On Race, Trump's Actions Speak Louder Than Words

The heated debate over President Donald Trump's initial refusal to single out the white supremacists and neo-Nazis whose Charlottesville rally led to violence and bloodshed may mistakenly focus too much on the man, rather than his policies.It took veteran civil rights leader Al Sharpton, no paragon of virtue himself, to make that crucial point, declaring Monday it "trivializes" the central issue to argue about Trump's personal attitudes."He is a proponent of racism," Sharpton said on MSNBC's Morning Joe, adding, "I don't want to put him on a couch and deal with his psychological personal problems. I'm dealing with his public policies."Indeed, since taking office in January, Trump's administration has reversed an array of governmental civil rights policies designed to protect minorities, siding with opponents of predecessor Barack Obama's efforts aimed at greater equality.  Continue reading...