Coach Smith climbing up on a soapbox despite a sore knee -

Melissa Vickers writes: > I just think that belittling a mom for her feeding
choice-

Right!  It's never right to blame the victim. A mom who doesn't breastfeed
has reasons - legitimate ones from her perspective - for her choice and is
more than likely trying to do what she thinks is the best thing for her baby
in her life situation. I firmly believe in empowering mothers to be able to
make informed decisions, then implement those decisions. Protect, Promote and
Support - you all know that wonderful triad.

The real villian is the inappropriate MARKETING of a product that has a
limited, legitimate use. (yes, that's a shout). Marketing is done
deliberately to achieve a specific result - sales of the product. For
example, lifejackets have a very appropriate use. Inappropriate marketing of
lifejackets would be spreading the message that that swimming is difficult,
expensive, involves tremendous sacrifice, painful, embarrasing, and probably
you can't do it anyway, or can't do it long enough to make much difference.
Hogwash!  Nearly everyone can learn to swim, given some inexpensive
instruction, a safe environment, and lack of sabotage. Lifejackets and other
rescue equipment are for emergencies, like boating accidents - you don't need
them for routine swimming at the local swimming pool.  If the goal is to have
75% of the population be competent swimmers, we wouldn't allow someone to tie
rocks around a beginner's ankles, then throw him into the deep end and expect
him to swim effortlessly!  Yet this is what happens to many women in BF.

Let's get rid of the rocks that are tied around women's ankles, so to speak,
and join forces to teach 'em how, provide a safe environment, and make sure
there are lifejackets and lifeguards around for when true emergencies happen.


Climbing down from the chair - er, I mean soapbox....

Linda Smith, enjoying the last weeks of summer, and wearing my "ILCA 1992 -
Chicago" T-shirt today. I'm still a certified lifeguard, by the way.  Dayton,
OH