Burger King's lamest apology EVER!

The BBQ Pit
101

The circular logic astounds me. “Why is it inappropriate?” “Because it’s just not something that should be done where others are eating?” “Why shouldn’t it be done where others are eating?” “Because it makes some people uncomfortable?” “Why does it make people uncomfortable?” “Because it’s inappropriate.”

It’s only inappropriate to people who are incapable of understanding that the female breast when used for nursing a child is not a sexual object. It is not the equivalent of a penis of any turgidity status. It is not the equivalent of any genitalia. It is not even the equivalent of the silicone bloated funbags shaken by Cinnamon Lane at the local flesh emporium.

If you’re incapable of regarding the act of nursing as feeding a child without your imposed sexual overlay, that’s not the problem of the nursing mother! And no, you are no more justified in asking her to cover herself up or move somewhere else than you would be if the child were in a high chair being fed mushy carrots off a spoon.

Grow the hell up, people. It’s 2003. Women with infants are not confined to our homes anymore. We go out in public, our children get hungry and we feed them, and for many (and growing numbers) of us, that means we breastfeed. If you can’t deal with it, maybe you’re the one who needs to put a blanket over your head or go to the restroom or hide in your car.

Sexual harassment is not a criminal act. Staring at someone isn’t a criminal act unless its part of a larger pattern of general harassment or stalking. If this were in the workplace and it was a co-worker or superior doing the staring then there may be civil consequences to the act, especially if it is repeated and creates a hostile workplace environment or is meant to intimidate. But in the mall or on the bus, there’s nothing criminal or actionable about it.

But there are always people who will stare at nursing mothers in public, and until that staring becomes off-the-scales creepy or escalates to a confrontation (like the woman at Burger King) we tend not to notice, since we have something and someone more compelling of our attention right there at hand. In fact, I’ve found that it’s other women who stare most – either out of obvious repulsion, which makes me smile brazenly at them, or out of support, in which case they usually are just trying to catch my eye to give me a smile or a thumbs up.

Some guy who stood and stared salaciously at the small portion of a breast that could be seen around the head of a nursing child (one of the least sexy things in the world, I’d hope) has a major problem, and while very little could be done to him legally, social pressure should be brought to bear on such a person just for being an immature, inept, sexually whacked out freakboy.

102

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to see a kid sucking her mama’s tit while I am eating my food. Few others do either. Why couldn’t the lady use a bottle in public? Well, you say that this is natural and normal, so is farting and peeing, but I like to do those things in a private place.

Bodily functions=Private Place.

Grady

103

Okay, it’s obvious you haven’t read one post of this thread. I’ll let the others explain things.

However, breastfeeding does not equal farting or peeing. The baby is eating. Society has deemed it inappropriate to eat in the bathroom, so why force a baby to do the same just because you don’t want to see it?

I tell you what. The next time you go to a restaurant, eat in the bathroom. It’s what you want breastfeeding mothers to do with their children, right?

Moron. :wally

Robin

104

Boy, it’s posts like these that leave me worried about American society. I just cannot understand the hangups that some people must have to associate anything even remotely sexual or scatological or perverted with the simple act of breastfeeding a child. Please note that the word for this procedure includes the important part: feeding.

I have lived in Europe for years, and no one even gives a second glance to breastfeeding mothers, be it in a restaurant, on the bus, in a park, in the office, wherever. Then again, here in Europe, women are free to pop out their boobies in some of these places anyway, and boy that can be nice sometimes. …Englischer Garten in Meunchen during the summer… Mmmmmm. :smiley: .

Another thing that I find worrying about this thread is how many posts there are that go into the whole legaleze around this whole incident. A lot of the posts go on about which law applies, and who should sue who. No wonder the American legal system is drowning in frivolous lawsuits. Does everything have to be resolved by a court of law, instead of just plain old common sense?

A lot of these trends in American society (along with the dumbing down of a large part of the population) have me really worried about the long term future of a country I love very much.

105

“Few others do”? The people of the state of Utah seem to disagree with. The people of California seem to disagree with you as well. In which state do you figure your idiotic view is part of the majority?

106

Just joining together a few bits of info from the posts here:

BK employee asks woman to cover up while breastfeeding
Utah law allows breastfeeding in public places like BK
people and companies get sued over this
there has been no lawsuit over this case… yet

Seems to me that BK is NOT going to freely admit wrongdoing before the case is fully litigated.

107

You know, it seems to me I see a lot more of women’s breasts on ads on TV’s than I’ve ever seen of the breasts of women who are breastfeeding in public.

Would those of you who object to women breastfeeding in a Burger King also object to women coming in wearing halter tops or strapless tops? Chances are, they’re showing a lot more skin.

CJ

108

It is very simple. The vast majority of people do not want to see a woman’s breast with a kid on the end when they are eating. This is something that is supposed to be accomplished in private. It is in poor taste to do it in public. What’s wrong with a baby bottle with warm milk (human or cow?) in it. Most people DO NOT desire to see this, for whatever reason, may they be religious, psychological or sexual. Common sense applies here.

And yes, this is as equal to me passing gas. I have the fundamental right to pass gas wherever I wish. I mean, it’s a health issue for goodness sakes! I could even go to Salt Lake City, Sacramento, or even Washington DC to have the right to pass gas wherever I please, no matter the feelings, the morality or sensitivities of other people in a public place.

GRADY

109

Once again I point out that the law in Utah reflects the will of the people of Utah, as expressed through their elected representatives.

That’s my basis for telling you you’re wrong. What’s your evidence that “The vast majority of people do not want to see a woman’s breast with a kid on the end when they are eating?”

Cite?

110

As has been explained before, many breastfed babies won’t take a bottle. It’s not what they’re used to, and so they won’t eat from a bottle. That’s what’s wrong with it. Do you want to see a baby starve because of your ignorant attitude about breastfeeding?

Robin

111

crazy grady, please stop saying this unless and until you can back it up. In fact, what you mean is that you “DO NOT desire to see this” and, frankly, that’s your problem not the problem of the baby who’s just trying to eat, for crying out loud, or the mother who’s just trying to feed her baby. If it offends you to see a woman breastfeeding a baby, just avert your eyes. It’s rude to stare anyway.

IMO, BTW MOST people don’t mind public breastfeeding in the least. Unfortunately, as with so many things, that tiny majority who DO mind are pretty goddamn loud about it. This is why such laws have had to be passed – it ought to be (and for MOST people, clearly is) common sense that public breastfeeding doesn’t equal anything dirty or smutty. However, those few loudmouths cause such problems that money and energy has to be spent on passing such obvious laws.

112

Sad, but so true.

113

Once again, just because you say so, what’s the proof that the “majority” of people, let alone the vast majority of people are opposed to breastfeeding in public? And what is your basis for saying that it is to be “accomplished in private?” Do you only eat in private?

**

Many breastfed babies will not take a bottle, no matter its content, especially from their mother. (And no baby should have cow milk. Cow milk is for baby cows. Human milk is for baby humans. A diet of cow milk will kill an infant.)

Furthermore, bottles need to be prepared ahead of time, meaning pumping the breasts, which is not always possible, or using baby formula, which an otherwise exclusively breastfed baby is unlikely to want to eat. Bottles must be sterilized and heated, something that is not always possible. Breasts require no such preparation, and barring supply problems, are always ready whenever the need arises.

**

When someone’s life sustenance is your intestinal gas, it will be equal. Until there is a young human being surviving on your flatus, don’t even think about equivocating the two.

Now, to speak against your “vast majority” argument, there is no state in the U.S. where breastfeeding in public and the correlated baring of breast is illegal by state code. Most major cities have passed statutes which have clarified or affirmed the rights of mothers to breastfeed wherever they may otherwise lawfully be. The majority of U.S. states have also passed laws affirming that right, only a handful have not done so, in most cases it has been a matter of bills dying in committee, squabbles over language, or breastfeeding protection being tacked onto other legislation which has not passed.

The states which have not passed explicit statewide laws affirming the right to public breastfeeding in some fashion:

Alabama
Idaho (though breastfeeding mothers in Idaho can get a nursing exemption from jury service)
Kentucky (bill bogged before session adjournment)
Maryland (though all of the urban counties have enacted protection statutes)
Massachusetts (got bogged in committee over language squabbles)
Pennsylvania (metro area protection also in place)
Tennessee (though employers are required to accomodate employees’ need for breaks and private space to breastfeed/pump in the workplace)
Wyoming (legislation is pending)

That’s 8 states, 2 of which are sparsely populated, out of 50. And in Pennsylvania, which has no statewide affirmation, Philadelphia has one of the best laws for breastfeeding mothers in the nation, stating that not only is there a specific right to breastfeed in any place where the mother may lawfully be, but prohibiting any segregation of women in order to breastfeed. (Meaning that the BK manager in the case in the OP would’ve been breaking the law in Philly by even making the suggestion of the filthy bathroom.)

In addition, there are dozens of other laws on the books – including many in the states which have not specifically passed statewide affirmations of the right to breastfeed wherever – which are designed to promote and encourage breastfeeding. Maryland exempts breastfeeding supplies from sales tax, California demands lactation counselors be present in every hospital which serves mothers and infants. Other states make lactation and breastfeeding education a requirement for recepients of any kind of public assistance like AFDC, Medicaid and WIC. More than a dozen states have detailed protections of breastfed children from being separated from their mothers for court-mandated visitation with non-custodial fathers.

This is what the World Health Organization has said. Now tell me that someone’s right not to get het up over seeing the sides of some woman’s breast trumps this:

114

Sooooo… you’re saying that someone who hates, oh, let’s choose MEXICANS this time, and doesn’t want a Mexican sitting in their BK… you are saying that their feelings on the subject of Mexicans, and their asking the Mexican – nicely – to leave and eat somewhere else, are something that should not be dismissed? That the Mexican’s civil rights are not being taken away? I understand this is not your POV exactly, but you did ask the question in your post.

What all the people who are FOR the not wanting to see the breastfeeding in public are not noticing, is that there are a lot of things you may not like, but have to accept (Like smoking, or Republicans). :wink:

In all seriousness, this country has some odd issues with nakedness. At some point (beyond puberty) a breast changes from SEXUAL ATTRACTOR, to HUNK O FLESH. This time happens to coincide with when a mom is feeding the baby. Not to say it can’t go back from one to the other, but COME ON PEOPLE! Be grown-up about this! Think it logically through.

I have not heard ONE argument yet as to WHY it shouldn’t been seen in public. I’ve heard many say they just don’t wanna see it, but that’s not the reason, that’s just the want.

crazy grady just says it’s wrong but doesn’t say why. People pretty much attacked Grady (and others) by simply saying the state of Utah disagrees with you. But I think that’s a cop out reply. Doesn’t anyone care to know the WHY besides be?

At least Bricker went so far to say he feels it’s a bodily function and should be kept private. but eating, in general is a bodily function, no? And it can be pretty disgusting (ever watch some people?), so that’s hardly an argument for why it shouldn’t be around…

So, I ask those that say it shouldn’t be allowed (Regardless of any state laws saying it should), why they think it shouldn’t be allowed. What’s the problem with it?

Here’s your chance… be heard. And don’t blow it with crud like “IT JUST IS” or “IT’S DISGUSTING”… be elaborate… detail it out.

Gracias.

115

Fuck this crap. If Burger King should apologize for anything, it should be for serving the shittiest fries in the known universe. How can fries be that fucking bad?

116

Why are you guys even talking to Grady?

Everyone knows he’s crazy. :smiley:

117

What is with all of the comparisons of breastfeeding to race? I don’t see how the two are at all comparable.

118

Too fucking bad. You don’t have a right to not be offended. The right of a mother to feed her baby is more important than someone else’s fear of boobies.

So far, no one has actually given a single reason why breastfeeding in public is inappropriate or offensive, but even if they’re offended that’s their hang up not the nursing mothers’.

119

It’s comparable in how it’s protected by law. A woman has the same right to breastfeed in public as she does to be black in public. They are both protected civil rights. There are morons who are offended by interracial couples in public and there are morons who are offended by boobies. The law states that the feelings of these morons cannot override the civil rights of another person.

120

I’d want to point out a small fact that laws do not have to reflect a majority of the people’s wishes. Lots of laws are passed only because of powerful lobby groups and misinformation to the public (i.e. road speed laws, speed = dangerous etc).

I have no problems with breastfeeding moms in public but I think sometimes discretion is required when doing something completely legal yet bothering to others. For instance, very smelly foods (like durian…yuck) are “legal” yet eating that at your work place might be a bad idea. It could be argued that durian isn’t a nessessity to life, but then again, using a bottle of human breast milk in public isn’t exactly the most difficult thing to plan either.

BTW, are these stores legally allowed to not serve people without shirts/shoes etc? This isn’t tired into this debate directly (I’m not comparing breastfeeding to wearing a shirt) but along the same lines, are they allowed to enforce such a rule?