Summary

Chapter 4 titled, “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out” begins with the Nannyism, “I’ll be on your ass like forty going North” (53). Johnson remembers once during the summer of 1991, when the whole family traveled to Virginia where the Elder side of the family originated. Johnson did some research on their heritage and found that there was, in fact, Irish in their family - which likely got there from slave owners raping his ancestors, starting the Black Elder side. At this reunion, all the adults were talking about shooting guns and he wanted to join but Matt was told they were too young. Matt’s Dad was a police officer so they had seen guns before and played with toy guns, but had no concept of the dangers of a real weapon.

Everyone went to shoot guns while Matt had to stay behind and...