Posted on 04/30/2005 5:56:16 AM PDT by tuffydoodle
I think the discouragement comes when people equate feeding a baby with urinating, masturbating, etc. If I was a new nursing mother reading that, I'm not even sure how I would react.
I could care less.
They are what they are - dishonest Feminazis and the men stuck with them.
This issue can be difficult to come to agreement upon and because there's a catch-22 involved. Which is hurtful to both discreet breastfeeders and those who do witness the public act.
If you are the most discreet of "public breastfeeders".. and someone wishes to involve security over their distate of witness of said act, it is problematic. If someone reasonably even posts their disagreement with the Public Breastfeeding position, they are treated as "one notch below pedophile" posters. This is shameful and stupid.
So, yes. Unfortunately for all, breastfeeding became a political strategem for lefties. And it has left us all in the chaos surrounding the issue. Some mothers are being very discreet; but they'll be the ones smacked down for the politicization of "breastfeeding" as a "WOMAN"S ISSUE" in the realm of politics. Feministas have torn down public/privacy laws which used to guide civil code of conduct. Once they made "breastfeeding" a political strategy; they opened the doors wide to public outcry, also, perhaps in the name of politics.
The same holds true over abortion, and many other issues. Once "abortion" became public; women's privacy was invaded massively.
Women have breastfeed through all known human history; it's only been in the last 30 years that it has become a problem. It became a problem once it became "political"; and that "breastfeeding" is a public act- or, rather, "should be". It should be treated as a "public, natural" thing. The big secret was: once upon a time women could breastfeed publically and discreetly; and the code of civil conduct worked with it. Now that is an "in-yer-face" political strategem under the mantra of "WOMEN'S RIGHTS, WOMEN'S BODIES"; it's become a "fighting" issue. Meaning; political. Too bad, I say. Was very disturbed to witness this happening; and because it doesn't help nursing moms AT ALL.
There were petitions in the San Francisco Bay Area demanding the private business BUILD "nursing rooms" on their premises. And that if said "nursing rooms" weren't built, they'd boycott the stores. This was happening right at the time Ellen Tauscher and a number of "democrat" politicians were demanding taxpayer subsidy for all child care, and demanding that all businesses MUST create "day care" centers at their premises. Connection between the two? No kidding... yes! connection between the two.
Tuffydoodle? Do you really think women are stupid? Assuredly, masturbation and other acts ARE different from nursing; I think most women know this; but they also are aware that public means... PUBLIC. Whether nursing or not.
Public places = public spaces.
I'll be nosy and vocal about anythning I want.
You have the choice of packing up your breasts and going home if you don't like it.
Truth be told, I repeatedly made that distinction on this very thread.
Both are equally discouraging ... likening nursing to other bodily functions AND the constant harrassment of young mom's that they have to be militant about breastfeeding.
I'm sorry - but you may be able to tell from my posts that my experience with these gals was beyond the pale. 21 years later I remember it vividly. These were not nice people - and I'm not talking nutcases in San Francisco - this was in Raleigh NC for heaven's sake!
I fully support the concept of breastfeeding - yes I know it is definately best for the baby - however - the "movement" can be very "in your face" and overwhelming for young mothers.
Wait until you have an abortion before you open your cake-hole and express an opinion about it.
I wasn't the one equating nursing with urinating or masturbating. I do think the people that WERE are stupid.
Mothers CHOOSE when and where to "nutrition" their young. Just because you are nursing mother, and in a public location -- DOES THIS GIVE YOU "SUPREME RIGHTS" over anyone else's? Do nursing moms have "preferential rights" over... the public, private businesses? Who granted them this?
Choice! The mantra of the "free world". Ergo, if so, then those in public who object to "even under a blanket" in a public place -- do not qualify as "voyuers", tuffydoodle. These people have choices too. Or, should people with this perspective of not wishing, even under a blanket-breastfeeding" be required to answer "survey" questions prior to entering a public place.
"You, ma'am, before you enter this store or this mall.. you do you object to Public/discreet breastfeeding"? If yes, you may not enter the mall.
Is this what is next? If private businesses wish to invoke this law, that is their right. But it is presumputuous for a nursing mother to think her rights as a "nurser" precede those of the storeowner, or even those also in the location alongside you with all their full and equal civil rights. No one *has* to agree with YOUR choice in nursing or in location. Can you agree with that?
My breasts are none of your damn business. If you don't like me (or anyone else) feeding a hungry baby under a blanket, then you have the choice of packing up your nosy, vocal self and go home.
Feeding your child in food court! Sounds about right for me!
Again, true -- nursing the young is differently focused than say fornicating in public; but the slope of this argument is extremely slippery. And this is the gist of those posters you are calling "stupid". They aren't being stupid. They are just newbies to this debate. :)
I think we are going to have to agree to disagree. We've beat this horse past the point of death and I give up. I no longer have small children but when I was feeding a baby, I was usually at home in a rocking chair or lying next to the baby in bed. If the unusual time came when I got to leave the house and the baby was hungry, I found a quiet corner, put a blanket over my shoulder and fed the baby. I never had anyone look at me disapprovingly, just the opposite, in fact. If someone came over and told me to stop nursing because they were offended, I'm not sure what my reaction would be. I guess I would tell them to MYOB and stop harrassing me.
Because it's true, you freak.
You don't have a right to privacy in a public place.
If I see you committing a crime, I'm on the phone calling the police.
If I see kids fighting, I'm doing the same thing.
I have every right to expect freedom of movement and safety in public places.
We left our urgan areas to the "don't get involved" losers like you and look what happened to them.
Just because you can't smoke pot in public doesn't mean it's Socialist on my part by calling the cops on your ass.
Tuffydoodle; that was a very rude response to Mabelkitty. But you are still missing the point. You are creating the "first instance"; meaning the public "act" and then getting furious at any who disagree with you. Of course, this is a posting forum and Mabelkitty is disagreeing with your points. You can't simply agree to disagree? You have to slam her personally?
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