Eric Thompson -- Worst Person in the World, Wisconsin Division

By Keith Schmitz

Wisconsin has a dubious distinction, that being the source for the guns used in two of this country's latest campus gun tragedies, certainly among the most horrific.

Taking advantage of the Internets, Eric Thompson and his company TGSCOM supplied the firearms that enabled Seung-Hui-Cho at Virgina Tech and Steven Kazmierczak at Northern Illinois University to jump into the headlines by murdering a total of 50 people at those schools.

As a disgusting example of turning lemons into lemonade, rather than showing any shame or embarrassment for being connected with these incidents, Thompson visited Blacksberg, VA yesterday to speak at the Virginia Tech Students for Conceal and Carry on Campus event. In addition, he is working to provide holsters donated by customers and manufacturers to almost 30 colleges and universities for students participating in "empty holster protests."

If that isn't enough, in a spirit of twisted generosity Thompson announced he will be selling guns at cost for two weeks in an effort to arm citizens and in his mind, prevent future tragedies.

From the press release touting his "good work,"

He has become a leading advocate for allowing law-abiding, trained individuals to carry a firearm to protect themselves and the people they love.

Yeah right Mr. Thompson. Tell that to the families that lost the "people they love" on these campuses. Parents who lovingly raised their kids to become successful, functional adults only to get a phone call and hearing that a person they love was gunned down by someone who used a weapon -- purchased from you.

It would be nice to think that somewhere deep down inside you are capable of understanding this loss and not using this tragedy in a perverse way to glorify yourself to people who have some romantic notion about guns and how they can magnify their self-importance.

Gun violence is a serious problem in this country. Somehow the idea that when something is a problem that having more of it seems to be more than a bit off kilter, especially in a low crime state as Wisconsin, where our violent crime rate is sixth lowest in the country.

Everyone in the US has a right to own a gun and to free speech. But you sir have taken this to a level of buffoonery and in effect, you are literally spitting on the graves of these people that someone loved.

Eric Thompson of Green Bay. Today's worst person in the world.
(With apologies to Countdown with Keith Olbermann).