Then my dad said, 'This country is going a little bit crazy. I know it's just a glitch in the road, but I want you to know there're things you can't do anymore.'
33 And I'm like, 'What kind of stuff,' because I had thought the older you got the more stuff you can do, not can't.
34 He said, 'You can't be running around the playground with that water gun, for one. Or that Nerf gun, or that little light-up key-ring gun thing you got from your aunt last year? You can't even carry that in your pocket anymore.'
35 Then my dad goes, 'You get me, right, Mar?'
36 And I just nodded. I was so mad, I didn't even look at him
37 Amari looked around at us. I knew what he was talking about. I'd seen the papers and heard Holly's mom and dad talking about a boy who got killed for playing with a toy gun. Holly's mom said that it wouldn't have happened if the boy was white, and Holly's dad had nodded.
38 The cops who shot that kid in the park didn't even ask him any questions, Amari said. Just came in the park and shot him right away. And then when his big sister tried to run to him, they didn't even let her go to him
39 How come they didn't let her? Ashton looked surprised, like maybe this was his first time hearing the story.
40 Amari shrugged. I don't even know, he said. It's crazy. My sister's seventeen, she would lose her mind if anyone ever even looked at me funny. That's how crazy she is about me. When I heard about that boy and his sister, it made something in me twist up. Made me want to punch a wall or even worse. That boy could have been me or Esteban or Tiago...
41 Or me, Ashton said.
42 Amari didn't say anything to Ashton. He acted like he hadn't heard him and kept talking.
43 My mom never liked me playing with guns anyway, Amari continued. So I knew my days of playing with them were numbered. But I didn't know it would all come this quick. You know, like with the hugs. Felt like I woke up one day and it was just corny to do. But playing with my guns wasn't corny yet. A water-gun fight on a hot day is still the best thing ever.
41 Facts, Tiago said. When you're all hot and somebody comes out of nowhere and starts squirting you? You act mad, but son, I gotta say, that's the best, bro.
42 Amari didn't say anything to Ashton. He acted like he hadn't heard him and kept talking.
43 My mom never liked me playing with guns anyway, Amari continued. So I knew my days of playing with them were numbered. But I didn't know it would all come this quick. You know, like with the hugs. Felt like I woke up one day and it was just corny to do. But playing with my guns wasn't corny yet. A water-gun fight on a hot day is still the best thing ever.
41 Facts, Tiago said. When you're all hot and somebody comes out of nowhere and starts squirting you? You act mad, but son, I gotta say, that's the best, bro.
45 For real. Amari pounded Tiago's fist.
46 And that Nerf gun you got, A? Amari said. The one that shoots, like, fifty feet. That's power.
47 Yeah, Ashton said. Remember when we were shooting the dead leaves off the trees?
48 Amari nodded. We were like, powpowpow!
49 Some serious sharpshooting, Ashton said.
50 They both got quiet. I could tell by their faces that they were back in the park with their Nerf guns, aiming them at the trees.
5. No disrespect to you Ashton, but it sort of sucks that you can still go to the park with that gun and not have to wony about getting killed.
52. It's okay, Ashton said. But he started biting on his bottom lip.
53 I can't stand guns, Holly said. I never saw one in real life and never want to.
54 Nobody's talking about real guns! Amari said. Then he looked at Ashton. Ashton, you're, like, one of my best friends, you know that, right?
56
But that kid getting killed and then my dad saying I couldn't play with guns anymore? That made me hate you
57 But I didn't do -
58 Not YOU, I mean, I didn't hate you I don't know how to say it.
59 Ido, I said. It's not fair. It's not fair that you're a boy and Ashton's a boy and he can do something you can't do anymore. That's not freedom
60 Amari nodded. Yeah to what Red's saying. You can just play with your Nerf gun all you want, anywhere you want, and no cop is gonna run up and shoot you
61 Amari stopped talking. He got up and walked over to the window, taking the recorder with him. Then, in slow motion, he made the hand that wasn't holding it into a gun, straightened his arm and aimed outside.
62 The cops shot that boy in the stomach, he said. With real bullets.
Not soft ones that bounce off. And the boy fell in the playground.
And then he died.
63 Amari kept his gun hand pointed at the window, his voice dropping down low. And maybe if it was a windy day, the swings just kept on swinging. Making that sad, whiny sound that swings make when they're still moving and nobody's on them And that boy should have been running and playing and jumping off those swings Whenever I jump off a swing, it feels like I'm flying. It feels like I'm more free than anything. That boy should have been having that feeling. He shouldn't have been feeling like he was dying. He should have been feeling like he was free.
From paragraph 32 on, Woodson structures a VERY tense interaction between Amari and Ashton to discuss a social issue playing out in our world today. However, she doesn't explicitly say what it is. What do you think about how Woodson shapes this chapter around this issue of violence?
Identify one moment in this chapter and discuss it.
One moment in this chapter that stands out is when Amari expresses his frustration and anger towards Ashton about being able to play with his Nerf gun without fear of violence. Amari says, "It's not fair that you're a boy and Ashton's a boy and he can do something you can't do anymore. That's not freedom." This moment highlights the inequality and injustice that exists in society, where certain individuals are more vulnerable to violence and restrictions due to their race or ethnicity.
Woodson effectively shapes the chapter around the issue of violence by creating a tense and emotionally charged conversation between Amari and Ashton. By focusing on their dialogue and reactions, Woodson captures the deep impact that violence and restrictions have on young individuals. The chapter illustrates the fear, frustration, and sadness experienced by Amari and others who find themselves marginalized and restricted due to systemic racism and violence.
Through this conversation, Woodson not only highlights the issue at hand but also allows readers to empathize with Amari's perspective. The use of dialogue and personal anecdotes helps to humanize the issue and make it more relatable to readers. By presenting this chapter in a realistic and emotionally charged manner, Woodson effectively engages readers and prompts them to think critically about the impact of violence on individuals and communities.