Former Rep. West: Racial slurs ‘don’t hurt’

Former Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) urged religious conservatives to stand up for their beliefs and not be deterred by name-calling, and used his own experience with racial epithets as an example.

{mosads}Speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s “Road to the Majority” conference, West told conservatives that “the challenge [in standing up for religious freedom] is when they call you all sorts of names.”

“Does it hurt to be called an Oreo, an Uncle Tom, a white man’s porch monkey, a house negro?” he asked the crowd.

“Nah. It don’t hurt, ’cause I’ve been shot,” West added, to laughter.

West is a retired Army lieutenant colonel and was elected to Congress in the Republican wave of 2010. He served one term. 

He’s been touted by conservatives as a potential presidential contender but has made few moves toward a run.