True Detective's dangerous lies about satanic ritual abuse

The "true story" behind True Detective is all fiction

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the filming of The Birth of a Nation, D.W. Griffith's cinematic masterpiece, which introduced a host of revolutionary movie-making techniques to the new art form.

Unfortunately, The Birth of a Nation also introduced millions of Americans to the now-discredited historical theory that the post-Civil War Reconstruction era had been a disaster for the South because it was dominated by abolitionists, freedmen, and carpet bagging politicians. The movie's most deplorable feature was its portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan as playing a critical and admirable role in restoring social order. (When it debuted, the film was entitled The Clansman).

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Paul Campos is a Professor of Law at the University of Colorado. He writes frequently on current affairs. His books include The Obesity Myth, Jurismania, and Don't Go to Law School (Unless).