ArcaMax

SAN DIEGO -- Donald Trump often talks about how he wants to return America to what it used to be.

A big part of it is about taking the country back to a time when people of color knew their place, when they were seen but not heard, and when one could insult them with impunity.

Trump is never at a loss for words. And yet, while he goes around speaking his mind, he can't seem to pipe down when others speak theirs. And the GOP front-runner has this especially foul habit of trying to shout down minorities who dare speak out against him.

Of course, Trump does this with white people, too. Since he started his presidential campaign, the billionaire blowhard has picked fights with NBC's Chuck Todd, Fox News' Megyn Kelly, conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, and others in the media.

But his attacks on minority commentators are different. They have a particularly sharp, insulting and condescending tone. The criticisms are usually personal, and the barbs are meant to wound.

Trump doesn't just criticize people of color for what they say or believe. He zeroes in on who they are and what they represent. The jabs are always about someone's skill, competence, intelligence or talent.

And the implied message is always the same: Feel free to ignore what critics say because, according to the real estate mogul, their opinion doesn't matter.

One of Trump's most recent targets was Tavis Smiley, my old friend and former radio co-host who is now the host of a nightly talk show on PBS.

The tiff began when Smiley, during an appearance on ABC's "This Week," did what Trump often does: He gave a provocative opinion, without holding back and with no concern for who might be offended. You would expect nothing less from one of the most prominent African-American voices in America.

The media commentator called Trump "an unrepentant, irascible religious and racial arsonist" because of controversial remarks the candidate has made about minority groups.

...continued

Copyright 2016 Washington Post Writers Group