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Member Profile

Tom King

Board Member

Tom King

Board Member

Biography

Tom King is a gun rights activist who lobbies the New York state legislature through the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association. He also lobbies the federal government in conjunction with the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). King was the NRA-ILA Volunteer Organizer of the Year in 2006. He has used his candidacy for the NRA Board of Directors to express his belief that the Second Amendment confers on an American citizen the “right to keep and bear the firearm of his choice wherever and whenever he chooses.”


All Statements (21 total)

Statements by Category (21 total)

  • Political Violence
    Speaking to the New York Daily News on January 5, 2016, King defended an image in the NRA's America's 1st Freedom magazine that depicted photos of state Senator Roxanne Persaud and Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon surrounded by four bullets. The two legislators had proposed legislation that would would limit the amount of ammunition that gun owners can purchase to no more than twice the capacity of their weapons every 90 days. "Get over it," King said to those who felt the photo was an attempt at intimidation. "It's not a threat. We are not violent people. We do not like our Second Amendment being attacked." King questioned why people are taking exception to it, but "it's okay to show provision for or a move for anti-gun laws taken outside the schools at Newtown or Columbine? That's OK? "

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)
    Speaking to the New York Daily News on January 5, 2016, King defended an image in the NRA's America's 1st Freedom magazine that depicted photos of state Senator Roxanne Persaud and Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon surrounded by four bullets. The two legislators had proposed legislation that would would limit the amount of ammunition that gun owners can purchase to no more than twice the capacity of their weapons every 90 days. "Get over it," King said to those who felt the photo was an attempt at intimidation. "It's not a threat. We are not violent people. We do not like our Second Amendment being attacked." King questioned why people are taking exception to it, but "it's okay to show provision for or a move for anti-gun laws taken outside the schools at Newtown or Columbine? That's OK? "

    Sources [1]

  • Poverty

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  • Race

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  • Political Violence
    Speaking to the New York Daily News on December 16, 2015, King defended the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association's opposition to a proposal by Bronx state Senator Jeff  Klein, the leader of the Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference. Senator Klein had sought legislation to ban anyone on the federal terrorist watch list or the no-fly list from purchasing a gun in New York state. “I would say what Klein is doing is a paranoid campaign of fear,” King remarked. “I happen to be sticking up for Second Amendment rights. He is trying to take a right away, based on a fear and on a tragedy, which is how the Democrats work time after time.” The U.S. Government Accountability Office has reported that individuals on the terrorist watch list legally purchased guns from federally licensed firearm dealers more than 2,000 times between 2004 and 2014.

    Sources [1] [2]

  • Republican Party (GOP)
    Speaking to the New York Daily News on December 16, 2015, King defended the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association's opposition to a proposal by Bronx state Senator Jeff  Klein, the leader of the Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference. Senator Klein had sought legislation to ban anyone on the federal terrorist watch list or the no-fly list from purchasing a gun in New York state. “I would say what Klein is doing is a paranoid campaign of fear,” King remarked. “I happen to be sticking up for Second Amendment rights. He is trying to take a right away, based on a fear and on a tragedy, which is how the Democrats work time after time.” The U.S. Government Accountability Office has reported that individuals on the terrorist watch list legally purchased guns from federally licensed firearm dealers more than 2,000 times between 2004 and 2014.

    Sources [1] [2]

  • Conspiracy Theory
    On October 7, 2015 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated that he wanted the federal government to help keep firearms from being illegally trafficked into New York. In response, King stated, “The governor is using [the October 1, 2015 mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon] to try and rejuvenate a failed political career. He’s trying to build it on the graves of the people who were killed up there.”

    Sources [1]

  • Other Statements

    In a December 25, 2012 interview on the Hofstra University radio station, King spoke about why Americans need firearms. He stated, “Put simply, people are worried about protecting themselves … You know, in [Newtown,] Connecticut, this insane massacre, the police did just a magnificent job of responding to this. The response time was four minutes. But in four minutes, a crazy individual killed 26 people. That in itself is the reason that a lot of people are buying firearms to protect themselves and why the Second Amendment is so important.” When asked if semi-automatic assault weapons should be limited to law enforcement, King said, “No … A semi-automatic weapon is not any more dangerous than any other rifle … The fact is, without anyone in the schools to stop these perpetrators, you could go in there with a single shot firearm and you could kill just as many people. It’s a fact that if somebody has decided they’re going out to do it, they’re going to do it. Just like when somebody decides that they’re going to commit suicide. Ask the psychiatrists, ask the psychologists, you usually cannot stop someone from committing suicide if they really wanna do it. And that is exactly the mind set of these people that are going in and committing these atrocities … Unfortunately, you can’t stop that unless there is a coordination between the medical profession and the [National Instant Criminal Background Check System] people…and the individual states. That’s the only way to stop it.” According to the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, suicidal acts with firearms are fatal in 85% of cases, while those with poison or overdose are fatal in only 2% of cases. Attempts by cutting are fatal in only 1% of cases.

    Sources [1] [2] [3]

  • Other Statements

    On September 9, 2011, King posted the following status update to his Facebook Wall: “How to find out if yor [sic] spouse or your dog loves more. Lock them both in the car trunk for one hour and, when you open it, see which one is glad to see you.” When asked how that worked for him, King responded, “The dog is still happy to see me.”

    Sources [1] [2] [3]

  • Other Statements

    Sources [1] [2]

  • Conspiracy Theory

    King suggested that President Barack Obama should be indicted on murder charges as a result of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ botched “Fast and Furious” operation that allowed guns to “walk” into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. In a July 7, 2011 blog for the Albany Times-Union, King wrote: “Ladies and Gentlemen if you or I were involved in a crime that resulted in the death of a police officer we would be indicted for Murder I; maybe that is the course we should demand be taken for Attorney General Holder and anyone else involved in this illegal conspiracy including President Obama if he had prior knowledge of the operation. There can be no excuses; this was a deliberate lie to the American people to cover up a conspiracy (sic) intended to take away or severely limit our Second Amendment Rights but instead it resulted in the death of a Border Patrol Agent. The criminals must be punished…All of them!” “Fast and Furious” resulted in the resignations of ATF Acting Director Ken Melson and U.S. Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke but, to date, no evidence has been produced to indicate that either President Obama or Attorney General Holder knew about the operation before CBS News broke the story in February 2011.

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)

    King posted an image of a bumper sticker on Facebook on July 7, 2011 that reads, “White Straight Republican Male. How else can I piss you off today?

    Sources [1] [2]

  • Other Statements

    On July 7, 2011, King posted a photo on his Facebook Wall that reads, “Now just why in the HELL do I have to press ‘1’ for English.” King then commented below the photo, “A question that should be asked more often!

    Sources [1] [2] [3]

  • Conspiracy Theory

    In an April 19, 2011 editorial for the Albany Times-Union, King expressed fears about “Muslim extremist literature and the occasional lost Koran” that are found on the U.S.-Mexico border—despite a total lack of evidence indicating that such material is actually being recovered. King then complained, “The Obama administration continues to ignore or down play the border threat while continuing his stealth campaign to take our firearms.”

    Sources [1] [2]

  • Other Statements

    King posted an image of President Barack Obama on Facebook on November 2, 2010 that includes the text, “SUCKA! Drank the kool-aid didn’t ya!” Below the image, King wrote, “No further comment is needed.”

    Sources [1] [2] [3]

  • Race

    A random but important thought for the day” posted by King on his Facebook Wall on October 29, 2010 was an image that reads, “If You Can’t Read This [Arabic writing] Thank A Soldier.”

    Sources [1] [2]

  • Religion

    A random but important thought for the day” posted by King on his Facebook Wall on October 29, 2010 was an image that reads, “If You Can’t Read This [Arabic writing] Thank A Soldier.”

    Sources [1] [2]

  • Republican Party (GOP)

    On October 21, 2010, King posted a photo on his Facebook Wall reminding viewers to “Take out the trash” on Election Day 2010. Below the image he commented, “Just a friendly reminder.”

    Sources [1] [2] [3]

  • Republican Party (GOP)

    On September 3, 2010 King posted a photo to his Facebook Wall that depicts President Barack Obama saying, “The term ‘illegal aliens’ will no longer be allowed. Henceforth they will be referred to as ‘Undocumented Democrats’.” Below the photo, King commented, “For my friends in Arizona.” He was likely referring to the Obama administration’s legal challenge to a controversial immigration bill, SB 1070, that was signed into law in Arizona in April 2010.

    Sources [1] [2] [3]

  • Other Statements

    In February 2010, King wrote an editorial for the Albany Times-Union in which he announced his opposition a bill in the New York State legislature that sought to prohibit the carrying of firearms in public by individuals who are intoxicated. King said the legislation was “about the persecution of the legal and lawful gun owners of New York state and [the New York state government’s] attempts to control [them].”

    Sources [1] [2]

  • Republican Party (GOP)

    Sources [1] [2] [3]

  • Other Statements

    Sources [1]

  • Immigration

    In a July 25, 2008 blog for the Albany Times-Union, King defended the actions of Gabriel Razzanno, who lost his pistol permit after a confrontation with U.S. Representative Caroyln McCarthy (D-NY). According to the Congresswoman’s staff, Razzanno—a member of the hardline anti-immigrant Minuteman organization—called McCarthy’s New York office over 100 times and made six visits culminating in an incident at the office where he was “rude, frightening, and threatening to the staff members.” Police confiscated 15 handguns and nine long guns from the home of Razzanno (who police described as “mentally unstable”). While at Razzanno’s home, police were troubled by a rope tied into a noose hanging in the back window of his minivan, accompanied by a bumper sticker stating, “Vote for Rope.” Police also took note of a David Duke book in the home entitled “Jewish Supremicism.” Commenting on the revocation of Razzanno’s pistol license, King wrote, “Congresswomen McCarthy should resign, the police chief should be prosecuted for a civil rights or RiCo [the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] violation, the entire Nassau County Board should apologize and the residents of Nassau County should hang their heads in shame for not immediately coming to the aid of Mr. Razzano.”

    Sources [1] [2] [3] [4]

  • Political Violence

    In a July 25, 2008 blog for the Albany Times-Union, King defended the actions of Gabriel Razzanno, who lost his pistol permit after a confrontation with U.S. Representative Caroyln McCarthy (D-NY). According to the Congresswoman’s staff, Razzanno—a member of the hardline anti-immigrant Minuteman organization—called McCarthy’s New York office over 100 times and made six visits culminating in an incident at the office where he was “rude, frightening, and threatening to the staff members.” Police confiscated 15 handguns and nine long guns from the home of Razzanno (who police described as “mentally unstable”). While at Razzanno’s home, police were troubled by a rope tied into a noose hanging in the back window of his minivan, accompanied by a bumper sticker stating, “Vote for Rope.” Police also took note of a David Duke book in the home entitled “Jewish Supremicism.” Commenting on the revocation of Razzanno’s pistol license, King wrote, “Congresswomen McCarthy should resign, the police chief should be prosecuted for a civil rights or RiCo [the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] violation, the entire Nassau County Board should apologize and the residents of Nassau County should hang their heads in shame for not immediately coming to the aid of Mr. Razzano.”

    Sources [1] [2] [3] [4]

  • Race

    In a July 25, 2008 blog for the Albany Times-Union, King defended the actions of Gabriel Razzanno, who lost his pistol permit after a confrontation with U.S. Representative Caroyln McCarthy (D-NY). According to the Congresswoman’s staff, Razzanno—a member of the hardline anti-immigrant Minuteman organization—called McCarthy’s New York office over 100 times and made six visits culminating in an incident at the office where he was “rude, frightening, and threatening to the staff members.” Police confiscated 15 handguns and nine long guns from the home of Razzanno (who police described as “mentally unstable”). While at Razzanno’s home, police were troubled by a rope tied into a noose hanging in the back window of his minivan, accompanied by a bumper sticker stating, “Vote for Rope.” Police also took note of a David Duke book in the home entitled “Jewish Supremicism.” Commenting on the revocation of Razzanno’s pistol license, King wrote, “Congresswomen McCarthy should resign, the police chief should be prosecuted for a civil rights or RiCo [the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] violation, the entire Nassau County Board should apologize and the residents of Nassau County should hang their heads in shame for not immediately coming to the aid of Mr. Razzano.”

    Sources [1] [2] [3] [4]

  • Other Statements

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  • Other Statements

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