The Irony of the Police
In the first section of the book, the reader gets surprised at how the police are administering the law. The police are doing the exact opposite because they are not applying the law equally. The black men are brutally handled during the arrest. Tawanda's brother is among the many causalities of police brutality. Ironically, the police are claiming to be applying the law equally to all races, but they are selective behind the scenes. When the police kill Tawanda's brother, they lie that he died from dehydration and a heart condition. Ironically, the police brutally killed Tawanda's brother, and they even sprayed pepper on him. The author writes, "They (police) said that he was dehydrated and had a heart condition and died in the struggle.” Similarly, while Tawanda is watching the television, she sees the headline, “Black Male. Encounter with police. Dead.”
The Irony of Hope
Hope is believed to be the best healer of all circumstances, but at times hopes turn out to be a misery. When Tawanda meets Freddie's mother for the first time, she gave her hope that her son will be well. Tawanda even promised to pray for Gray so that he can recover from the wounds of police brutality. Ironically, the following day Freddie was pronounced dead. Tawanda tells Freddie's mother, "Don't give up hope; he is going to be to pull through. I am going to be praying for your son." Besides hoping for the best, Freddie’s mother is shocked in the following day when she learns that her son is dead.
The Irony of the Baltimore Police Department
The irony of the Baltimore Police Department is that it is being viewed as a gang that has been licensed to kill the black men with impunity instead of providing security for all. The author writes, “But after Freddie died, the protests persisted for days, and Tawanda watched as the as the city was roiled by protesters shouting the very thing, she’d have been screaming out every Wednesday for two years: that the Baltimore Police Department was the biggest gang in America, with the license to kill with impunity.”
The Irony of Antony Anderson’s Death
Antony Anderson died as a result of police cruelty. The medical examiner's report revealed that Antony died of internal bleeding. Antony's family won the case against the police, and it was awarded $300,000. The award confirmed that the police department accepted the liability for Antony's death. Ironically, there was no single police officer who was charged for the murder. The author writes, "The Anderson family was awarded $300,000 by the city of Baltimore. Even though the state medical examiner determined he died by homicide, no officers were charged in his death."
The Irony of the Inner Harbor
The author writes that the Inner Harbor (the commercial hub of Baltimore) and West Baltimore were walking or marching distance. Ironically, the life expectancy of these two adjacent places was different. For instance, the life expectancy in West Baltimore was twenty years shorter compared to the Inner Harbor. The author writes, "…the life expectancy in West Baltimore could be as much as twenty years shorter than in the Inner Harbor area, among other stark distinctions – but the truth they were only walking (or marching) distance apart.”
