MotherJones Blog: Guns Don't Kill People, Irresponsible Gun Dealers Do

«--Previous Post | Blog Index | Next Post--»

Guns Don't Kill People, Irresponsible Gun Dealers Do

Eric Thompson sells guns on the Internet. Of course, you may already know that. After all, his Green Bay, Wisc.-based firm, TGSCOM Inc. (www.thegunsource.com), has had some high-profile clients, including Seng-Hui Cho, who massacered 33 classmates at Virginia Tech last year, and Stephen Kazmierczak, who killed five students at Northern Illinois University last February. And surely for this, Thompson feels sorry. But don't ask him to apologize for his business, for he's committed to placing firearms in the warm, living hands of as many customers as possible... at the lowest possible price.

Since the initial shock of learning he had played a supporting role in at least two school shootings, Thompson has turned infamy into a marketing strategy. In the spirit of there being no such thing as bad publicity, he's taken full advantage of opportunities to appear on television, including his recent FOX News sparring match with Paul Helmke of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. This followed Thompson's visit to Virginia Tech last month, where, almost a year to the day after the shootings, he spoke at an on-campus event sponsored by Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. A school spokesman called the visit "terribly offensive" and said "the organizers appear to be incredibly insensitive to the families of the victims who lost loved ones and to the injured students still recovering from this horrendous tragedy." But Thompson, who claims to have donated money to a Virginia Tech victims' fund, stands by his decision to appear at the university. It's all part of the "special responsibility" he's been given to "help change people's opinions."

To that end, based on an email that appeared in my inbox this morning, Thompson appears to have hired Arena Strategy Group, a Republican-controlled PR firm in Wisconsin, to get out his message. The press release hails Thompson's decision to offer his entire stock of guns at cost, supposedly to allow more people to acquire them and therefore to be armed and ready the next time trouble knocks on their doors.

The release speaks for itself:

Most business owners are upset when they don’t make a profit. Not Eric Thompson. Thompson, owner of TGSCOM, Inc, the online firearms and sporting goods dealer that sold weapons and accessories to both the Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University shooters, couldn’t be happier to have sold thousands of firearms without making a dime the past two weeks.

Thompson’s regrettable tie to both campus shootings has compelled him to take an active role in helping to prevent future mass shootings. On April 23rd, Thompson launched www.gunsatcost.com and offered all in-stock firearms – which included over 5,400 types of guns – for two weeks without any markup in an effort to “give law-abiding citizens the tools to prevent tragedy.”

“The moments between when a dangerous criminal threatens the safety of innocent lives and law enforcement arrives are so critical.” said Thompson. “I am gratified I have been able to help so many law-abiding Americans buy a firearm at a discounted rate so they can protect themselves, their families and their entire community.”

Thompson also recently visited the Virginia Tech campus at the request of the student group Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. While he was there, Thompson spoke about the importance of being able to carry a concealed weapon, including while on college campuses. He also met with friends of some of the shooting victims who share his belief that all qualified, licensed individuals should be able to carry a weapon for protection.

Thompson also partnered with the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus last month by supplying hundreds of holsters for their empty-holster protest. During the protest, thousands of students across the nation wore empty holsters to show their objection to the state laws and university policies that prevent law-abiding citizens from carrying concealed weapons on campus.

Comments

America is sick.

Posted by: Guy Incognito on 05/08/08 at 1:43 PM Respond

The second university shooting was at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, not Illinois State.

Posted by: Huskie Pride on 05/08/08 at 2:18 PM Respond

How is he an "irresponsible gun dealer"? Seng-Hui Cho and Stephen Kazmierczak purchased their items completely legally and Eric Thompson followed the letter of the law—he did nothing wrong. He wasn't irresponsible.

Posted by: Guav on 05/08/08 at 10:22 PM Respond

Guav: "How is he an "irresponsible gun dealer"? Seng-Hui Cho and Stephen Kazmierczak purchased their items completely legally and Eric Thompson followed the letter of the law—he did nothing wrong. He wasn't irresponsible."

You will have to do better than that argument, Guav. Hitler did everything by the letter of the law in his ascent to position of Fuehrer, and thereafter. That does not mean he was a responsible leader. Legal does not imply responsible.

As to your question, "how?" He says he sells to law-abiding citizens, but how does he know? He doesn't seem to check, nor did those who sold to Seng-Hui Cho and Stephen Kazmierczak. Anybody who sells guns to homicidal maniacs is more than a bit lacking in the responsibility department.

Posted by: John on 05/09/08 at 6:45 AM Respond

Huskie Pride: Of course it was. I apologize for the error.

Posted by: Bruce Falconer on 05/09/08 at 7:14 AM Respond

Hey People,

You do understand that if ONE of those students in the classroom had been armed when the murder came through the door, that he might have had a chance to STOP the killing...!!!
but for some reason, some people, mostly liberals, want everyone UNARMED, and being able to protect themselves.
Many states are now considering allowing students, with proper training, to be armed in class..!!!

By the way, the dealer didn't violate the law...

Bill

Posted by: Bill Nigh on 05/09/08 at 8:05 AM Respond

I think it's rather shameful of the writer to imply that there's something ominous about selling "...at the lowest possible price."

Are arms to be reserved only for the rich? If arms have a legitimate use, surely that use is as legitimate in the hands of a person of modest means as it is in the hands of a rich person.

This is yet another perfect example of the ruling class sympathies of social democrats under state capitalism.

Posted by: Makhno's Ghost on 05/09/08 at 9:30 AM Respond

Bill Nigh:
Have you ever been on a campus on a Friday night? It's a fun time, really. As the night goes on the students drink more and more and get dumber and dumber. Eventually they get out of hand and the cops have to show up to break up the parties.
Ask an officer at your nearest college town how he would feel about showing up at a kegger at 2AM, knowing that these out of control idiots are packing concealed handguns. Right now the cops just have to worry about being pelted with rocks and bottles. What happens when there are firearms involved? Will there be more cops shot, or students?
Schools are the last place you want lots of armed people running around. The number of people shot on a regular basis would far outweigh the hypothetical lives saved by preventing a one-in-a-million shooting rampage.

Posted by: Mr. Hamilton on 05/09/08 at 11:29 AM Respond

Nigh is a troll - as usual, he appears with his fantasy hero scenario whenever this topic is presented... Mr Hamilton presents a much more likely outcome of more guns on campus than Bill N's Steven Seagal fiction.

Posted by: robert on 05/12/08 at 11:57 AM Respond