The Family Weekly
Welcome back to “The Family Weekly.” Every Saturday morning, we’ll send you a selection of our favorite stories from The Atlantic’s Family section. We’re excited to have you join us as we explore questions about family life and human relationships.
This Week in Family
The movement that emerged in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, has been driven by young people—but it has also revealed interesting dynamics between young and old. Rachel Gutman, an editorial fellow at The Atlantic, was surprised when her grandfather, who hadn’t been to a demonstration since the 1960s, traveled from Florida to attend the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., last Saturday. What led him to protest? As her grandfather put it: “I said to myself, you know what, you have missed so many moments in history because you hesitated and didn’t pay attention. Don’t miss this one.”
And teens are genuinely interested in a conversation with the generation before them: Today’s rebels are, in a break from history, seeking more in the way of adult protection and support. “Kids demand that their voices be heard, but they aren’t pushing back against adult vigilance,” observed The Atlantic’s literary editor, Ann Hulbert. “They want more of it, not less.”