Juan Williams: ‘Parents’ rights’ is code for white race politics

After white supremacists spilled blood in defense of keeping up Confederate statues in 2017, the GOP candidate for governor of Virginia, Ed Gillespie, said the monuments should stay up as a matter of heritage and history.

His TV advertising featured threatening images of Latino gangs, labeled illegal immigrants, involved in murder and rape.

The racially loaded ‘Culture Wars’ campaign, straight from then-President TrumpDonald TrumpStunning survey gives grim view of flourishing anti-democratic opinions Southwest investigating report pilot said ‘Let’s go Brandon’ on flight Texas police refused requests to escort Biden bus surrounded by Trump supporters: report MORE’s playbook, gave Gillespie a push but he ultimately lost the race to Democrat Ralph Northam.

Now Virginia Republicans are back with a new and improved ‘Culture Wars’ campaign for 2021. The closing argument is once again full of racial division — but this time it is dressed up as a defense of little children.

The rallying cry is ‘Parents’ Rights.’

It is a campaign to stop classroom discussion of Black Lives Matter protests or slavery because it could upset some children, especially white children who might feel guilt.

And this time the Trump-imitating Republicans think they have struck political gold.

Unlike their earlier defense of Confederate monuments, the ‘Parents’ Rights’ campaign message at first glance looks to have zero to do with race.

That puts Democrats on the defensive. They are in the uncomfortable position of calling the attention of suburban white moms to divisive racial politics being used by Republican Glenn Youngkin’s campaign.

Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate, calls the Republican message a “racist dog whistle.”

“Youngkin’s closing message of book banning and silencing esteemed Black authors is a racist dog whistle designed to gin up support from the most extreme elements of his party — mainly his top endorser and surrogate, Donald Trump,” McAuliffe said in a statement.

Recall, it was Trump who famously said there were “very fine people” on both sides of the violence sparked by “Unite the Right,” the 2017 rally of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va.

Youngkin says he will back Trump if the former president is the GOP nominee for the White House in 2024.

Some of the Charlottesville white extremists are now on trial in a civil case for their violent attacks.

President BidenJoe BidenWhite House unveils strategy for 2050 net-zero goal Southwest investigating report pilot said ‘Let’s go Brandon’ on flight House Rules Committee won’t meet Monday on reconciliation package MORE recently said the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was also “about white supremacy.”

There is a long history behind the latest racist political appeals.

It is not long ago that racist southern politicians rallied against integration with an argument for “states’ rights,” a call to be free of federal laws calling for an end to segregation.

Now…