ForumGarden

We all know that there is a decidedly liberal tendency in Washington, D.C. just how liberal is the exciting part¦and we are not talking about our members of Congress this time.

Take a look at this gem:

Last December, the District of Columbia Council passed The Child's Right to Nurse Act. It gave women the right to breast feed, covered or not, in any place where women had a right to be. The ordinance also required employers to provide female employees with a private, clean space, outside a restroom, to express milk. Some employers have provided lactation suites. But many others are struggling to comply because of space limitations. (The Washington Post, 13-May-2008, p. F1).

One has to wonder, at least this one, why any government entity feels compelled to become involved in a child’s nursing habits, but alas there appear to be boobs everywhere. In Washington, D.C. you can now walk into the Lincoln Memorial, the National Archives, Arlington National Cemetery or an office and be greeted at a reception desk by a women and her child while one enjoys a cup of coffee and the other is cupping breakfast. :rolleyes:

And, if you accept the literal intent of this law you will find lactation action in the cafeteria, the conference room, the copy room, the supply room, and the boss’s office at work. That is, unless it is still legal to bar a woman from the cafeteria and on second thought, she may well be the boss.

I showed this article to a young woman whose reaction was, “it’s a natural act.

Yes, it is a natural act, but so is, well, here is a list that comes to mind:

Cutting ones toenails, applying deodorant, clipping ear hair, shaving ones legs, and I suppose there are others that shall remain unmentioned. I don’t want to see any of that in public and I suspect that some people would like to limit their viewing of a woman’s anatomy to more refined settings, perhaps curled up with a copy of Playboy or sneaking a peek watching Dancing with the Stars.

quinnscommentary.com

I got in some serious hot water here for saying the same thing...I don't care to see that no matter how "natural" or "beautiful" others think it is. I agree, why do we need a law for this?

For the same reason we made it illegal to ask a woman at a job interview whether she intends to become pregnant and legislated against paying women less than men for filling an equivalent position. Some people object, some people applaud, it boils down to a question of permission. Can an objector screw up the life of a random stranger just because they claim their ethical sensibility has failed to keep pace with progress? There are a lot of gits who get their jollies by wrecking the day of strangers, legislation like that reduces their options.

I don't know about the US but in Britain there is a need to educate about breast feeding.

As a mother trying to breast feed you are often made to feel like a freak, an outcast, dirty and somewhat nasty. I have been asked 'couldn't you do that in the toilet'? to which I replied to the man 'no, but if you want to eat your lunch in there its fine by me'

What gets me is that the towering billboards of girls in scanty undergarments, the tabloid newspapers full of bare breasts and the hooters bars... OH thats OK but breast feed in public ??

There is no need for a breast feeding mother to expose her entire breast and no need for you to stare. I'm not even going to begin on the health benefits for the child.

Its a shame that something so natural is made to be so unacceptable while the fake breasts and booty being shaken around on MTV is OK because thats supposed to be entertainment.

Well just like MTV if you don't like it don't look!:-5

I'm in this same discussion on my other forum. Most of the people over there are against public nursing. I keep hearing that argument about bathrooms, well the baby isn't going to care that he's in a bathroom so that takes care of that.

While I don't see it as "dirty" I do see it as a private affair. I don't feel it's beautiful or any of that stuff, it's simply a biological function like going to the john. To be done in private even if it means the ladies room. People say look away, well why should we? Who has the right of way here? I could just as easily say "GO away" as you can tell me to look away.

In the west, regardless of how backward some will think us, we see (as a generality, obviously not including everyone) breasts as sexual parts first and feedbags second. That's one reason why the act disgusts so many of us.

I hear a lot about the nutrition value of colostrum and that may be so. It's certainly true in animals that antibodies are passed from say, a mother dog to her nursing pups. But you know what? Get a breast pump and some bottles. Perfect solution! Your kid gets allegedly better formula and no one has to be uncomfy or disgusted by it.

I see it as both warring factions think they're the only right ones and nobody's giving in. While people may not have the right to say anything to the nursing mother, the nursing mother has no right to make anyone uncomfortable just because she thinks her baby is more important than anyone else or their comfort level. Perhaps better manners on both sides would be an improvement.

My hubby suffers with Asthma and excema so I decided id breastfeed. My first child, I breastfed her for 8 months, I am a private person and only breastfed infront of hubby and my mum, if we had guests id go to my bedroom, I didnt feel comfortable to be able to just whip it out, I always had to guide her to my nipple so it wasnt a case of whip it out and shove it in lol, plus them nursing bras are hell to sort out and then theirs the breast pads:-3...I had an breast pump and I tell you what RG, it can be bloody painful lol, bad enuff having a human sucking you dry but then electrical sucking cups, jeeez...My daughter didnt get asthma but has chronic exema, so was it all in vain??? Nope I loved it, although it was hard to be the main carer, as hubby couldnt feed, he helped out in other ways, the times we tried to get her to have my milk out a bottle were disastrous, she hated the teets and was too young for a spout. She eventually went straight onto a spout for drinks...My second daughter was also breastfed but not for so long as she had a few problems and she has chronic asthma, which shes had since 18 months old. I tried my best to prevent it but it didnt work.

I am 100% for women to breastfed but my personal opinion is id rather not see it. Their are loads of nice mother and toddler rest rooms now, even have food warming facilities..

QUOTE=RedGlitter;864976]I'm in this same discussion on my other forum. Most of the people over there are against public nursing. I keep hearing that argument about bathrooms, well the baby isn't going to care that he's in a bathroom so that takes care of that.

No it does not when a toilet is flushed spores can travel anything up to 3 feet weather the child cares or not I wouldn't want him feeding in that polluted atmosphere.

So sad.. I thought people had moved on by now..

So I say ban MTV's nasty video clips,

ban undergarments showing above clothes and black bra's under white blouses,

ban nudey mags in the newsagent ,

ban provocative ads,

ban page 3 (or if sunday sport whole thing)

ban people snotting and spitting on the pavement,

ban men on the tube picking their nose or crotch scratching or dry humping my leg.

These are the things that offend me in public but its not about one person is it? Its about the freedom of all of us and if others can do the things Ive just mentioned in public (many of which should be done in a toilet) I see no reason why a breast feeding mother should have to go hide in one.

It's not about moving on Victoria, it's about consideration for others. It goes both ways, not just the nursing mother's way. I don't think we're going to agree on this.