Ah, another thing Daisy Mae You’re “arguement” about bodily fluids being unsterile could be taken quite far. Talking for example, produces spittle, which could become airborne and land on a surface I might touch. It’s not likely though, and so I’m not going to place my “feelings” above another’s rights and insist they refrain from it in a public restaurant I’m patronizing.
You’ve shot yourself in the foot there, and actually ended up making my case stronger.
First of all, I don’t have any religion so take it easy on the accusations of anyone brow beating you. I simply made a statement that “whatever diety you believe in” should have mercy on you. If you really consider that brow beating, you may very well be one of the most overly sensitive people I have ever encountered. You seem as if you’re looking for anyone and anything to become offended by. Some people live their lives that way, hopefully you aren’t one of them.
Ehh, thanks for all the info of your suffering high school days, but I’m not sure what that has to do with breastfeeding.
The simple fact remains that bodily fluids are excreted when someone breastfeeds. PERIOD. People have every right to feel the way they wish to feel about that whether you like it, or you don’t. Everyone in this post only wants us to consider THEIR OWN feelings. I’m stating, for at least the third time, that I DO NOT wish people to try to force women not to breast feed in public. I only wish the women who are on this post making fun of people who don’t really want to see it, would take one OUNCE of the consideration they are demanding and realize that others may be uncomfortable and not get so high and mighty when excusing someone else’s FEELINGS as garbage. Courtesy works both ways. I’m just amazed that so many people don’t think for one minute about how another person feels.
If I have a coughing fit in a restaurant, I get up and excuse myself from the dining room so others are not suffering on my account. I have every legal right to sit right there and cough until I puke if I want to. Having consideration for others, I get up and walk out. As I mentioned earlier in my post, a friend of mine was testing her blood sugar at a restaurant when another patron was obviously not happy about it. She excused herself, and checked it away from the dining room. I’m not saying I expect nursing women to leave, only to be discreet in CONSIDERATION of others around you. Anyone who has a problem with being discreet to be CONSIDERATE, is quite self centered and perhaps “evil” by your definition. You can still sit there and feed your child and be discreet.
So, lest anyone be confused and think I’m trying to ban breast feeding. My position is:
A) I personally can’t understand how people are comforted by FORCED apologies. In order for an apology to mean something to me, the person has to OFFER it on their own, not apologize because I ask them to. Then to criticize the forced apology is funnier yet!
B) Common courtesy is sadly lacking in many social situations. I don’t care what your legal “rights” are. Be discreet, and think about someone other than yourself. I’m not specifically saying this to breastfeeding moms. I’m saying it to anyone. If a woman is discreetly breast feeding her child, just shaddup and look the other way. If you’re in a public place, be discreet if you’re feeding your child. Earlier in the post, a woman said something to the effect of “oohh, you’re offended by breastfeeding? I’d have loved to been around you when I was breastfeeding.” How thoroughly ignorant. Basically, you’re going to abuse your hard earned right to feed your child to get your rocks off in humiliating and degrading someone? Ooh, what a fantastic mother you are. ::eye roll:: Yea, you’ll sure show him. Niiiiiice.
C) It isn’t just about “eww gross” for some people so try not to ASSume it is. Some people are not happy about anyone excreting bodily fluids in their presence. Right or wrong, it’s how they feel. In today’s society of being cautious regarding disease, it is understandable if you are a person who can see past your own feelings.
Now, I’m sure there will still be plenty of people who (on both sides) will have stuff to bitch about with my comments. I guess it’s hard for some people to compromise in order to have polite interactions with people.
My gosh you’re the confrontational one aren’t you? Is this a battle to you? Are we making a “case” or are we trying to achieve understanding?
I’ve never had a child, but as a nurse, I’ve seen MANY nursing children. Children pull away from the breast A LOT and when that happens, milk can fly. I’ve seen it many times with my own eyes so please spare me that it can’t happen. Depending on how hard the child was sucking when they pulled their head back, it can fly far.
Now please, stop trying to make this some kind of war we’re waging. I’m simply making points on both sides. You seem like you just want to fight. If that is true, go fight with someone else. I’m not interested.
Ack, I gotta learn to wait a bit before I hit “submit”, lest the thought I’m posting continue. I’ve learned, people will get upset over anything. I’ve also learned that I have the right to mind my own business, and do what I need, or want to do, and not give heed to them if I am breaking no laws, and not being a jerk on purpose. (If someone comes to me, and lets me know I’m bothering them, I’ll often stop or alter my behavior while in their prescence, unless it’s similar to the situations I described in this thread.) I also show respect and consideration to others, by “looking the other way” if someone is doing something like, say eating boiled cabbage, that I find “icky” but that isn’t against the law, or being a deliberate jerk.
Everyone has to start getting along at some point in time, and a good start is to go out into the world with the idea in mind that, people are going to do things, without meaning to be jerkish, that won’t break the law, but you don’t really find appealing. You can either be an ass, and complain, or look the other way.
Looking the other way is much more peaceable, and causes you less stress too. Some things just aren’t worth dwelling on, or fighting about. (Especially if it’s something like nurturing a child.) Just keep in mind, the other person is minding their own business, living their lives peacefully, and go on with your business. I’ve found that most often people will reciprocate this behavior if they recieve it from you. In my mind the current “trend” some are showing towards “ridding” society of the “emotionallly unappealing” is alarming, and has great potential to do damage in many areas. Part of being a member of society, is dealing gracefully with diversity that you might not find attractive.
It’s not just about pro or anti breastfeeding in public, it’s about everyone’s right to live their own lives peaceably, without the stress of another trying to force their aesthetics down our throats. Mostly, it’s about “give and take”, or “live and let live”. Yeah, BOTH SIDES in some cases need to step back and get this through their heads. I don’t deny this. I just feel that the case in the OP starkly highlighted this lack in some corners of society.
Look away if you don’t like seeing whatever it is, unless it’s breaking a law, or being a deliberate jerk. Things like breastfeeding (unless the woman is somehow being an ass, like singing “I am woman, hear me roar” at the top of her lungs offkey, while thrusting the breast with baby attached into people’s faces) are pretty well non-negotiable, because it’s just a mom, living her life, feeding her child.
On pre-veiw:
It seems that mostly you and I agree Daisy Mae though I think maybe I’ve had to defend my right to be myself more than you have. This is why I’m being so “aggressive”. I DO NOT like to have others forcing me to do things their way. Whether it’s a case of simple aesthetics, and both sides are valid, or like in the case of my wound, which was follow the “Doctor’s advice” or “infection again”. I am considerate to other beings, and don’t go around trying to force my whims on others, I do honestly expect the same to be extended to me from society in general. Usually this is the case.
More people need to remember that we are all just individuals, and because of this, for the sake of some amount of “societal harmony” people need to “give and take” to get along. Mostly this involves “looking the other way” in day to day practice, and being as peaceable in doing your own thing as you can be, however far you personally feel you need to go to do so. Also it involves remembering “My rights end, where the other person’s nose begins.” and putting it to practice.
Sometimes, an individual just feels stomped on enough that even a forced apology is what they want. I’ve been there. It’s not so much that the apology itself “comforts” you. It’s more that you are affirming your individual rights by standing up for yourself. Sometimes, you just have to “stand up” to the “bully” and not back down.
In the case of the OP, I think she was trying to call the atttention of the Coporate Heads, to notify them that their representatives were trammling legally protected rights, get them to admit to being mistaken, and get a promise from them not to do so again. At least, if it were me, that would be my motivations, not money, education, and affirmation of legally protected rights.
*****but
Hmmm, let it be known, that I will often “stop or alter my behavior” in the prescence of people who POLITELY let me know I’m bothering them, and nicely ask if I could stop. Sometimes, I’ll even do things differently from the very beginning.
This is why I used a throw if I had to nurse my baby in public, because I knew that it would bother people if I didn’t ahead of time, I was fortunate that my babies would not throw off the cover. Also, it was because I didn’t want those males (don’t know why, but the males in the town my child was born in were hostile towards breastfeeding, the females weren’t really) who were staring at me as though I were loathsome because I was breastfeeding to be able to settle their unclean gazes on my child while he ate. A bit of an odd quirk on my part I guess, but it helped me to relax a bit more. I wouldn’t have had a problem just using the special nursing blouses and bras, and sometimes did while out of town. People just thought he was asleep, no part of the breast was visible.