Melissa--Well said!!
<Count my "vote" for keeping LLL out of politics and lobbys. LLL's greatest
strength is providing one-on-one  other-to-mother support for breastfeeding.
We win our "battles" one mom at a time. Perhaps this is not the most
effective way of changing the world to one in which bf is the norm, but it
IS the most effective way of helping the mom who needs help. A new mom who
has sore nipples or is engorged or just plain bewildered about being a
mother doesn't care about the WHO code, bf legislation, or whatever. If she
gets her immediate needs met, THEN she may be in a position to care. And
thankfully, there are other groups whose expressed purpose IS to make these
kind of changes. Support for changecomes in many forms that complement one
another. If LLL was doing things that deliberately undermined the political
efforts, then that would be another story. Instead, they provide the
information, support, and a place for moms to turn to while the political
battle rages elsewhere. . .>

I've argued with Canadian Leaders for years about LLL political
involvement.Your point (later in your post, which I haven't quoted) about
being surprised to find out many of your LLL buddies didn't support the same
American presidential candidate is very pertinent. I've often said that LLL
is the only organization I know of that can include people who are
pro-choice and anti-abortion, atheists and serious Christians, and a variety
of other polar opposites, and still manage to have a wonderfully strong and
dynamic organization. If we allow politics (or other causes, such as home
schooling, vegetarianism, home births, etc.) to get in the way, LLL loses
its strong focus. We need to continue to do what we do so well, which is to
empower and support women. If Leaders want to become involved in the
politics, there are other organizations out there available. LLL doesn't
need to be, nor should it try to be, everything to everyone.

Whew, this is something I feel SO strongly about, and have had many battles
with Leaders over. I'll get down off the soapbox now.
Leslie Ayre-Jaschke, BEd, IBCLC
Peace River Breastfeeding Clinic
Peace River Alberta, Canada