By Elizabeth Bennett
With all this dust-up over breast-feeding in public, it seems like a good time to sit back and ask some important questions about society. The first of these questions really should be why do women want to breast-feed in public in the first place?
Now, I personally have no objection to women breast-feeding. It''s good, it''s important, it''s natural, and it''s a well-documented fact (most pediatricians will back me up here) that not only is breast milk is better for infants than formula, but also it is a positive way of reinforcing the bond between mother and child. Are we all clear? I am in favor of breast-feeding. I hope to do it one day. After I have kids.
However, this doesn''t made it any less weird that many women seem to view public breast-feeding as a constitutionally insured right; a right in so much need of defense that in 1995 it became necessary to pass a Utah law that permits 'a woman''s breast-feeding in any place where the woman otherwise may rightfully be.' It is on these grounds that one Catherine Geary made complaints against Burger King Corp. On Nov. 8, a Burger King in Orem asked Geary to either a) continue breast-feeding her infant in the restroom, or b) leave the restaurant. Burger King claims to have been acting on customer complaints, but, no matter the reason, neither option was acceptable, and Geary and her husband felt they had no choice but to leave.
Now, this may be insensitive, but so what?
It''s not convenient to move or change locations every time an infant needs to breast-feed, but come on! What about having children is convenient? If you want convenience, get a cat. Geary stated that she didn''t want to nurse in the restaurant bathroom because it was just 'plain gross.' Others consider nursing in public 'plain gross.' That viewpoint deserves the same level of sensitivity that publicly breast-feeding mothers ask for.
But even more important than that, why do women, who never before felt any desire to be publicly exposed, lose their inhibitions along with their pregnancy pounds? Your breasts are still breasts. And breast-feeding often receives rude stares, insulting comments, and, in the case of Catherine Geary, humiliating confrontations. It seems logical that women would be eager to avoid these uncomfortable situations. Instead, they fight for their 'right' to experience them.
Public breast-feeding used to be considered ill-mannered, gauche and even vulgar. I''d lay odds that most people, at least in Utah County, still consider it so. Women used to go out of their way to plan their schedules in order to avoid the indignity of baring themselves in public, which seems like a wise solution. I, personally, would prefer to not be subjected to the innuendo, leering and snide remarks of strangers.
I, personally, would prefer breast-feeding to be personal.