America's history of racial injustice did not end with emancipation, desegregation, or the passage of civil rights legislation. Each hard-won freedom was followed by new obstacles, from discriminatory laws and racial violence to economic exclusion, institutional neglect, and unequal enforcement of the law. And You Ask Why They're Still Angry traces this history through the lives of people who fought for rights they had already been promised, examining the decisions that shaped their struggles and the consequences that persist across generations. It challenges the expectation that people should simply move on from injustices whose effects have never been fully addressed, asking a more important question: Before criticizing those who remain angry, shouldn't we examine what has actually been done to make things right?
Tag: criminal justice reform
The Comey Pattern: Examining Extraordinary Prosecutorial Actions Against Prominent Women
When James Comey prosecuted Martha Stewart in 2003 using what legal scholars called an "audacious legal theory," and when he made unprecedented public interventions in the Hillary Clinton email investigation in 2016, he claimed to be upholding institutional integrity. But a comprehensive examination of court records, Inspector General reports, and expert analysis reveals a troubling pattern: Comey's most aggressive and procedurally irregular actions have disproportionately targeted high-profile women, generating enormous reputational damage regardless of legal outcomes. From the novel securities fraud charge against Stewart—later dismissed by a judge—to the "extraordinary and insubordinate" press conferences and letters about Clinton that violated Justice Department norms, Comey's decisions in these cases drew sustained criticism from legal experts across the political spectrum. The Department of Justice Inspector General found that Comey's handling of the Clinton investigation included "inappropriate commentary about uncharged conduct" and represented departures from "well-established department policies" for which he offered no "persuasive basis." This investigation examines whether Comey's most controversial prosecutorial decisions reveal a pattern of disproportionate intensity, extraordinary publicity, and institutional norm violations that consistently affected prominent women—raising fundamental questions about equality before the law and the appropriate use of prosecutorial discretion.
Mary Vincent’s Journey from Trauma to Triumph
In September 1978, 15-year-old Mary Vincent survived a brutal assault that shocked America. Despite losing both arms in the attack, Vincent's courageous journey of recovery, advocacy, and healing embodies extraordinary resilience and a quiet, enduring strength that transformed personal tragedy into a powerful call for justice.