On 25 May 2006 at 15:01, heather wrote:
> >Well this shows up some of the cultural differences on Lactnet and those of
> >us outside of the US look at this with different eyes. The word that comes
> >up in my mind when I think of mothers being forceably separated from their
> >little babies because "they knew what they were signing up for" is probably
> >too inflamatory to post on Lactnet.
> >Karleen Gribble
> >Australia
> >
> >> Maybe they do. Maybe your law is wrong. I know Lactnet is not a place
> >> for political debate, but I feel this issue has a lot to do with
> >> breastfeeding.
> >> I believe the soldiers who are contemplating getting pregnant know
> >> intellectually they will have to go back to the military after giving
> >> birth, but that is not the same as the reality when it hits you.
> >> Shouldn't American law protect these mothers, and more importantly,
> >> their children, the future of the nation?
> >> --
> >> Heleen Hayes
> > www.xs4all.nl/~hhayes
>
> Heleen's first language is not English, I gather, and I think you
> have interpreted her incorrectly, Karleen.
>
> I understood her to be saying that these mothers knew 'in their
> heads' what might be happening, but when it became a reality (ie they
> were going to have to leave their babies), they felt differently;
> there is a case for protecting the mothers of nurslings from being
> expected to serve in the front line, or anywhere they cannot be with
> their babies. She was suggesting that the law could protect these
> mothers and babies by making it illegal for a mother to be forced to
> separate from her nursling.
>
> I don't think Heleen was meaning 'we shouldn't care about them
> because they knew they would be separated'.
I have e-mailed with Karleen and she and I think very much alike on
this subject. But you explain part of my feelings too. What I meant,
and was trying to say very carefully in English - which is indeed not
my mother tongue, which makes it pretty difficult to be diplomatic -
that the present law is doing the mothers and baby's and the nation
wrong. Wether the moms breastfeed or bottle feed, I feel it is wrong
to separate them at such a young age (which includes 4 months or 6
months old, I know many moms need to leave their children in the care
of others during their jobs, but the difference is that they get home
after the working day).
I can understand that American people say 'They knew what they were
up to beforehand', but as Ann expained so clearly, they didn't.
--
Heleen Hayes
www.xs4all.nl/~hhayes
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