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Conservative Values?

7/8/2010

8 Comments

 
"Couldn't she have done it in the car on the way there?"
That comment was probably the worst from Lisa of the Russ and Lisa Morning Show  after witnessing a woman breastfeeding her baby at a Chick Fill A restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina.

She seems to be suggesting  we take our babies out of their carseats and put them in the front seat of the car with us, risking that they might fly through the window in the event of an accident... all to spare someone the discomfort of witnessing them feed in a restaurant.  She also said "why isn't this indecent exposure?  I think there should be indecency laws."  Perhaps we should make it public indecency, on par with exposing one's genitals in a restaurant, then hire a special division of the police force... let's call them the Boob Squad. They can keep all the women and children in line. 

She suggested that her views might have something to do with the way she was raised, that someone with more traditional values might be more discreet than to nurse in public.
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She also suggested women stay at home rather than expose the public to an "intimate moment" like breastfeeding.  Her suggestion implies that a breastfeeding mothers in the past would have to stay at home rather than participate in public life.  Certainly this would be their only option, before formula was widely available...
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She suggested mothers come prepared, pump and bring a bottle rather than breastfeed.  She told one caller that pumping is no more difficult than preparing a bottle of formula and bringing it to the restaurant.  One caller commented that "If you wouldn't do it in the front pew of a church, then don't do it in a restaurant."
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What about this church?  Surely the mother of God might object if you didn't use a bottle, come prepared as she suggested.  Jesus himself would certainly object to public breastfeeding, wouldn't he?
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What Lisa fails to realize is that bottle feeding as a conservative value is actually fairly recent.  Women never used to feel shame at public breastfeeding, nor were they pressured by their communities to keep "such an intimate act" private.  Breastfeeding was considered to be quite matter of fact most of the time, and rather beautiful and womanly some of the time.  It wasn't equated with sexuality as it is now, or else we would never see an icon of the Virgin Mary breastfeeding
in public
in a church.
Or perhaps she's suggesting that the mother of God was a little loose in her morals?  
8 Comments
crystal driedger link
7/8/2010 02:32:28 am

Beautiful post. Your artwork is lovely, elegant, quiet in a peaceful way and vibrant in emotion. I adore that you are a proponent of breastfeeding, public breastfeeding and BF of toddlers. I've been toying with the idea of illustrating or painting a series of BF babies myself and luckily I came across your work on peaceful parenting. Horrah! I'm bookmarking your blog.
:)
Good luck with everything you do.

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Anisa link
7/8/2010 06:20:25 am

Beautiful post! Sharing via facebook and my own blog. I was shocked at Lisa's commentary and I really think she should have used a little discretion of her own.

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Becks link
7/8/2010 06:36:31 am

Beautifully worded. You have hit the nail on the head in this post. I think the problem is not with breastfeeding mothers, but rather the lunatics that feel they have a right to voice an ingnorant opinion on public radio :(
I love your artwork, by the way. It's just gorgeous :)

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Tina Russell
7/8/2010 06:55:03 am

I love the way you think. I have breastfed my son, in fact both sons, in Church in the 3rd or 4th pew MOST Sundays until they would stay in the nursery the whole time. Many people have commented on it, but they were loving and supportive of it (and probably appreciative that the boys were quiet in Service). I love your art and your writing.

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Kate Hansne link
7/9/2010 03:01:36 am

First I want to thank everyone for the wonderful comments! @Crystal- I so appreciate this from a fellow artist! I love your work and look forward to seeing such a series. @Anisa- thanks for sharing it! @Becks- I agree. Unfortunately there are a lot of lunatics on public radio, aren't there? @Tina- good for you breastfeeding in Church!

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Nika
7/10/2010 12:38:56 am

Spot on! First off, your artwork is beautiful, radiating the love of mother and child. Second, I'm a very very conservative woman, and I have breastfed all of my children, including in church, at stores, at the movies, at the symphony, any place I've been. It frustrates me that in a society where bikini's are flaunted on every magazine cover, nursing is considered offensive. Blessedly, all of my children see it as normal, and we'll change the world, one child at a time.

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Anonymous
7/13/2010 06:45:49 am

Is everyone who voices their opinion on public radio a "lunatic" if their "ignorant opinion" differs from your own? I don't support public breastfeeding, but I would never ridicule someone who had opposing beliefs.

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Kate Hansen link
7/13/2010 10:01:58 am

@Anon- Personally I love getting an opinion that differs from my own, especially if it's a thoughtful opinion. I would prefer comments from people who don't list themselves as "anonymous," by the way, for future reference. :) ]I think what the other commentators were pointing out was an opinion which was based on nothing very intelligent or legitimate. Telling women to breastfeed in the car on the way to the restaurant ridiculous, and downright illegal. The opinions she presented were illogical and contradictory. As one caller pointed out Lisa usually doesn't favour government intervention and wants the government to stay out of private lives, yet she was eager to make public breastfeeding a crime when she said that "I think there should be decency laws." She also talked about a conservative upbringing, traditional values, which made her wish women would use bottles in public. This doesn't make any sense, since formula only became commonplace in the 40's and 50's.

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    A blog on art, roller derby and life.

    Kate Hansen

    I'm an artist and mother of two  in Courtenay, BC.  I've completed a project called the "Madonna and Child Project," and I'm now working on a series of roller derby inspired drawings. In my spare time I play roller derby with the Brick House Betties.  

    Kate Hansen

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