>When someone announces something ludicrous like, "women must drink milk
>to make milk" I reply; "Actually, medical studies have shown...and isn't
>it a shame that not all health care professionals have the time to keep
>up with all of the latest research?

And I would say "Gee, I wonder how cows manage to make so much milk when all
they eat is GRASS."

I find similar problems when I teach.  If I teach FACTS AND RESEARCH that go
against the cultural beliefs, the students interpret is as MY OPINION.  Just
Wednesday, on a final exam, one of the questions asked about what is the
safest way for a woman to give birth, and the correct answer was "Squatting,
or any other position she finds comfortable, in a place where she feels
safe, with people she knows and trust, including an experienced midwife."
Other choices were things like "By herself." and "In a hospital with an
ob/gyn directing the delivery and the use of a fetal monitor."  Several
students came up and said "Well, I know what your OPINION is . . . "  And I
said, none too kindly, "The information presented in class is based on
research into maternal and child health outcomes.  It is not *just my
opinion*."

Of course, I also had to explain to 6 college students what the world
"idealistic" meant in one of the questions.  Sigh.

Kathy D.

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