

Pete Reads 'Crying Wolf: Hate Crime Hoaxes in America' by Laird Wilcox - Complete
Oct 1, 2025
Dive into a provocative exploration of hate crime hoaxes and the nuances of statistical reporting. Discover critiques of how certain organizations manipulate data, uncover a chilling history of fabricated incidents, and learn about the psychology behind victimhood. The discussion highlights multiple infamous campus stories, high-profile fabrications, and their societal implications. As truths unravel, listen to insights on legal consequences and how motives shape narratives, ultimately questioning the integrity of public discourse around hate crimes.
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Victimhood Incentivizes Hoaxes
- Laird Wilcox argues hate-crime hoaxes often arise where victimhood yields social, political, or financial payoffs.
- He frames hoaxes as a supply-and-demand process that thrives when incentives for victimization increase.
Stats Can Be Inflated By Definitions
- Wilcox and Pete question the reliability of major anti-hate organizations' statistics and motives.
- He shows how counting unsolved incidents and broad definitions can inflate perceived threats.
Institutional Liaison Shaped Reporting
- Wilcox documents institutional ties and lobbying between ADL and law enforcement that shaped reporting practices.
- He highlights a 1985 memo formalizing liaison between FBI field offices and ADL regional offices to influence policing.