I must admit that the thought also crossed my mind whether these idiots
were breastfeed or not.  I readily dismissed the thought, however.
There were terrible people around in the days before bottle feeding
became so rampant.  I try to make the point in my classes (after talking
about all the great things about breastfeeding) that while evidence
shows that babies who don't get their mom's milk have lower IQ, it
doesn't mean if you breastfeed you're guaranteed a Rhodes scholar and if
you don't the child will automatically need remedial education.  By the
same token, in discussing the positive mothering effect of the hormones,
I'll say that breastfeeding doesn't automatically mean you'll be
declared "Mother of the Year" and if you don't Social Services will
automatically be knocking at your door.
With every healthy choice we make, the odds are shifted toward positive
outcomes.  Nothing, however,  guarantees 100% positive or negative
outcomes.  For example, look at the mothers that drink in excess during
pregnancy.  Their babies have a definite increased risk of the problems
of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, but some won't have it.  Breastfeeding shifts
the odds against breast cancer, but as many of us have found out
personally, it's not a guarantee.  Just because I had breast cancer,
however, I'm not going to stop telling moms that they shift the odds in
favor of not getting it when they breastfeed.
This is where we have, to an extent, made ourselves vulnerable to the
"there's no difference" types.  When we paint a totally positive picture
and appear to give guarantees, we open ourselves to the "but in my
case..." or "but I know someone who..." criticisms.
Let's continue to speak out about the many great things about
breastfeeding and the risks of not breastfeeding, but temper them by not
appearing to make those statements as absolutes or guarantees.
Winnie

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