Every now and then I get sucked into these online arguments over a woman's right to breastfeed in public. It really amazes me that in this day and age this is an issue. I don't understand how people could be so closed-minded about this, it's a woman feeding her child, that's it. If it is seen as anything else, that's YOUR problem.
My friend Scott, a fellow dd blogger down in Georgia, has been championing women's rights for some time. I first came in contact with him when the whole Forest Park, Georgia breastfeeding ban was being proposed. He was adamant that day and he has not let up since on his stance that women should be allowed to breastfeed their children pretty much anywhere that they need to.
Well it hasn't stopped since. It seems not a day goes by that I don't see a tweet from him slamming someone that has said something ignorant about a woman breastfeeding. I'll give you an example of the idiocy.
Yeah really!
It seems that her child was hungry, how dare he want to eat something. If you were to follow this particular idiot's Twitter stream, she went on to say that public bathrooms are there for a reason, and that the mom should use it to feed her child.
My response?
I think that if this person is so offended, she should get up and go eat her popcorn in the comfort of the theater's bathroom. I mean, why on Earth should ANYONE be forced to sit on a toilet and feed their child? I will say it again -- that mother is feeding her child, just like anyone else that feeds their children chicken nuggets or pizza. If you have such a problem with it, MOVE. I am sure that mother would be more than happy to not have YOU sitting next to her anyway.
This lady breast feeding in church lik WTF just nastyyy so disgusted rite now
— Miaya Sample (@MiayaJetSetter) January 22, 2012
Now it doesn't stop with movie theaters, you can find people everywhere that have an issue with breastfeeding. I am sure in this case the mother didn't want to be feeding her child in church but when they're hungry, they're hungry. It's not unlike my boys who constantly ask for snacks and won't stop begging me until I give in. I would ask this person if they would have an issue with me offering my child a cheese stick in church. There really is no difference. I am satisfying my child's need to feed. How dare I do such a thing? Another issue I have with this is, what the hell are you doing tweeting in church? Shut your phone off and get to the business at hand. I am sure there are more people upset with you interrupting God's work by tweeting on your phone, than are upset about the bond between a mother and child.
Shocking that a mother would feed her kids at the Grocery Store, I know. After all that is where you buy food and all. I would ask this semi-famous NASCAR driver if it was OK for a mom to pull a candy bar off the shelf and give it to their child, it's no different, except that feeding the child breast milk is WAY more nutritious. What I can't believe is that he would buy himself a six pack of Budweiser? Has he no shame? I just lost my appetite.
Why do moms do it? Why don't they just let their kids starve? Why won't a mother just let her kid scream uncontrollably when she knows that her child is hungry? It makes no sense to me. How dare THAT mom want to offer her child the food that they need? I would ask Justin if he has ever eaten a sandwich or chomped on a granola bar in the park. It's no different.
I am sure that most breastfeeding mothers are as discreet as possible when they feed their children. I know my wife was. Do you really think that mothers want to walk around with their boobs hanging out all over the place? I would have to think that they don't. It can't be comfortable for them knowing that there are such ignorant people in this world that would question what they are doing. I would say instead of being disgusted by what a breastfeeding mother is doing, tell her how awesome she is for feeding her child.
My boys will grow up in a world where women feed their babies however they want to. If that means a bottle in the comfort of their living room or a breast on a crowded subway, it shouldn't matter.
I want my boys to be boob men, just like their old man.*
*I like nice eyes too
This post originally appeared on Daddysincharge.com.