NPR

Children's Cries Brought Down Walls Of Indifference

Thousands of migrant children have been separated from their parents by the U.S. government. NPR's Scott Simon reflects on audio recordings this week in which detained children can be heard crying.
A child rides in a stroller during a rally in El Paso, Texas Thursday to protest the Trump administration's family separations.

The cries of children pierce our hearts. Scientists say they're meant to. They move us to love and protect children. This response is healthy; it's human; and it keeps humanity going.

As Dr. Marc Bornstein at the "the infant cry and the caregiver response, have developed together to ensure the survival of the species."

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
Pro-Palestinian Campus Protesters Face Looming Deadlines And Risk Of Arrest
Hundreds of students have been arrested for participating in pro-Palestinian protests in recent days. And some schools, like Columbia and GW, have given them deadlines to dismantle their encampments.
NPR2 min readWorld
A Baby Girl Born Orphaned And Premature After An Israeli Airstrike In Gaza Has Died
The newborn died after five days in an incubator. Her family was killed in an air strike. UNICEF says 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, with thousands more orphaned and wounded.
NPR3 min read
American Airlines Passenger Alleges Discrimination Over Use Of First-class Restroom
In a complaint to the airline, Pamela Hill-Veal, a retired judge, says that while on a Chicago-to-Phoenix flight, a flight attendant berated her and accused her of slamming the lavatory door.

Related Books & Audiobooks