171 replies to this topic

[VicDuck]

Just because i want to change something, i'm crazy? Listen lady, 500 years ago the mention of a car or a television would have been crazy, but they are normal in our lives. Same sex couples couldn't marry till a few years ago and in most countries they still can't. Just because i want change, i live in a fantasy land? Is this how you see society that those who preach change should be locked up in asylum? Without change you wouldn't have the rights you have today.

[Ms. B. Havin]

^ I wasn't talking about any change that you might want in some indeterminate future period - say, 500 years from now. I don't expect to be alive then, and frankly, I don't care about what you "might" want. I'm talking about what's real and what's not real - your idea of polygamy is a fantasy, and the reality of polygamy is the oppression of a woman's free will to do as she sees fit. That oppressive reality happens to fit in very well with your view that mothers should not breastfeed their babies within public view.

[VicDuck]

Women having jobs was once a fantasy, walking on the moon was once a fantasy and flying also was once a fantasy. The definition of marriage changed to allow people of the same sex to marry. If you put your mind to it anything can become real, just ask the people of America that would never have dreamed to see a man with African descent become president.

[mat]

Just because i want to change something, i'm crazy? Listen lady, 500 years ago the mention of a car or a television would have been crazy, but they are normal in our lives. Same sex couples couldn't marry till a few years ago and in most countries they still can't. Just because i want change, i live in a fantasy land? Is this how you see society that those who preach change should be locked up in asylum? Without change you wouldn't have the rights you have today.

and yet you still have a vigorous and vocal problem with mothers breast feeding in public? Haven't we as a society, as you mentioned, moved on from 'Victorian' values that anything to do with child rearing should be kept away from public vision? Sure - you might want wish to change the law, and you have a right to opinion and action, but imagine the consequences.

Frankly, if you don't like seeing public breast feeding - move away. It's a right embedded in the Canadian Charter and supported by our Supreme Court.

[VicDuck]

Well that's a great point Mat and maybe i jumped the gun a little with my blank statement, but i guess it came from my numerous bad experiences with public breast feeding.

I don't understand how having more than two people getting married is a problem and how it would lead to bad consequences.

[hoi polloi]

In America Parents magazine got a storm of angry letters after it showed this front cover. Apparently it was obscene. I was boggled by this. I've seen more breast on a spice girls poster. Apparently breasts are perfectly fine when used to fuel male sexual fantasies, but feed a baby with them and it is just gross... a crime against nature I am sure.

facebook removes breast feeding pictures as 'obscene'.

[hoi polloi]

I don't have a problem with breast-feeding in public but I can see a private place like a mall not wanting 200 people standing around at their entrance or converging in the middle causing issues for shoppers just wanting to shop. What's wrong with trying to do it in a public park outdoors?

But don't interfere with people just trying to get out and shop. It's hard enough to get in and out of a mall, let alone having this many people and their crying kids breastfeeding.

But in all honesty, they've just got more public exposure than they were hoping for. Standing around a mall or movie theatre wouldn't give them the..oh geez, ready for this... exposure they were hoping for. Having this splashed in the newspaper and forums gets people talking more.

Also being an ignorant 34 year old male with no children, I didn't realize there was an issue or problem in our society of woman and lack of breast feeding with their babies. I thought there was breast milk in a can etc...

I know there are more psychological reasons, or so they say, but I thought most moms did if they could anyway.

...where is the incessant giggling emo when i need it....

of course they are hoping for exposure (har har) and discussions. as long as it continues to be an issue, promoting discussions on it will persist

[hoi polloi]

Not a crime, but some are acting like it was. You might have seen the TC story about the woman told to stop breastfeeding in Wal-Mart. Welcome to 1950. So I did a quick Google search and found that in nearly all the breastfeeding complaints it was a female clerk who confronted the mother--even if the company policy allowed breastfeeding. I can see a crotchety old lady or repressed gas-bag Born Again going apeshit but aren't women under 40 supposed to be enlightened on this non-issue?

so many to choose from, but this statement is so offensive, i gotta single it out. lots of under 40 (edited by mod)ed neo cons. not all 'old ladies' crotchety or not have issues with public breast feeding. duh.

of course most complaints come from women clerks. most serving in retail hell for minimum wage are women. no apologies for feminist leanings, unlike some of the chicks here.

fwiw, just do it but please not en masse. if you have the law on your side, and give as much consideration as you wish to receive, its a no brainer.

[victorian fan]

not all 'old ladies' crotchety or not have issues with public breast feeding

Quite right. Mind you, in my younger days women would always leave the room to nurse in private. At that time, a lot of babies were bottle fed.

[Holden West]

not all 'old ladies' crotchety or not have issues with public breast feeding. duh.

That wasn't my hypothesis. Some of the most enlightened people on this board, for example are females over 50. I was saying (in my usual delicate manner) that I expected women under 40 to be the most tolerant regarding public breastfeeding.

And don't give me the old wage slave argument. As the article pointed out these women often hassled mothers in violation of company policy. Even assuming a company had no official policy regarding breastfeeding you might expect some poor McJobber to give customers the benefit of the doubt and let them be. It's not like their going to sit there all day waving their Dairy Queens around like Gypsy Rose Lee. Hey, I've been a wage slave and retail hell and they didn't pay me enough to annoy frazzled moms.

And I don't recall any breastfeeding mom who wasn't exceedingly discreet in public.

Quite right. Mind you, in my younger days women would always leave the room to nurse in private. At that time, a lot of babies were bottle fed.

That's what I'm trying to get at. That at one time breastfeeding was done privately and that logically, one of the last holdouts I assumed would be the more traditional members of that 50+ generation. And parents today are learning about the economic, health and environmental drawbacks of the baby bottle.

[Caramia]

In regions of Africa where they practice female circumcision, it is the older women who have been accused of perpetuating and enforcing the tradition.

From what I've seen, women being cruel to women is a global phenomena - as much as sisterhood.

[Holden West]

During a commercial airline flight an Air Force Pilot was seated next to a young mother with a babe in arms. When the baby began crying during the descent for landing, the mother began nursing the infant as discreetly as possible.

The pilot pretended not to notice and, upon disembarking, he gallantly offered his assistance to help with the various baby-related items.

When the young mother expressed her gratitude, the pilot responded, "Gosh, that's a good looking baby...and he sure was hungry!"

Somewhat embarrassed, the mother explained that her pediatrician said that the time spent on the breast would help alleviate the pressure in the baby's ears.

The Air Force Pilot sadly shook his head, and in true pilot fashion exclaimed, "And all these years, I've been chewing gum."

[Marilyn]

In regions of Africa where they practice female circumcision, it is the older women who have been accused of perpetuating and enforcing the tradition.

From what I've seen, women being cruel to women is a global phenomena - as much as sisterhood.

Reminds me of the Iranian policewomen dressed in the full black chador arresting teen-aged Iranian girls and young women because their head scarves had slipped back and revealed some hair. These religious police are accompanied by an armed guard, a Basji.

To me there is no controversy over public breastfeeding. If you don't like it, look away.

[VicHockeyFan]

Reminds me of the Iranian policewomen dressed in the full black chador arresting teen-aged Iranian girls and young women because their head scarves had slipped back and revealed some hair. These religious police are accompanied by an armed guard, a Basji.

How about the prison guards that are asked to "marry" Iranian girls before they are sentenced to death, because a virgin cannot receive the death sentence...

http://messageboards...rUnhidden=false

[North Shore]

Well that's a great point Mat and maybe i jumped the gun a little with my blank statement, but i guess it came from my numerous bad experiences with public breast feeding.

How the f**k do you have a 'bad experience' with public breastfeeding? If it really offends you that badly, then look or move away!

Some people's kids!

[VicDuck]

How the f**k do you have a 'bad experience' with public breastfeeding? If it really offends you that badly, then look or move away!

Some people's kids!

I've had to tell people to stop because they are not allowed to breast feed in public. They got pissed off at me. Sadly we did have a place where women could breast feed in private

[martini]

I've had to tell people to stop because they are not allowed to breast feed in public. They got pissed off at me. Sadly we did have a place where women could breast feed in private

Are you daft?
It's every woman's legal right to breastfeed in public.
Where on earth did you get the idea it's not allowed?
No wonder people were pissed at you! I would have told you off myself.

[VicDuck]

Are you daft?
It's every woman's legal right to breastfeed in public.
Where on earth did you get the idea it's not allowed?
No wonder people were pissed at you! I would have told you off myself.

Because the owner didn't like it. I didn't want to get fired.

[martini]

Because the owner didn't like it. I didn't want to get fired.

That certainly changes the story here a tad.
Why didn't you say that in the first place?
You made it sound as if you as an individual were telling
moms to shove off.

[gumgum]

^^Will you tell us where you worked? C'mon! Tell us!