Who has never been ignorant, selfish, or full of excuses at one time or
another?   I am ignorant (and will continue to be ignorant since no one can
know everything).  I am selfish.  Although sometimes I can be unselfish. I am
full of excuses when I feel wrongly or rightly accused.  Perfect behavior is
a struggle because none of us are perfect.  Yet, if someone else were to
accuse me of ignorance or selfishness or making excuses, I would be very
offended.  I would feel judged and condemned.

The strategy of "divide and conquer" is an old and useful strategy.  The
belief that women who don't breastfeed fit into one of these categories is so
very helpful to the infant formula industry.  Instead of our focusing on the
real threat, the real reason why we are not a breastfeeding society, we blame
the victim.  And guess who gets to dance all the way to the bank, and guess
who suffers because of it.

It is so easy to blame the victim.  We feel better because we aren't the
ignorant, selfish person who is full of excuses.  Of course we never get to
the root of the problem--the marketing of infant formula. We do alienate the
women we are trying to convert to breastfeeding.  But, I guess we all get to
feel better about ourselves, our lack of ignorance, our lack of
selfishness....and our lack of excuses.
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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