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Subject:
From:
"Valerie W. McClain" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 20 Sep 2003 05:24:16 EDT
Content-Type:
text/plain
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Francoise,
You wrote:
". It much more probable
that the babies were breastfed by a prostitute with a tender heart than by a
she-wolf."

I didn't know that Lupa means prostitute in Italian.  Although the point I
was trying to make was that you have a department that is doing research on
"transgenics."  Mammary gland biology involves techniques that makes transgenics
possible. (Transgenics-the manipulation of DNA from one species into another
species, plants or animals).

In my mind, the myth, legend of Romulus and Remus of a she-wolf nursing
humans can be symbolic for transgenics.  Transgenics makes it possible to put human
lactoferrin in cow's milk through cloning.  We already have done this and it
is already commercially available (milk lactoferrin is GRAS by the FDA).
Through transgenics one could use any mammal or any plant (rice and human
lactoferrin genes were spliced together and grown in California causing a huge protest
by Green Peace).

Whether the legend is based on fact or not does not matter.  Symbolism means
different things to different people.  Maybe this symbol means nothing-- a
wolf nursing humans--to a program that is involved with transgenics.

The lyrics to the song "Lady Madonna" was part of this website (no longer
there) but part of the lyrics is ""lady madonna baby at your breast, wonder how
you manage to feed the rest."   Lady Madonna may represent the prostitute, the
Lupa-the she-wolf. The question of how to feed babies and be sexually
available is inherent in the question--or at least to my way of thinking.  What better
way to make women sexually available at all times then to develop the perfect
infant formula?  This may not mean the same thing to others because we all
look at symbols from a different perspective.  But for what's its worth it is my
perspective.  The US government has stated in documents their belief that it
may be possible to develop an infant formula that is better than human milk
and then they funded the project. Why the need to develop a milk better than
human milk?  What is the basis of this belief that this is needed?  I think we
need to consider motivation in order to effectively promote breastfeeding.

In my opinion it is not surprising that we have a government that acts like
they are the Roman Empire.  And to have this myth, this legend as a symbol in a
government lab is eye-opening.  Maybe  I am making a "mountain out of a
molehill."  Maybe....maybe not......
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC



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