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"I like Mike!" Gravel '08...
A few of our designs available on various products at cafepress:
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Lactivism Philosophy Do we really need to give the law some more "teeth?" View voting results and make your comment on the blog: The Milk of Human Kindness... The Kindness of Human Milk The ideas expressed by some lactivists do not necessarily reflect those of babywhys.org. We do not agree with all interpretations or legal arguments that have been publicized, such as some notions that women and children who have been victims of discrimination have no recourse, no right to sue, or no right to breastfeed simply because of the absence of recent or explicit laws or penalties at the local or state level or specific policies at a private establishment. We do endorse all efforts to publicly support breastfeeding mothers and nursing children who have been victims of discrimination.
Breastfeed - Teeth Or No Teeth!!!! Some people complain that the local or state laws have loopholes, inadequate wording, no "enforcement provisions," or "no teeth." But there is a difference between a lack of enforcement and a law "not being enforceable." Laws regarding illegal drug use are not routinely enforced - many times the police simply condone use of marijuana while going after users of hard street drugs. Cocaine has been called the "white drug of choice," yet most prisoners who are being held for drug use are neither white nor cocaine users - most are targeted because of their race, and the fact that they have used cheaper street drugs like crack. Yet illegal prescription drug abuse is just as dangerous as using many street drugs, and this practice also receives little attention. Law enforcement officials have been known to break the law, refuse to protect the rights of certain individuals or groups, condone mistreatment and discrimination against certain groups, et cetera. It is unpopular in some circles to make a big issue out of injustice and some families have had their livelihood threatened or even put their own lives in danger by standing up against oppression. All the talk of a lack of "enforceable" laws scares women who would otherwise be comfortable nursing their children in public. Claiming that a law on the books is not enforceable is like saying that we have no law on the books. If it were not a law, it would be called a "suggestion" or a "guideline," not a law. Furthermore, under the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution, we have a right to equal protection under the law. If a law in New Mexico allows you to breastfeed your baby any time, any place, with no required protocol about how you conduct yourself while nursing, then you have the expectation that your rights will be similarly protected in all of the other 49 states. If a child does not even have a presumed right to eat in this country, then this must not be the USA any longer! If at any point in time a law is written which does not meet the standard for being Constitutional, then the state or federal courts may strike that law down. This happened already with respect to breastfeeding law in Georgia, when the courts struck down language in their law which required mothers to nurse "discreetly." Any time an unsatisfactory law is passed, it may be "tested," challenged, and struck down as unconstitutional. In the first place, laws written to specifically protect nursing in public have been written to clarify our rights, not to create rights. This illogical argument that we have heard repeated, that we need more laws to ensure us our right to breastfeed in public because someone was harassed or a front-line employee was too ignorant to protect a mother disregards our basic human rights as well as the rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution (and assuredly the laws of most if not all other countries as well). For example, we have a right to life, and we have a right to equal protection, and a right not to be discriminated against based on our age (a baby) or gender (a man would never need to worry he would be told to stop feeding his baby although he may need to offer support to his baby's mother). As educated mothers, we have to be the ones to stand up for ourselves. This may mean peaceful refusal to comply with unjust requests, ignoring anyone bold enough to suggest we are doing anything wrong, as well as firm confidence in ourselves as we educate those who are the most misinformed and bigoted. What all this boils down to is that any time anyone pressures you not to feed your baby or child, you have become a victim of discrimination. Do not ask yourself, "Self, do I really have the right to be angry?" Instead, respect yourself, and respect your baby or child. Do not let the oppressors take control of your feelings and actions. Do not become apathetic and submissive. Like breathing, eating is a human right. There are no laws against breathing. There are no laws specifically stating that you have the right to breathe or outlining provisions to allow you to sue or prosecute someone who attempted to smother you. But if someone attempted to prevent you from breathing it would be automatically understood by everyone that they had harmed you. So please do not buy into the formula lobby brainwashing. I will breathe despite the fact that local and state laws and private policies have not specifically stated that I have a right to breathe, or that if someone complains that I am breathing in their presence, I do not have to care. My child will eat no matter what a bigot might say or do. |
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