If we really believe that the left can “muzzle us, completely and permanently—to eliminate opposition”, then I would suppose that those holding that opinion have already lost.
If we follow your “we cannot do it in such a way that they can use our delivery of concept as a weapon against us to silence us”, then why bother to hold a strong conservative opinion on anything? You will never gain an upper hand with that attitude. We can be nice till the dawn breaks, but all that ever does is to make us look cowed when the first clueless leftists shouts the newest PC mantra. IMO, we are dammed by the left if we do, and dammed by the left if we don't.
Times have changed, and I for one see what is going to happen with a weak position and a defeatist attitude.
It is hard enough for many people to admit they were wrong, that the current officeholder did not have their basic interests at heart, but only the interests of those who serve his agenda, without additionally having to be claimed to be 'siding with racists' who would be defined as not having their best interests at heart.
Place other people whose genuine interests might obviously be best served by conservative policies in the position of having to be a 'sell out' to say as much, and it will not ever be said.
I will grant that that is not the only voting bloc suckered by the campaign, but it is one we will never fracture if we cannot leave melanin out of the equation and make our case against the current regime on the basis of its actions and their effects on us all.
We can be angry over the extra-Constitutional acts of the administration, the Socialist takeover of banking institutions, auto manufacturers, the spinoff effects on suppliers, the coming assault on the energy industry and all consumers thereof, the compromising of national security and defense... There is plenty enough to be mad about, things which affect us all, and our not using words which can be branded as 'racist terminiolgy' will let even more people get mad about it.
Otherwise, those selfsame people will close ranks against what will continue to be preaented and perceived as a more seminal and greater threat, and the other positions against the policies of the administration will be made untenable for anyone who could otherwise join freedom-loving and Conservative Americans in the battle to return this country to a Constitutional Republic.
Not every one in that group stands to benefit or profit by this administration's policies, and any business owner should be substantially opposed to much proposed and enacted by this administration, regardless of who they are.
Rather than present issues in a divisive manner (where we can be divided and conquered), we should present them in a manner which shows how they affect us all.
As for the way those children were dressed, I have known dirt-floor dirt poor families who would not let their children out in public dressed so shabbily. Color had nothing to do with it, it was a matter of self-respect.