Dear all:

Personally, I am very greatful for the wide variety of opinions and heated discussions on Lactnet.  
While I think I am very capable of reviewing professional articles and forming a professional 
opinion on my own, it always helps me to keep an open mind about other perspectives. 

For instance, I have learned a lot from Jennifer Tow.  We come from very different backgrounds.  I 
have probably taken more epidemiology courses than I care to admit and she is well versed in 
natural & holistic care.  I am probably doing her a disservice with my lay person description of 
what she does.  She has turned my mind around on any number of issues with her postings.  Had I 
set my mind that I could figure it out on my own, I would have never learned from her.

Similarly, I used to work for a genetic engineering firm, Calgene, Inc., for about four months in the 
1980s after I returned from Peace Corps.  Valerie McClain really taught me a lot about patenting of 
human milk components and why this is a big risk for breastfeeding.  Again, I could have told 
myself, I am a professional who can make decisions for myself, but I read the posts and learned 
something new from an entirely different angle from my previous background.

If I am bored with a particular topic or feel it has gone on too long, I either jump in with a personal 
opinion that differs from those being put forward or I simply skim over the boring stuff.  I haven't 
recently noticed anything that looks like a personal attack lately on Lactnet, although I have seen a 
lot of detailed discussions about ethics that may interest some of us more than others.  These 
posts have helped me rethink my viewpoint, especially the most recent ones by Jennifer Tow and 
Rachel Myr.  



Susan Burger

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