Again, Sam, I disagree.
There is a direct correlation, between what's happened to the mother in
the USA eatery, and the babies in resource poor areas.
Particularly the USA, but all of the rest if us in the resource rich
areas - we are portrayed as the model of how life should be. It's not
their own ethnic base mothers and babies on those formula packets - it's
white, sparkling clean, Westernised women and their perfect white babies.
Immigrant mothers into the UK, often give up breastfeeding, and move to
formula, both to be accepted, but also as they want 'the best' for their
babies. After years of being relentlessly targeted by images of our
consumer rich society, and seeing babies eat from bottles both in
advertising and in our films and tv programmes - they aspire to be like
us. They aspire to use formula and bottle feed. Some are afraid to
breastfeed openly, as they feel it's not allowed in the UK.
The lack of images of white, consumer rich women, breastfeeding, impacts
greatly on these perceptions. As it does the lack of breastfeeding in
our own streets, in our own communities. As does tales of breastfeeding
mothers being threatened with the police.
I do agree on conserving energy. We do need to pick our battles wisely,
and not burn out. I do not agree about not showing our fury at all of
it, when these things happen. The human rights movements of all
disadvantaged groups, only moved forward legally, when everyone
expressed their own fury, every time.
They don't take us seriously when we're quiet, after all. We've been
quiet for decades.
Again, I do accept the conservation of energy issue: but I don't think
anyone should dampen down their genuine ire, because there isn't a need
to call an ambulance. The situation is feeding into many ambulance
calls, elsewhere.
And I do return to my point that the baby is in pain, and has been
injured, by being denied food: especially if it is very young. One
mother here in the UK, was harassed for trying to feed a four day old.
She then ceased breastfeeding completely. That baby was injured by the
incident: seriously injured. It just didn't happen in the cafe, and
didn't require an ambulance on the day.
I'm not comparing not being fed, to being physically attacked. I'm
pointing out there is more to the concept of danger and injury, than
being physically attacked. Just as there is a thread, long and strong
and almost transparent, between the North Carolina eatery, and the
filthy bottle going into the mouth of the newborn in a shanty town.
Morgan Gallagher
Sam wrote:
> Babies not allowed to breastfeed at the mall, at the pool, in Denny's, are
> not in the same risk category as babies who are fed with dirty resources or
> contaminated formula donated from rich countries. Expressing the same level
> of fury tends to make people not take us as seriously.
>
>
>
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