This book is an in-depth critique of the USA's dominant political and legal response to "hate crime". The authors show how the media and politicians have constructed a hate crime epidemic without any solid evidence to support it. They argue that hate crime laws make no sense from a law enforcement or criminal justice standpoint, but are only comprehensible as symbolic politics. The well-intentioned effort to denounce prejudice motivated crime may end up dividing the community rather than bringing it together.

This book is an in-depth critique of the USA's dominant political and legal response to "hate crime". The authors show how the media and politicians have constructed a hate crime epidemic without any solid evidence to support it. They argue that hate crime laws make no sense from a law enforcement or criminal justice standpoint, but are only comprehensible as symbolic politics. The well-intentioned effort to denounce prejudice motivated crime may end up dividing the community rather than bringing it together.