Hi  Rachel and All,
    I can not believe, however, it is not surprizing, the comments made
to Rachel by Mr. Kelly. I can not understand the comment, 'tarred by the
lunatic fringe'. In breastfeeding groups, articles and books I have
found some not mainstream views but 'lunatic fringe' - the connotation
of that phrase is just appalling. To strongly belive in something, is
not lunatic by any measure. To put anyone down, simply because of their
views, to hold a value or belief without knowledge of the other side or
view - that borders on lunatic - but not even then is it lunatic, it is
ignorant, biased, narrow-minded and just plain rude.
    There is much that I think of as 'gross' or that personally I
wouldn't do, however, I will not criticize anyone who choses to do them,
unless they are illegal. What happened to the desire to admire
individuality and respect? It appears to me, that those exist only if
you hold to beliefs and practice what some particular group feels is
'normal' and 'acceptable' (who is doing the chosing, media, politicians
or groups who have the money and behind the scenes power?).
    And finally on this issue - where are these breastfeed or die
proponents? Yes there are some I know that personally hold that feeling
and make some slight comment, such as 'my baby never had a bottle is his
life' or 'my baby never had formula in her life' but 'breastfeed or
die,' ?  My concern is where these comments come from, is it one
person's opinion, experience or 'imagined' response? Are there women out
there (or perhaps a male MD) who have reduced a mom to tears, guilt or
humiliation due to her choice? Is it rampent somewhere that I have not
been? I have lived in the US in the midwest, southwest and CA and
overseas in Germany? And why are we judged on the statements of one or a
few?
    To answer Mr. Kelly, yes a child can survive without bottles, breast
pumps, or pacifiers, as I have children who have as have many of us, and
he is not acknowledging that these wonderful little devices are of
fairly recent origin (in the scheme of  the history of human kind). My
last question on this letter, why are Mr. Kelly's personal beliefs and
values acceptable and Rachel's seen so negatively? Inquiring minds want
to know - but in reality, I know the answer, just not how we have come
to this point, why nor what we can do to change it.

Leslie Ward
Vine Grove, KY
"Everyone who is successful must have dreamed of something." Maricopa
proverb