Interview NRA Board Member & NYSRPA Executive Director Tom King

Editors Note: Please consider voting for Tom King in the NRA 2019 NRA Board of Directors Election.

New York –-(Ammoland.com)-The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association (NYSRPA) is going to have a chance to argue their case against the New York City gun transportation ban in front of the US Supreme Court. This suit will be the first time in almost ten years that SCOTUS has taken up a gun case. The NYSRPA is under the leadership of Tom King who is the Executive Director of the NYSRPA and also on the current NRA Board of Directors and running for re-election

Tom King also made headlines by vigorously fighting against the New York State SAFE Act. He bought 12,000-gun owners to the state capital to voice their opposition to the law. Dealing with anti-gun politicians is something King has experienced throughout his career. He has also lobbied on a national level with the NRA-ILA.

King is running for re-election to the NRA Board of Directors. He has spent his life fighting against the gun grabbers in one of the most anti-gun states in the US. He plans on bringing this fighting spirit back to the NRA Board of Directors.

I had a chance to speak with King, and I asked him some tough questions about his candidacy and the tough issues facing the NRA.

John: Why do you want to be a part of the NRA Board of Directors again?

Tom: As a Senior Board Member and Executive Committee member it gives the NYSRPA, and New York State more clout when decisions are being made to pursue certain cases, earmark funding, and it also provides for better media access. At present, I’m the only NRA Board Member from New York State, and it is imperative to have New York State represented on the NRA board.

John: What have been some of your accomplishments on the Board?

Tom: Being elected to the Executive Committee by my peers. Forming and being appointed as the first Chairman of the Disabled Shooters Committee and serving as Chair of two Competition Shooting Committees. Serving on three additional committees: Clubs & Associations, Competition Rules Committee and Chair of the Clubs & Association Committees Grants Sub-Committee and being elected by my peers to the Board of Trustees NRA Special Contribution Fund (Whittington Center).

John: How did you get involved with the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association and how did you become the president?

Tom: I became officially involved as the Legislative Director approximately 20 years ago and was asked to run for president a few years later. I have now served for 15 years before being appointed by the NYSRPA Board to the Executive Directors position.

John: Can you tell us a little about your gun rights activism?

Tom: I have advocated for 2A Rights for approximately 20 years. I formed the first New York State pro-2A PAC the NYSRPA-PVF. I brought the largest group of gun owners to New York State (12,000) to rally against the SAFE Act. I filed the SAFE Act lawsuit that overturned and increased magazine capacity to 10 and had a Federal Judge for the first-time state “a modern hunting rifle is a lawful class of firearm in continuous use.” NYSRPA v. NYC (2019) was accepted by SCOTUS.

John: You are from New York. New York is my second home. I married a New Yorker. I spend more time in New York than any other state besides my home state, and I can’t imagine living with the gun restrictions in New York. Being pro-gun, how do you handle it?

Tom: By fighting night and day against those draconian laws and never giving up.

John: How have you been fighting against Governor Cuomo’s agenda?

Tom: On social media, in the courts, in person and mainstream media every day for the past 20 years

John: Gov. Cuomo has said some pretty outlandish things. For example, he said that pro-life, pro-gun conservatives have no place in New York. I think you fall into that category. If he was right in front of you, what would you tell him?

Tom: That his was the dumbest statement I’ve ever heard.

John: A lot of people think that the NRA has gone soft with the support of red flag laws and the bump stock ban. Do you think that is a fair criticism?

Tom: No not at all! Bottom line if the NRA didn’t exist today neither would the Second Amendment.

John: What would you say to people that think the NRA should concentrate more on defending gun rights and less on producing TV shows?

Tom: It’s all part of the bigger picture to win the hearts and minds of the undecided by bringing the hunting and shooting sports to the mainstream. I would also remind them that the people we need to influence is not the true believer but the average American who only casually supports us.

John: If you could change one thing about the NRA, what would it be?

Tom: I would change the media policy to ensure the NRA takes credit for what they do rather than allow other groups to claim the credit.

John: How can people support you for the NRA Board of Directors?

Tom: People can support me by checking off my name on the ballot they receive in their NRA magazine and returning it in the enclosed envelope.

The ballots for the NRA Board of Directors will be reaching NRA member’s mailboxes at the end of January and the beginning of February. We encourage everyone to vote for the leadership they want.

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About John Crump

John is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He is the former CEO of Veritas Firearms, LLC and is the co-host of The Patriot-News Podcast which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews. John has written extensively on the patriot movement including 3%’ers, Oath Keepers, and Militias. In addition to the Patriot movement, John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and is currently working on a book on leftist deplatforming methods and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, on Facebook at realjohncrump, or at www.crumpy.com.