Dear all:

I want to reiterate something I have stated before.  I have learned the most from those who have 
very different views from myself.  I feel this needs to be reiterated, because I was sent an email 
that I found profoundly disturbing even though it was politely worded.

Some examples:

When I was in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I had to adapt from being an almost complete 
vegetarian to eating things that would make me a sure beat for not flinching at anything they 
might offer up on the Survivor show.  I learned to eat virtually anything that was offered to me and 
realized I would literally starve if I did not.  Only one person managed to maintain their 
vegetarianism in this culture --- a 6 foot tall guy who was quite fit when he arrived.  He returned 
home a mere skeleton at 108 pounds because there simply was not enough vegetable sources of 
protein and variety in the vegetables to keep him in good health.  So, when I first heard about all 
the concerns about food allergies whlle breastfeeding, I considered this a first world problem of 
the lucky affluent who had the luxury of eating a variety of foods instead of what was available 
and thought it was mostly in their heads.  Basically, I labeled it first world pain of the sort that I 
listened to when the nursery school moms would complain about the trauma of having to remodel 
their kitchen cabinets because the recyling and the garbage bags wouldn't fit in the same bin (I kid 
you not).  

Fortunately, I had someone with a very different viewpoint provide me with wonderful information 
that changed my views on the reality of food allergies.  That was Lisa Marasco.  I'm sure had I 
talked to other former Peace Corps volunteers like myself I could have marshalled up a myriad of 
people who would have happily supported my former position that food allergies were a first 
world myth.  Never once did I consider writing her to tell her that she shouldn't post about food 
allergies just because, at the time, I thought it was a whole lot of hooey.  I read. I learned.

Similarly, I am grateful to Valerie McClain.  I'm sure if you search the archives you can read some 
exchanges between she and I that show that were had very different visions as to genetically 
modified substances in breast milk and patenting of the components of human milk.  I worked for 
Calgene for about four months because my undergraduate degree was in genetic engineering.  
Initially I found the field exciting because I was on the cutting edge.  By the time I worked at 
Calgene my experience in developing countries made me recognize that finding the perfect crop 
plant was a ridiculously simplistic way of curing the world's hunger problems and ignored the root 
cause which was the socioeconomic structures that allow for terrible inequities in food 
distribution.  It was not untll all sorts of Lactnet postings by Valerie McClain that I started to 
understand that there are enormous ethical issues involved.  Had I just consulted with my former 
colleagues that were genetic engineers, they certainly would have supported my mind set of the 
time.  Never once did I consider emailing her to tell her she should not post on Lactnet because I 
disagreed with her positions.  I read.  I learned.

I even had items of my writing pulled completely out of context in a way that dramatically changed 
the intent of what I was said in my full posting.  I could have written and told her she should never 
post such things again.  But who among us has not read part of someone elses posting and 
missed some crucial point that changed the context?  I merely explained what the intent of my pst 
was and asked her to reread it.  Even though she completely disagreed with me, I actually 
complemented her on some other things that she had posted that I found useful.  I did not email 
her to say she should stop posting because we disagree on a particular issue.  She has a right to 
disagree with me and reading her posts educates me about a different opinion.

If someone disagrees with me that is fine.  I enjoy such discussions when they are not personal 
attacks and can recover even when the discussions get heated enough that they may feel that way 
to me.  But to suggest that if my opinions differs from yours, I should not post my opinions is 
purely and simply censorship.  Even if you say it in a sugar coated "nice" way, it basically is telling 
someone to shut up because you don't like what they are saying.  It smacks of the type of 
censorship that is happening in the US right now aroudn such issues as formula.  Because the 
formula industry doesn't like the fact that we are calling attention to the increased risk of death 
and disease they have used high pressure tactics to remove it from US government websites and 
threatened employees of the government and even succeeded in getting them fired.  While 
emailing someone is still a long way away from the same level of censorship, it is but a small step 
down the same slippery slope.

Best regards, Susan Burger

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