784: Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me a Map

782: Family Dig

This American Life - 783: Kids These Days

We hear from kids who are dealing with some of the country’s most contentious debates. Debates that are supposedly about them.

783: Kids These Days

A quick warning, there are curse words that are unbeaped in today's episode of the show.

If you prefer a beeped version, you can find that at our website, thisamericanlife.org.

It's this American life, I'm Hannah Jaffee Walt sitting in for Ira Glass.

Last fall, I saw this video from a high school in Michigan.

And maybe it wouldn't have stayed with me in the way that it has if it weren't for all

the many things that have happened since then that keep reminding me of this video.

It's turned into a sort of reference point in my head.

The video is from September 2021, last fall in Michigan, about 20 miles outside in Arbor.

It's early morning right before the school day.

A group of parents and their high schoolers are kind of loosely crowded around the door

There's a police officer with top gun sunglasses.

The officer is calmly when it might say patronizingly.

Repeating if you're going to go into the building, you have to have a mask on.

About 20 teenagers are standing between the officer and the door to their school, looking

like all teenagers do when they're waiting for anything.

A little board, a little blank, lots of crossed arms as this goes on.

I'm not putting a mask on anybody that's not my job.

Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or podcast. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.

0:00.0	A quick warning, there are curse words that are unbeaped in today's episode of the show.
0:05.4	If you prefer a beeped version, you can find that at our website, thisamericanlife.org.
0:11.9	It's this American life, I'm Hannah Jaffee Walt sitting in for Ira Glass.
0:16.6	Last fall, I saw this video from a high school in Michigan.
0:20.2	And maybe it wouldn't have stayed with me in the way that it has if it weren't for all
0:23.9	the many things that have happened since then that keep reminding me of this video.
0:29.7	It's turned into a sort of reference point in my head.
0:32.3	For a dynamic, I keep seeing repeated.
0:35.8	The video is from September 2021, last fall in Michigan, about 20 miles outside in Arbor.
0:42.2	It's early morning right before the school day.
0:44.8	A group of parents and their high schoolers are kind of loosely crowded around the door
0:48.8	to a school, a mostly white crowd.
0:51.8	There's a police officer with top gun sunglasses.
0:54.4	The officer is calmly when it might say patronizingly.
1:05.6	Repeating if you're going to go into the building, you have to have a mask on.
1:09.8	Nobody in this video is wearing a mask.
1:12.9	About 20 teenagers are standing between the officer and the door to their school, looking
1:18.3	like all teenagers do when they're waiting for anything.
1:21.3	A little board, a little blank, lots of crossed arms as this goes on.
1:25.6	I'm not going to force anybody.
1:28.1	I'm not putting a mask on anybody that's not my job.
1:31.4	So they can go in without the mask?
	...

783: Kids These Days

This American Life

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