NRA Leaders

Loading...

Member Profile

Allen West

Board Member

Allen West

Board Member

Biography

Allen West entered the U.S. Army after graduating from the University of Tennessee in 1983. He later received a master’s degree in political science from Kansas State University and a degree in political theory and military history and operations from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officer College. In 2003, due to an incident that involved the beating and simulated execution of an Iraqi policeman, West was fined $5000 and retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel. West was elected as the U.S. Representative from Florida’s 22nd District in 2010, making him the first African-American Congressman from Florida since 1876. In Congress, he served on the Armed Services and Small Business Committees and was a high-profile member of the Tea Party Caucus. West is currently president and CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to develop and promote private, free market alternatives to government regulation. West is a Life and Endowment Member of the National Rifle Association. In May 2016 he was elected to a three-year term on the NRA Board of Directors.


All Statements (18 total)

Statements by Category (18 total)

  • Foreign Policy
    On July 31, 2016, West posted a blog about Khizr Khan, a Muslim father whose son, U.S. Army Captain Humayan Khan, was killed while serving in Iraq in 2004. Khizr Khan criticized Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for dehumanizing Muslims and calling for a ban on Muslim travel to the United States during a speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. "I found it interesting Mr. Khan, that you and your wife, an American Gold Star family, would take the stage to support a sitting president and one desiring to be president, who had abandoned Americans in a combat zone and lied about it," wrote West. "I tend to believe that if alive, your son would consider that type of behavior abhorrent and deplorable. Or perhaps, as it seems, your speech was politically driven, and not based on principle? After all, you did take the stage before a crowd that disrespected a Medal of Honor recipient...is that cool with you? ... Now, let’s be honest Mr. Khan, those of us with knowledge could just as easily bring attention to SGT Hasan Karim Akbar [who killed two fellow soldiers and wounded 14 in Kuwait] and [Fort Hood mass shooter] Major Nidal Hasan, both Muslims serving in the U.S. Army ... You could have articulated how a 7th century savage and barbaric ideology inspired by a murderous warlord, psychopath, and, by modern day standards, a pedophile, was not a radical but the leader of a militant phase of Islam introduced after the 622 AD event referred to as Al Hijra. Mr. Khan, I grieve for the loss of your son. However, I grieve even more that you used his sacrifice and loss as nothing more than a damn politicized stunt. May God forgive you for it."

    Sources [1]

  • Religion
    On July 31, 2016, West posted a blog about Khizr Khan, a Muslim father whose son, U.S. Army Captain Humayan Khan, was killed while serving in Iraq in 2004. Khizr Khan criticized Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for dehumanizing Muslims and calling for a ban on Muslim travel to the United States during a speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. "I found it interesting Mr. Khan, that you and your wife, an American Gold Star family, would take the stage to support a sitting president and one desiring to be president, who had abandoned Americans in a combat zone and lied about it," wrote West. "I tend to believe that if alive, your son would consider that type of behavior abhorrent and deplorable. Or perhaps, as it seems, your speech was politically driven, and not based on principle? After all, you did take the stage before a crowd that disrespected a Medal of Honor recipient...is that cool with you? ... Now, let’s be honest Mr. Khan, those of us with knowledge could just as easily bring attention to SGT Hasan Karim Akbar [who killed two fellow soldiers and wounded 14 in Kuwait] and [Fort Hood mass shooter] Major Nidal Hasan, both Muslims serving in the U.S. Army ... You could have articulated how a 7th century savage and barbaric ideology inspired by a murderous warlord, psychopath, and, by modern day standards, a pedophile, was not a radical but the leader of a militant phase of Islam introduced after the 622 AD event referred to as Al Hijra. Mr. Khan, I grieve for the loss of your son. However, I grieve even more that you used his sacrifice and loss as nothing more than a damn politicized stunt. May God forgive you for it."

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)
    On July 31, 2016, West posted a blog about Khizr Khan, a Muslim father whose son, U.S. Army Captain Humayan Khan, was killed while serving in Iraq in 2004. Khizr Khan criticized Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for dehumanizing Muslims and calling for a ban on Muslim travel to the United States during a speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. "I found it interesting Mr. Khan, that you and your wife, an American Gold Star family, would take the stage to support a sitting president and one desiring to be president, who had abandoned Americans in a combat zone and lied about it," wrote West. "I tend to believe that if alive, your son would consider that type of behavior abhorrent and deplorable. Or perhaps, as it seems, your speech was politically driven, and not based on principle? After all, you did take the stage before a crowd that disrespected a Medal of Honor recipient...is that cool with you? ... Now, let’s be honest Mr. Khan, those of us with knowledge could just as easily bring attention to SGT Hasan Karim Akbar [who killed two fellow soldiers and wounded 14 in Kuwait] and [Fort Hood mass shooter] Major Nidal Hasan, both Muslims serving in the U.S. Army ... You could have articulated how a 7th century savage and barbaric ideology inspired by a murderous warlord, psychopath, and, by modern day standards, a pedophile, was not a radical but the leader of a militant phase of Islam introduced after the 622 AD event referred to as Al Hijra. Mr. Khan, I grieve for the loss of your son. However, I grieve even more that you used his sacrifice and loss as nothing more than a damn politicized stunt. May God forgive you for it."

    Sources [1]

  • Foreign Policy

    Sources [1]

  • Immigration

    Sources [1]

  • Religion

    Sources [1]

  • Conspiracy Theory

    Sources [1]

  • Race
    On July 11, 2016, West referenced a statement made by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on his blog. Commenting about a mass shooting in Dallas, Texas nine days earlier in which a Black Lives Matter activist killed five police officers and injured seven others, Clinton "called for greater respect and protection for the police" and also added, "I’m going to be talking to white people. I think we’re the ones who have to start listening to the legitimate cries that are coming from our African-American fellow citizens." Clinton was also referencing the controversial police killings of African-Americans Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, which were captured on video. West wrote the following about Clinton's comments: "Hillary Clinton, along with her fellow white liberal progressive cohorts and black liberal socialist modern plantation overseers, will never address [my points]. What they want are victims; dependency ... Hence why they seized upon the opportunity to decry 'racism' and whip the black community and the useful white idiots of the left into a frenzy of protest."

    Sources [1] [2]

  • Vigilantism
    On July 11, 2016, West referenced a statement made by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on his blog. Commenting about a mass shooting in Dallas, Texas nine days earlier in which a Black Lives Matter activist killed five police officers and injured seven others, Clinton "called for greater respect and protection for the police" and also added, "I’m going to be talking to white people. I think we’re the ones who have to start listening to the legitimate cries that are coming from our African-American fellow citizens." Clinton was also referencing the controversial police killings of African-Americans Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, which were captured on video. West wrote the following about Clinton's comments: "Hillary Clinton, along with her fellow white liberal progressive cohorts and black liberal socialist modern plantation overseers, will never address [my points]. What they want are victims; dependency ... Hence why they seized upon the opportunity to decry 'racism' and whip the black community and the useful white idiots of the left into a frenzy of protest."

    Sources [1] [2]

  • Republican Party (GOP)
    On July 11, 2016, West referenced a statement made by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on his blog. Commenting about a mass shooting in Dallas, Texas nine days earlier in which a Black Lives Matter activist killed five police officers and injured seven others, Clinton "called for greater respect and protection for the police" and also added, "I’m going to be talking to white people. I think we’re the ones who have to start listening to the legitimate cries that are coming from our African-American fellow citizens." Clinton was also referencing the controversial police killings of African-Americans Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, which were captured on video. West wrote the following about Clinton's comments: "Hillary Clinton, along with her fellow white liberal progressive cohorts and black liberal socialist modern plantation overseers, will never address [my points]. What they want are victims; dependency ... Hence why they seized upon the opportunity to decry 'racism' and whip the black community and the useful white idiots of the left into a frenzy of protest."

    Sources [1] [2]

  • Education

    Sources [1]

  • Race

    Sources [1]

  • Women's Rights

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)

    Sources [1]

  • Health Care
    On May 22, 2016, West posted a blog from the NRA's annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky entitled "Mrs. Clinton, Consider Yourself Warned. Pipe Down About the NRA, or..." West wrote, "50% of this Country’s children—over 25 million kids under 18—are growing up in homes without their fathers. What you notice here at the NRA convention is that families are here together—moms and dads with their kids. They’re here bonding and training their children about their most important right, the right to keep and bear arms, which shall not be infringed." He continued, addressing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton directly: "Something tells me you just don’t see too many families at a Planned Parenthood convention. And as a black man, when I consider the horrific racist statements of [Planned Parenthood founder] Margaret Sanger I must ask, do you embrace those same philosophies? Hence, why I’m appalled that anyone in the black community would support you, knowing you embrace such beliefs that have decimated the black community and been responsible for some 13-15 million black babies to be killed. That, Ma’am, is genocide ... Mrs. Clinton, please stop listening to your insidious and rather stupid team that’s feeding you ill-advised talking points. I recommend you stop talking about the NRA, because I am now a board member and I’ll make it my mission to fire right back at you. Just keep hanging out with your followers, dwindling as they are, and leave us freedom and liberty loving Americans alone.”

    Sources [1]

  • Race
    On May 22, 2016, West posted a blog from the NRA's annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky entitled "Mrs. Clinton, Consider Yourself Warned. Pipe Down About the NRA, or..." West wrote, "50% of this Country’s children—over 25 million kids under 18—are growing up in homes without their fathers. What you notice here at the NRA convention is that families are here together—moms and dads with their kids. They’re here bonding and training their children about their most important right, the right to keep and bear arms, which shall not be infringed." He continued, addressing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton directly: "Something tells me you just don’t see too many families at a Planned Parenthood convention. And as a black man, when I consider the horrific racist statements of [Planned Parenthood founder] Margaret Sanger I must ask, do you embrace those same philosophies? Hence, why I’m appalled that anyone in the black community would support you, knowing you embrace such beliefs that have decimated the black community and been responsible for some 13-15 million black babies to be killed. That, Ma’am, is genocide ... Mrs. Clinton, please stop listening to your insidious and rather stupid team that’s feeding you ill-advised talking points. I recommend you stop talking about the NRA, because I am now a board member and I’ll make it my mission to fire right back at you. Just keep hanging out with your followers, dwindling as they are, and leave us freedom and liberty loving Americans alone.”

    Sources [1]

  • Women's Rights
    On May 22, 2016, West posted a blog from the NRA's annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky entitled "Mrs. Clinton, Consider Yourself Warned. Pipe Down About the NRA, or..." West wrote, "50% of this Country’s children—over 25 million kids under 18—are growing up in homes without their fathers. What you notice here at the NRA convention is that families are here together—moms and dads with their kids. They’re here bonding and training their children about their most important right, the right to keep and bear arms, which shall not be infringed." He continued, addressing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton directly: "Something tells me you just don’t see too many families at a Planned Parenthood convention. And as a black man, when I consider the horrific racist statements of [Planned Parenthood founder] Margaret Sanger I must ask, do you embrace those same philosophies? Hence, why I’m appalled that anyone in the black community would support you, knowing you embrace such beliefs that have decimated the black community and been responsible for some 13-15 million black babies to be killed. That, Ma’am, is genocide ... Mrs. Clinton, please stop listening to your insidious and rather stupid team that’s feeding you ill-advised talking points. I recommend you stop talking about the NRA, because I am now a board member and I’ll make it my mission to fire right back at you. Just keep hanging out with your followers, dwindling as they are, and leave us freedom and liberty loving Americans alone.”

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)
    On May 22, 2016, West posted a blog from the NRA's annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky entitled "Mrs. Clinton, Consider Yourself Warned. Pipe Down About the NRA, or..." West wrote, "50% of this Country’s children—over 25 million kids under 18—are growing up in homes without their fathers. What you notice here at the NRA convention is that families are here together—moms and dads with their kids. They’re here bonding and training their children about their most important right, the right to keep and bear arms, which shall not be infringed." He continued, addressing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton directly: "Something tells me you just don’t see too many families at a Planned Parenthood convention. And as a black man, when I consider the horrific racist statements of [Planned Parenthood founder] Margaret Sanger I must ask, do you embrace those same philosophies? Hence, why I’m appalled that anyone in the black community would support you, knowing you embrace such beliefs that have decimated the black community and been responsible for some 13-15 million black babies to be killed. That, Ma’am, is genocide ... Mrs. Clinton, please stop listening to your insidious and rather stupid team that’s feeding you ill-advised talking points. I recommend you stop talking about the NRA, because I am now a board member and I’ll make it my mission to fire right back at you. Just keep hanging out with your followers, dwindling as they are, and leave us freedom and liberty loving Americans alone.”

    Sources [1]

  • Foreign Policy

    Sources [1]

  • LGBT Rights

    Sources [1]

  • Political Violence

    Sources [1]

  • Race

    Sources [1]

  • Vigilantism

    Sources [1]

  • Foreign Policy

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)

    Sources [1]

  • Race
    Writing about Black History Month for cnsnews.com on February 3, 2016, West stated, "I pray this month isn’t hijacked by a bunch of Black Lives Matter nonsense."

    Sources [1]

  • Foreign Policy

    Sources [1]

  • Environment
    On November 25, 2015, West called into the Kilmeade & Friends radio show to explain why, if he was President of the United States, he would not attend the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Paris, France. "He believes fighting the weather provides a better future for our children, not keeping them safe from Islamic terrorism, which he cannot say," said West.

    Sources [1]

  • Foreign Policy
    On November 25, 2015, West called into the Kilmeade & Friends radio show to explain why, if he was President of the United States, he would not attend the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Paris, France. "He believes fighting the weather provides a better future for our children, not keeping them safe from Islamic terrorism, which he cannot say," said West.

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)
    On November 25, 2015, West called into the Kilmeade & Friends radio show to explain why, if he was President of the United States, he would not attend the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Paris, France. "He believes fighting the weather provides a better future for our children, not keeping them safe from Islamic terrorism, which he cannot say," said West.

    Sources [1]

  • Race

    Sources [1]

  • Women's Rights

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)

    Sources [1]

  • Political Violence
    On April 26, 2014, West posted a blog post in support of a speech given by Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Sheriff David A. Clark, Jr. at the NRA's annual meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. "I always say that an armed person is a citizen, and an unarmed one is a subject—I believe Sheriff Clarke would agree," wrote West. "Sheriff David Clarke Jr. took the stage and like a true man of Sparta told the gun control liberal Left, Molon Labe!" Roughly translated, molon labe means "come and take it." It is an insurrectionist threat frequently issued by pro-gun activists in the United States who believe that liberals want to ban and confiscate their firearms.

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)

    Sources [1]

  • Conspiracy Theory

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)

    Sources [1]

  • Women's Rights

    Sources [1]

  • Conspiracy Theory

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)

    Sources [1]

  • Women's Rights

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)

    Sources [1]

  • Religion
    During a public forum in Florida on March 8, 2010, West related the following story: "As I was driving up here today, I saw that bumper sticker that absolutely incenses me. It’s not the Obama bumper sticker. But it’s the bumper sticker that says, ‘Co-exist.’ And it has all the little religious symbols on it. And the reason why I get upset, and every time I see one of those bumper stickers, I look at the person inside that is driving. Because that person represents something that would give away our country, would give away who we are, our rights and freedoms and liberties because they are afraid to stand up and confront that which is the antithesis, anathema, of who we are, the liberties that we want to enjoy." West went on to call Islam a "very vile and very vicious enemy that we have allowed to come in this country because we ride around with bumper stickers that say co-exist." He continued: "We already have a fifth column that is already infiltrating into our colleges, into our universities, into our high schools, into our religious aspect, our cultural aspect, our financial, our political systems in this country. And that enemy represents something called Islam and Islam is a totalitarian theocratic political ideology. It is not a religion. It has not been a religion since 622 AD, and we need to have individuals that stand up and say that ... [Former president] George [W.] Bush got snookered into going into some mosque, taking his shoes off, and then saying that Islam was a religion of peace.”

    Sources [1]

  • Conspiracy Theory
    During a public forum in Florida on March 8, 2010, West related the following story: "As I was driving up here today, I saw that bumper sticker that absolutely incenses me. It’s not the Obama bumper sticker. But it’s the bumper sticker that says, ‘Co-exist.’ And it has all the little religious symbols on it. And the reason why I get upset, and every time I see one of those bumper stickers, I look at the person inside that is driving. Because that person represents something that would give away our country, would give away who we are, our rights and freedoms and liberties because they are afraid to stand up and confront that which is the antithesis, anathema, of who we are, the liberties that we want to enjoy." West went on to call Islam a "very vile and very vicious enemy that we have allowed to come in this country because we ride around with bumper stickers that say co-exist." He continued: "We already have a fifth column that is already infiltrating into our colleges, into our universities, into our high schools, into our religious aspect, our cultural aspect, our financial, our political systems in this country. And that enemy represents something called Islam and Islam is a totalitarian theocratic political ideology. It is not a religion. It has not been a religion since 622 AD, and we need to have individuals that stand up and say that ... [Former president] George [W.] Bush got snookered into going into some mosque, taking his shoes off, and then saying that Islam was a religion of peace.”

    Sources [1]

  • Republican Party (GOP)
    During a public forum in Florida on March 8, 2010, West related the following story: "As I was driving up here today, I saw that bumper sticker that absolutely incenses me. It’s not the Obama bumper sticker. But it’s the bumper sticker that says, ‘Co-exist.’ And it has all the little religious symbols on it. And the reason why I get upset, and every time I see one of those bumper stickers, I look at the person inside that is driving. Because that person represents something that would give away our country, would give away who we are, our rights and freedoms and liberties because they are afraid to stand up and confront that which is the antithesis, anathema, of who we are, the liberties that we want to enjoy." West went on to call Islam a "very vile and very vicious enemy that we have allowed to come in this country because we ride around with bumper stickers that say co-exist." He continued: "We already have a fifth column that is already infiltrating into our colleges, into our universities, into our high schools, into our religious aspect, our cultural aspect, our financial, our political systems in this country. And that enemy represents something called Islam and Islam is a totalitarian theocratic political ideology. It is not a religion. It has not been a religion since 622 AD, and we need to have individuals that stand up and say that ... [Former president] George [W.] Bush got snookered into going into some mosque, taking his shoes off, and then saying that Islam was a religion of peace.”

    Sources [1]