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What’s this, you ask? Women’s rights on this blog?

Sure. We’re here to help all human-kind. I came across this news story and related post-story protests at Delta Airline counters across the nation on November 21. The protest was in the form of a “nurse-in” by breastfeeding mothers, who arrived at Delta ticket counters, to show their displeasure at what happened.

Woman kicked off plane for breast-feeding - Travel News - MSNBC.com

Breast-feeding — in public…legal right, period.

As the story goes, a young woman breastfeeding her baby in the back of a Delta plane, using a breastfeeding shirt was asked to use a blanket to cover up the baby and her breast out of concern that it was offensive to other passengers. She declined and was escorted off the plane.

Now here’s the thing. As this story goes, the idea of offense at feeding one’s baby really needs to be challenged. Do we get offended when we see a mother feeding baby artificial food (aka baby formula) even though it has been clearly demonstrated to be inferior to the health (some would say actually harmful) of a baby? No, we don’t. We allow them to forgo the benefits of the most healthy way to feed their children. Do we get offended when we see a passenger knock down three vodka tonics in a row, or eat the many grams of saturated fat on those fancy airplane dinners? I do get a little uneasy at that. Offended at breastfeeding? Nope. Feeding children is a good thing.

A breastfeeding mother isn’t flashing her anatomy or in any way trying to promote an agenda. She is feeding her baby. Cover up the baby and breast with a blanket? Don’t we want to allow the baby to breathe? Isn’t suffocating a child offensive?

The Delta employee should have taken that image and replaced it with a bottle of Gerber baby food and a spoon, if that helped them understand what was happening. They should have provided that visual to any other passenger who might have been offended, as well. This was a missed opportunity by Delta Airlines. But not totally. An apology and a promise to do better to promote healthy living would go a long way.

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