As entertainer Jussie Smollett’s disturbing story of a bizarre Jan. 29 Trump-inspired homophobic and racial hate attack in Chicago appears to unravel, punditry about hate crime hoaxes is sweeping cable television and social media platforms.
Lost in the banter, however, are actual facts about just how common hate crimes and false reports are in the United States. Hate crimes are rising to decade highs and they are far more likely to go unreported than be falsely reported….