I Love the Monterey Bay Aquarium and have been a member for 5 years. About 2 years ago I wrote a letter to the Aquarium regarding an exhibit for children showing sea mammals and comparing them to humans. The MAIN display in the exhibit is an enormous bottle showing quantity of milk comparing whales consumption to human consumption. Needless to say I was chagrined and found it absurd. Following is the response I got from the Aquarium, and a letter I sent back. I was so angry and dissappointed that I did nothing further at the time. (I also got no other reply from my letter of response.) I'd like to make another attempt to help the Aquarium "get it" before staging a protest and a "breastfeed in." Anyone who would like to write a letter or email, please do to - I would love to be able to make some small contribution to promote breastfeeding - and maybe getting this exhibit changed would help? Here's the contact info: http://www.mbayaq.org/sg/sg_fb_mailroom.asp direct your comments to "Aquarium fact and exhibits" or write to the Director, Julie Packard, Executive Director and Vice Chairman Monterey Bay Aquarium 886 Cannery Row Monterey, CA 93940 Copy of lettter I received from the Aquarium: Dear Ms. Kroeker, Thank you for your comments concerning our choice of a very large baby bottle in discussing the comparisons of nursing in baby whales and humans. By using this baby bottle analogy (analogy is a well-tested and commonly used technique in science exhibit design), we are not promoting the use of formula over natural lactation-this is simply a metaphor to help people understand the volume comparison. This was a deliberate choice, of course, and I'd like to share with you some of the reasoning that went into this decision. Nowhere in the exhibit do we imply that bottle feeding should replace natural nursing in humans (or in whales). Several years ago we developed Mating Games, an exhibit on various aspects of the biology of reproduction. We conducted focus groups at that time, and came to realize that for our diverse public audience, some subjects are sensitive-particularly as we present them to young children. Many parents want to choose what biological realities to present to their children, and when. Being surprised by the information in an exhibit removes that prerogative of choice from the parent(s). Mammary glands, at least in the human species, are one of these sensitive subjects for some aquarium visitors. Making volume comparisons with reference to human or whale mammary glands and nursing equipment or adaptations would be very difficult without including some graphic images that could easily affront some parents. In addition, reference to cups, pints, quarts, ounces, beakers, pads of butter, etc. is more abstract to a child, and less directly connected with nursing, than is reference to a baby bottle. We realize that the bottle analogy, too, is controversial. We have reviewed the accompanying graphic text and have made adjustments that make it clear that this is a volume comparison only; that whales do not nurse from bottles, and that we are not promoting formula feeding for human babies. We feel it is important to let the parent make this choice, and we will not suggest, or promote, one alternative over the other. This is, after all, an exhibit on marine mammal adaptations-not a discussion of natural breast feeding vs. formula feeding of human infants. I appreciate your comments, and have personally learned a good deal from the perspectives you and others have provided to me. I hope this answers your question. Thanks again for your comments. We are constantly striving to make the aquarium the best it can be, and our visitors' thoughts and suggestions help us in reaching this goal. Sincerely, Susan Blake Manager, Exhibit Development and Design Departments My response: Ms. Blake: Thank you for responding to my questions regarding the bottle exhibit. Unfortunately I found your response specious and somewhat patronizing. Having been a marketing professional for over 30 years I was frankly disappointed with your explanation. Since I have no personal conflict with you but rather with the exhibit, I will address my future concerns in a more formal manner to your Board and Director. So that you clearly understand my intent, I am absolutely concerned that you are indeed promoting bottle feeding/anti-breastfeeding - however unintentionally - by your exhibit. I understand that you do not believe you are doing this. I also understand that you do not wish to "take sides" on something you consider an "either/or choice" and that this is something you consider "controversial." Surely you must realize that just by placing a bottle in the exhibit you are indeed taking a "side" and giving approval to this form of human feeding. I am NOT completely opposed to bottle feeding but I have some knowledge on the detrimental affects of bottle feeding on the human child. My own OB/GYN, who serves as a Chair for the National Board of OB/GYN's states that if formula companies were exposed as have been tobacco companies that the population would see them as a far worse threat to humanity. (Are you and the aquarium aware of the death rates attributed to the use of formula worldwide?) This is not alarmist rhetoric but published information by our own FDA. I am aware that the aquarium receives money from corporations that produce baby formula and I am hopeful that this in no way has influenced this exhibit. Comparing a human reproduction display to quantitative display is absurd. I don't believe I ever stated that I thought you should display a human mammary or breast in your display. Do you see human breasts as merely sexual? And what do breasts have to do with the reproductive act and what/when parents want to tell their children? Phrases like "analogy is a well-tested . . . ." and "simply a metaphor to help people understand volume comparison" are insulting to me as an educated, loyal and respectful patron of the aquarium. One thing I have respected about the aquarium has been its refusal to "sell out" and to stay close to its mission. In doing so the aquarium has been an advocate for many other causes beyond its tanks and the oceans. Let me be very clear - I am NOT suggesting that the aquarium take on advocacy for human breastfeeding as its cause - rather, I am hopeful that the aquarium will realize its error and NOT promote something that is DESTRUCTIVE to humanity. Sound like a crazed person? You may choose to think so . . . but I am hoping that you will indeed get your facts straight. After all, the aquarium is a scientific research institute and this display is inconsistent with your stated mission. My god-child, who accompanied me last week to the aquarium, knows that we eat only "green" fish and that we are careful with how much paper we use in the same exhibit of which I speak because paper most often comes from trees and so on and so on . . . SHE is the one who asked me what that big bottle was . . . and, she is 3 years old. Again, the MBA CAN and should find a BETTER way to explain volume/quantity. That my three year old god-child may be in the minority on this does NOT excuse you or the aquarium for the display. Surely your very creative staff can come up with a clever concept without controversy. Sincerely, Janet Lynn Kroeker *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html