- checking login information
The Women's Rights Cause
395,912 people care about Women's Rights
Loading...Are Breastfeeding Bans Just a Way To Keep Women In The Home?
One metro area in Atlanta, Georgia has decided that they are no longer OK with mothers feeding their children in public — at least, not if she’s giving them the breast.
Via WSTBtv.com, a new law that was just passed in Forest Park has redefined public indecency to cover women who breastfeed any child that is 2 years old or older, with the City Manager stating, “It sets up a process whereby we can try to control nudity throughout the entire city.”
To be fair, only about six percent of the U.S. population breastfeeds past two years old, even though the World Health Organization recommends it to age two and beyond. But the ban represents a disturbing opening for pushing women out of public life simply by taking something she does naturally and calling it “indecent.”
How exactly is the “2 years and up” rule to be enforced? If a mother wants to bring her 22 month old daughter out to the park, and the child gets hungry, does she need to be sure she has her birth certificate on hand to prove she is not breaking a law? Is there an opening for citizen’s arrest or complaints? What if a person thinks breastfeeding a one year old is lewd? Or even an infant?
The City Manager says it is a step to controlling “nudity” though the whole city. It is, in fact a step to establish control, but what type of control is the city after? The rule is simply a step in ensuring that women who are caring for children feel pressure to be at home, and out of the public eye.
Once it has been established for ages two and up, how long will it take for such a ban on public feeding to expand until eventually all nursing mothers are forced to stay in their houses.
In the name of “public decency,” of course.
Read more: broader battle, republican war on women, war on women, war_on_women, womens rights
Photo by Ken Hammond ([1]) (USDA) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
Recent Comments from Causes
Thanks for the info.
Nice one ,,,Thanks....
BP=BS
meet our writers
361 comments
+ add your ownI breastfed my daughter till she was almost four. I worked full time and she was in daycare full time. I didn't nurse at all during the day. She basically ate and drank what all the other kids at daycare did right from the time she started at 12 months old, She only nursed to connect with me in the evening, for comfort when upset, and at bedtime. If I wasn't home she didn't nurse. I was sad when we finished nursing. In so many other countries they nurse for as long as they want because it is so natural to do so. We make everything so proper and sterile. I would like to see a law put into place banning swearing. I find that truly offensive.
Interesting.
And to brian again You feel it is forcing our beliefs and behaviors on others? Isn't that what you are trying to do? Are your beliefs more valid than mine? You are trying to impose your beliefs on us. Which is ridiculous. We have the moral high ground here. Every child has a basic human right to breast milk. As for bottles, in the first place not all mothers can express, second, not all mothers give bottles, EVER. My children never had one. Went directly to cup. And third bottles can be bad for babies mouths and instill bad habits that can lead to premature weaning. So no bottles and not a good compromise.
Sounds like the MO of republicans. They WANT women to stay home, make lots of babies, and serve their men.
We should respect people who object to certain behaviors? Since when has a mother needed permission to feed her child? There was a time when most people objected to a bi racial couple being out in public. Should we accept that? There are people who object to women being in public alone, or not wearing completely covering clothes and facial veils. Do we accept that? Feeding our children is a basic human right. Mothers work hard to make it work and are doing the absolute best thing you can do for your child by breast feeding. Only bigoted narrow minded people could object to a mother freely meeting her babies most basic biological needs. Where is the logic in this. Why should we be forced to hide it? I personally have extreme objections to a mother bottle feeding in public. It is a bad example to our young women to be exposed to this. They need to be taught that breast is best and should see examples of this frequently in public life. They shouldn't feel that it will be something to hide and that people will not approve. That only puts up roadblocks and can make her uncomfortable with the idea. Fear of that disapproval can cause her to decide not to breast feed. Learning to breast feed can be hard enough. worry of condemnation can put stress on a new mother and cause difficulties with producing enough milk and inhibit letdown. Are we really such a dysfunctional society?
Thank you for article.
I guess I'm old-fashioned, I was taught that both mother and baby should be as calm and peaceful as possible at feeding time, and doing it in a stress-free environment was the thing for me, I stayed at home. Breastfeeding isn't as easy for some as for others and if you get upset then the baby gets upset and it just doesn't work. And if I couldn't be at home, I expressed and bottled my breast milk and took it along. That way I wasn't uncomfortable nor did I make others uncomfortable - no dramas. What others choose to do is up to them.
Two and up?????? How old do you think the kid should be? It looks wrong once a child reaches a certain age. Besides that, there are people who still object to seeing obvious breastfeeding in public. If this is a democracy, and as we still seem to be, you should respect the thoughts and opinions of people who object to certain behaviors. Otherwise, those women who do breastfeed in public in spite of other opinions are just practicing a form of fascism by forcing their beliefs and behaviors on others who object. Third, No one is saying women should be staying in the home, thats just a baited question. No matter how its answered its going to inflammatory. But, if a women does want to feed her baby breastmilk in public, can't she bottle it at home? Seems to be a reasonable comprimise to me.
the breastfeeding mother isnt jumping in front of you while feeding, nor is she screaming "look at my t*ts"! dont like it? dont look! your kids ask you about what shes doing to that child? explain it to them. educate the children on it! its completely natural, and should not be taboo. if a mother is comfortable enough to feed her child from her breast in public, she should be commended, not punished! it takes alot to breastfeed. first, theyre punishing parents for disiplining their children, now its punishing parents for feeding their children the healthiest food out there, the breast milk... whats next?!
Yeah Deborah.... it is plausible that an uneducated observer may think the breastfeeding woman is getting pleasure from the experience. Some women can masturbate from nipple massage alone. Same said observer might not like woman pleasuring herself in public even if she is not.
login to add your comment
use your care2 login
add your comment
20