shotgun broke his nose from the recoil when he held his shotgun near his face during a failed bombing attempt (failed partly from not testing to see if his bombs would even work) dying in a shirt that says "Natural Selection" will never be lost on me.

God love you.

This is one of the greatest posts I have ever seen in regard to this entire subject.

Absolute perfection.

Thanks, much appreciated! Always knew my only "shining" contribution to something would include mentioning deep throating.

42099_4EVA wrote:

Or the irony over the fact of how kids - everyday, who are like Eric and Dylan, decide not to shoot up a school, but instead decides to put a pistol in their mouth and blow their brains out or they hang themselves from their rooms because they're so fucked up in the mind and they don't know what they can do to get out of their pain and misery and the fuck face kids at their school(s) are making it worse by bullying/teasing/ridiculing the shit out them.

People with fucked up minds, hearts and emotions react one way, while some react in other ways, people never know how others with fucked up minds, hearts and emotions will react when it's felt they have no way out and no outlet to unleash what's happening inside of them.

I feel the difference between those kids who are depressed and suicidal who go through with killing themselves due to bullying generally don't commit suicide for any sort of sadistic, egotistical notoriety, or to feel a sense of superiority and power over others. It's to escape their pain and current situation. Apples and oranges when you compare a case like that to something like Columbine IMO, especially when you take into consideration that Dylan bullied too (a mentally challenged kid, no less). If Eric and Dylan desired "fame" to come from killing innocents, they should also face ridicule for how incredibly stupid and pointless their actions were.

Pho3nix wrote:

tfsa47090 wrote:

Pho3nix wrote:

Jea wrote:

No. Natural selection, as Eric said.
Still can't get why these guys have so many fans. NBK was totally failed.

The irony of a kid who prior to deep throating a shotgun broke his nose from the recoil when he held his shotgun near his face during a failed bombing attempt (failed partly from not testing to see if his bombs would even work) dying in a shirt that says "Natural Selection" will never be lost on me.

God love you.

This is one of the greatest posts I have ever seen in regard to this entire subject.

Absolute perfection.

Thanks, much appreciated! Always knew my only "shining" contribution to something would include mentioning deep throating.

42099_4EVA wrote:

Or the irony over the fact of how kids - everyday, who are like Eric and Dylan, decide not to shoot up a school, but instead decides to put a pistol in their mouth and blow their brains out or they hang themselves from their rooms because they're so fucked up in the mind and they don't know what they can do to get out of their pain and misery and the fuck face kids at their school(s) are making it worse by bullying/teasing/ridiculing the shit out them.

People with fucked up minds, hearts and emotions react one way, while some react in other ways, people never know how others with fucked up minds, hearts and emotions will react when it's felt they have no way out and no outlet to unleash what's happening inside of them.

I feel the difference between those kids who are depressed and suicidal who go through with killing themselves due to bullying generally don't commit suicide for any sort of sadistic, egotistical notoriety, or to feel a sense of superiority and power over others. It's to escape their pain and current situation. Apples and oranges when you compare a case like that to something like Columbine IMO, especially when you take into consideration that Dylan bullied too (a mentally challenged kid, no less). If Eric and Dylan desired "fame" to come from killing innocents, they should also face ridicule for how incredibly stupid and pointless their actions were.

Ah, ok, I see where you're coming from and your mindset on this tragedy totally now....and I wholeheartedly do not agree with any of it. So I'll just respectively disagree with you and walk away with leaving it at that.

Pho3nix wrote:

I feel the difference between those kids who are depressed and suicidal who go through with killing themselves due to bullying generally don't commit suicide for any sort of sadistic, egotistical notoriety, or to feel a sense of superiority and power over others. It's to escape their pain and current situation. Apples and oranges when you compare a case like that to something like Columbine IMO, especially when you take into consideration that Dylan bullied too (a mentally challenged kid, no less). If Eric and Dylan desired "fame" to come from killing innocents, they should also face ridicule for how incredibly stupid and pointless their actions were.

Quite interesting to watch how people try to justify and some how make perpetrators to look a bit better, and cant just accept the fact that some individuals can have inner issues and just want to kill someone, because they capable, because for them it;s FUN. Yes, probably many people capable to kill someone, but depends on motivation, if someone want to do it just for fun, it's just so wrong.

Also, I have only one question, that haunting me: if there was any possibility to prevent this massacre.
I think it's could be possible, but not from Eric or Dylan side, chance at them gonna leave this crazy idea was somewhere near zero.

Jea wrote:

Also, I have only one question, that haunting me: if there was any possibility to prevent this massacre.

There were tons of ways it could've been prevented, but the biggest one that sticks out in my mind is if the police had taken Eric's death threats to Brooks Brown seriously and arrested him for it.

QuestionMark wrote:

Jea wrote:

Also, I have only one question, that haunting me: if there was any possibility to prevent this massacre.

There were tons of ways it could've been prevented, but the biggest one that sticks out in my mind is if the police had taken Eric's death threats to Brooks Brown seriously and arrested him for it.

I know. Police so fucked up. Someone was blamed aftermath? Also, several people did mentioned that they had heard, mostly from Eric, that it's would be nice to kill jocks and bunch of people they didn't like. If my friend will say someting like that multiply times, especially if i'm gonna be informed that he armed, I'm gonna be very concerned. I'm sure on 95% that all friends knew about guns and heard many times about killings, but they never gonna admit it.

QuestionMark wrote:

Jea wrote:

Also, I have only one question, that haunting me: if there was any possibility to prevent this massacre.

There were tons of ways it could've been prevented, but the biggest one that sticks out in my mind is if the police had taken Eric's death threats to Brooks Brown seriously and arrested him for it.

I agree, arrest him for it, put him in a mental hospital for some years, where he would be deeply treated for his mental condition, but it kind of makes one wonder just why Jefferson county allowed Eric to run free for so long.

Also, no one is justifying what Eric and Dylan did. What they did was wrong, but they were fucked up in the heads and no one helped them. So if someone with mental and emotional problems does a crime - it's their fault alone? When they did it only because they were messed up mentally and emotionally? What about Tom, Kathy and Wayne's fault? What about Sheriff dickhead Walsh's fault? What about Prince DeAngelis's fault? Had they not allow certain things to happen and ignored this and that, perhaps NBK wouldn't have happened. Just saying.

Pho3nix wrote:

tfsa47090 wrote:

Pho3nix wrote:

Jea wrote:

No. Natural selection, as Eric said.
Still can't get why these guys have so many fans. NBK was totally failed.

The irony of a kid who prior to deep throating a shotgun broke his nose from the recoil when he held his shotgun near his face during a failed bombing attempt (failed partly from not testing to see if his bombs would even work) dying in a shirt that says "Natural Selection" will never be lost on me.

God love you.

This is one of the greatest posts I have ever seen in regard to this entire subject.

Absolute perfection.

Thanks, much appreciated! Always knew my only "shining" contribution to something would include mentioning deep throating.

You're very welcome.

What I appreciate is the unflinching straightforward truth the whole statement conveys. (*In general, on a personal level, I'm usually put off by sexually charged terminology, but I certainly don't harp on it....people are going to say what they want. In this case, it hits the nail square on the head, and that's what's important.*)

It's desperately necessary when it comes to this subject sometimes, particularly the point about what was printed on the shirt he was wearing.

When I take in this tragedy as a whole; I see it as nothing but a pointless, horrendous loss. I've felt tremendous empathy and sympathy for all fifteen people who died that day for an extraordinarily long time now (almost 15 years), but sometimes statements like this need to be made to collectively bring the core of the situation firmly back to reality.

42099_4EVA wrote:

it kind of makes one wonder just why Jefferson county allowed Eric to run free for so long.

Obviously they did not take the parade of red flags coming from him seriously. Perhaps it's because he was just a teenager, and they underestimated his capacity for violence.

tfsa47090 wrote:

Pho3nix wrote:

Thanks, much appreciated! Always knew my only "shining" contribution to something would include mentioning deep throating.

You're very welcome.

What I appreciate is the unflinching straightforward truth the whole statement conveys. (*In general, on a personal level, I'm usually put off by sexually charged terminology, but I certainly don't harp on it....people are going to say what they want. In this case, it hits the nail square on the head, and that's what's important.*)

It's desperately necessary when it comes to this subject sometimes, particularly the point about what was printed on the shirt he was wearing.

When I take in this tragedy as a whole; I see it as nothing but a pointless, horrendous loss. I've felt tremendous empathy and sympathy for all fifteen people who died that day for an extraordinarily long time now (almost 15 years), but sometimes statements like this need to be made to collectively bring the core of the situation firmly back to reality.

I agree. I feel how Columbine was handled in the media has contributed significantly to how much of an impact it's had on copycats and is why it has one of the largest "fanclubs" out of most school shootings (hell, even most shootings in general). E&D are given a lot of slack in my opinion, whereas a Randy Stair type of person is completely mocked and denigrated. Very unusual to me.

42099_4EVA wrote:

Pho3nix wrote:

42099_4EVA wrote:

Or the irony over the fact of how kids - everyday, who are like Eric and Dylan, decide not to shoot up a school, but instead decides to put a pistol in their mouth and blow their brains out or they hang themselves from their rooms because they're so fucked up in the mind and they don't know what they can do to get out of their pain and misery and the fuck face kids at their school(s) are making it worse by bullying/teasing/ridiculing the shit out them.

People with fucked up minds, hearts and emotions react one way, while some react in other ways, people never know how others with fucked up minds, hearts and emotions will react when it's felt they have no way out and no outlet to unleash what's happening inside of them.

I feel the difference between those kids who are depressed and suicidal who go through with killing themselves due to bullying generally don't commit suicide for any sort of sadistic, egotistical notoriety, or to feel a sense of superiority and power over others. It's to escape their pain and current situation. Apples and oranges when you compare a case like that to something like Columbine IMO, especially when you take into consideration that Dylan bullied too (a mentally challenged kid, no less). If Eric and Dylan desired "fame" to come from killing innocents, they should also face ridicule for how incredibly stupid and pointless their actions were.

Ah, ok, I see where you're coming from and your mindset on this tragedy totally now....and I wholeheartedly do not agree with any of it. So I'll just respectively disagree with you and walk away with leaving it at that.

That's fine! I appreciate you not being rude about our difference in opinion. I'd like to know what you disagree with exactly but I totally get why you'd prefer walking away; too many people are nasty when two different viewpoints are discussed. Have a good day.

And about some other shooters was reported to police too, but no results. Who might think that smiling and polite guy next day gonna take a gun and kill everyone around him.

Pho3nix wrote:

I agree. I feel how Columbine was handled in the media has contributed significantly to how much of an impact it's had on copycats and is why it has one of the largest "fanclubs" out of most school shootings (hell, even most shootings in general). E&D are given a lot of slack in my opinion, whereas a Randy Stair type of person is completely mocked and denigrated. Very unusual to me.

All these fanclubs it's a great brainteaser to me, because I really cant understand how Columbine can produce so much influence, especially after so many years.

Pho3nix wrote:

I agree. I feel how Columbine was handled in the media has contributed significantly to how much of an impact it's had on copycats and is why it has one of the largest "fanclubs" out of most school shootings (hell, even most shootings in general). E&D are given a lot of slack in my opinion, whereas a Randy Stair type of person is completely mocked and denigrated. Very unusual to me. 

Randy was a brony who thirsted after a cartoon character and killed only three people. Even despite how pathetic that sounds Randy isn't "completely mocked and denigrated" like you said; there are people (some of whom use this very forum) who think Randy was cool, or at least sympathetic.

Jea wrote:

Pho3nix wrote:

I agree. I feel how Columbine was handled in the media has contributed significantly to how much of an impact it's had on copycats and is why it has one of the largest "fanclubs" out of most school shootings (hell, even most shootings in general). E&D are given a lot of slack in my opinion, whereas a Randy Stair type of person is completely mocked and denigrated. Very unusual to me.

All these fanclubs it's a great brainteaser to me, because I really cant understand how Columbine can produce so much influence, especially after so many years.

Eric and Dylan were made out to be like Gods. Ultimately they got what they wanted; attention and to be feared.

QuestionMark wrote:

Pho3nix wrote:

I agree. I feel how Columbine was handled in the media has contributed significantly to how much of an impact it's had on copycats and is why it has one of the largest "fanclubs" out of most school shootings (hell, even most shootings in general). E&D are given a lot of slack in my opinion, whereas a Randy Stair type of person is completely mocked and denigrated. Very unusual to me. 

Randy was a brony who thirsted after a cartoon character and killed only three people. Even despite how pathetic that sounds Randy isn't "completely mocked and denigrated" like you said; there are people (some of whom use this very forum) who think Randy was cool, or at least sympathetic.

Really? Every single mention of Randy I have seen has been overwhelmingly negative, and you must admit he doesn't get nearly the amount of praise as E&D do. Even something as simple as looking at the difference in the comments a Randy video gets on Youtube when compared to a Columbine video shows how almost universally mocked Randy is. For good reason, though. On an unrelated note, I have always loved your signature.

Yes I understand what they went through

Pho3nix wrote:

Really? Every single mention of Randy I have seen has been overwhelmingly negative, and you must admit he doesn't get nearly the amount of praise as E&D do. 

He doesn't get the amount of praise E&D do, but he does have an active fanbase. They have an active discord server run by forum user Naze Warbled which can be found right here: https://discord.gg/gGxGzBn

That's certainly more than I can say for more well known shooters like Cho or Lanza.

Pho3nix wrote:

On an unrelated note, I have always loved your signature.

Thanks.

QuestionMark wrote:

Pho3nix wrote:

Really? Every single mention of Randy I have seen has been overwhelmingly negative, and you must admit he doesn't get nearly the amount of praise as E&D do. 

He doesn't get the amount of praise E&D do, but he does have an active fanbase. They have an active discord server run by forum user Naze Warbled which can be found right here: https://discord.gg/gGxGzBn

That's certainly more than I can say for more well known shooters like Cho or Lanza.

Pho3nix wrote:

On an unrelated note, I have always loved your signature.

Thanks.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Isn't it perfectly natural considering Eric & Dylan where two quite relatable teens while Randy was a bit older ... and little bit more special.

It makes sense that those who praise Randy would be a small tight group who are able to relate while those who relate to Eric and Dylan are a big more spread group.

If you look at the motives and the personality of E&D/Randy it makes total sense imo

QuestionMark wrote:

Pho3nix wrote:

Really? Every single mention of Randy I have seen has been overwhelmingly negative, and you must admit he doesn't get nearly the amount of praise as E&D do. 

He doesn't get the amount of praise E&D do, but he does have an active fanbase. They have an active discord server run by forum user Naze Warbled which can be found right here: https://discord.gg/gGxGzBn

That's certainly more than I can say for more well known shooters like Cho or Lanza.

Well Goddamn.. Color me surprised brony Buffalo Bill has supporters. I thought Lanza had a pretty strong fanbase? I know a lot of people find him creepy as shit.

munchkinphone wrote:

QuestionMark wrote:

Pho3nix wrote:

Really? Every single mention of Randy I have seen has been overwhelmingly negative, and you must admit he doesn't get nearly the amount of praise as E&D do. 

He doesn't get the amount of praise E&D do, but he does have an active fanbase. They have an active discord server run by forum user Naze Warbled which can be found right here: https://discord.gg/gGxGzBn

That's certainly more than I can say for more well known shooters like Cho or Lanza.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Isn't it perfectly natural considering Eric & Dylan where two quite relatable teens while Randy was a bit older ... and little bit more special.

It makes sense that those who praise Randy would be a small tight group who are able to relate while those who relate to Eric and Dylan are a big more spread group.

If you look at the motives and the personality of E&D/Randy it makes total sense imo

Oh no I get that Randy's fans are more.. spread out?.. than E&Ds. But I feel that kind of relates to my point a bit; Randy is seen as more of a loser than E&D, and who is going to idolize a "loser"? E&D seem more "badass" and like they stood more for something. Plus it doesn't hurt that neither one of them is hard to look at. My main point however was I feel E&D get more slack than some other killers when they were just as immature and wanna be edgy as say a Randy type. I see the appeal though, as I was very into Eric when I was a depressed, hormone fueled teen girl, but I dated a guy who I swear is Eric's doppelganger and that went about as well as I'd imagine dating the real Eric would go. Hahah.

We can only imagine the sort of cringe worthy content E&D might have produced were social media then what it is now.

Eric would have have probably been a 4chan troll and Dylan some emo edgelord.

Maybe their legacy is protected by the context of the seemingly simple world of the 1990s.

Pho3nix wrote:

I thought Lanza had a pretty strong fanbase? I know a lot of people find him creepy as shit. 

If he does have fans I haven't heard of many. The only one that comes to mind is a fan of Randy who might've been a deep cover troll, so take that with a grain of salt.

Semperfidelis wrote:

We can only imagine the sort of cringe worthy content E&D might have produced were social media then what it is now.

Eric would have have probably been a 4chan troll and Dylan some emo edgelord.

I bet Eric would've also been a member of Encyclopedia Dramatica, possibly Kiwi Farms too. Just like William Atchison.

Semperfidelis wrote:

We can only imagine the sort of cringe worthy content E&D might have produced were social media then what it is now.

Eric would have have probably been a 4chan troll and Dylan some emo edgelord.

Maybe their legacy is protected by the context of the seemingly simple world of the 1990s.

that's a really good point, though Dylan would probably go under some pseudonym because he was far too shy and anxious to put himself out there too much.