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Seth MacFarlane: Historical Illiterate (Hollywood Lies About Arizona Law)

-By Warner Todd Huston

“Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane proves once again that while the denizens of Hollywood might be good at acting, or singing, or TV and movie making, they most certainly have no clue about history or contemporary politics. They are utterly illiterate about the world around them because of the insular bubble in which they live. In a recent interview reported by Reuters, the insufferable MacFarlane proves himself to be el stupido on the recent Arizona illegal immigrant law.

Now, one isn’t necessarily illiterate to oppose the new law essentially forced upon Arizona due to the utter failure of the federal government to properly deal with the illegal immigration problem, a problem that we’ve suffered under in this country since at least the 1980s. Certainly, there are substantive reasons to be both for and against the new law. Unfortunately for MacFarlane, “substance” isn’t in him.

The first quote that Reuters reports from MacFarlane is this bit of historical illiteracy…

“It’s too much. It’s kind of a slap in the face, it’s not the way to handle it…Nobody but the Nazis ever asked anybody for their papers.”

This statement is a complete lie. Not only are the Nazis not the only regime that “ever asked anybody for their papers,” but they aren’t even the last ones to do so. In fact, there are dozens and dozens of countries that “ask for your papers” still today!

In Russia today, for instance, people must carry their papers still and can be asked for them by any officer of the law at any time, even for internal travel. But, even if Russia didn’t do so today it most certainly did so during the entirety of the days of Soviet domination – days, I’ll remind you, that continued long after the Nazis went into the dustbin of history. This police state requirement persisted in every satellite state of the Soviet empire, as well. From East Germany, to Poland, to the various Stans, common, everyday Soviet citizens were forced to present their papers at a moments notice.

This situation also exists throughout South and Central America today as well as various European nations to varying degrees, not to mention at every airport in the world.

MacFarlane went on to prove his ignorance even on the law upon which he deigns to present himself as an expert.

“Walking down the street, a cop can come up to you and say ‘May I see your papers?’ — I think they should be required to ask that question in German if the law sticks around.”

No, the law does not permit police to “come up to you and say ‘May I see your papers”‘”

The fact is that the Arizona law only allows officers to ask status of citizenship if the person in question has already been detained under suspicion of criminal activity. The term originally in the law to describe when police can inquire for proof of citizenship was “lawful contact.” This was just this past week changed and clarified to be defined as, “lawful stop, detention or arrest.” This is what the Arizona lawmakers say they originally meant and so the law now reads.

In other words, no policeman can simply walk up to anyone on the street and “ask for their papers.”

Indeed, the law also has a section requiring officers to avoid racial profiling. It reads, “A law enforcement official or agency of this state or a county, city, town or other political subdivision of this state may not solely consider race, color or national origin in implementing the requirements of this subsection except to the extent permitted by the United States or Arizona Constitution.”

So, the utterly ignorant MacFarlane proves his Hollywood mettle again. He has no idea about current politics, contemporary events, or human history. And that seems to prove why he fits in so well with the other ignoramuses in Hollyweird, hometown.

It also tends to show that the Old Media doesn’t care who they present to readers as “news.” As long as the lies of those interviewed comport to the Old Media’s desired agenda, it doesn’t matter if any logic, truth or common sense prevails.

For the latest version of the bill with amendments noted, CLICK HERE.
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“The only end of writing is to enable the reader better to enjoy life, or better to endure it.”
–Samuel Johnson

Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as Andrew Breitbart’s BigGovernment.com, RightWingNews.com, CanadaFreePress.com, StoptheACLU.com, TheRealityCheck.org, Human Events Magazine, AmericanDailyReview.com, and the New Media Journal, among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events and is currently the co-host of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Conservatism” heard on BlogTalkRadio. Warner is also the editor of the Cook County Page for RedCounty.com.

He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of PubliusForum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston

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