Poll: Breastfeeding in public

[Lullabye]

Are people really so insecure and offended by breasts? Really?

 

[LetalisK]

If they are attractive, I fully support it. If not, put a towel over it. >.>

 

[gillebro]

Couldn't have said it better myself. Look, we're not talking about women wantonly flinging off their bras and shoving their knockers in your face. We're not talking about doing something to get attention, and we're not even talking about anything involving adjusting certain body parts or clothing (not that, I argue, that should be such a heinous thing either. It certainly isn't on the cricket field). We're talking about a child wanting his/her lunch. It's completely unfair to say to a woman (not to mention said woman's child) that no, it is indecent and improper for you to want to feed your hungry child wherever you want. You must instead do it in a special often cold basement room, or order your child not to be hungry until you can find somewhere private.

And, er, seriously? If you don't like looking at it, a simple half-turn and the "horrific" site of a mother nurturing a child is completely obscured from your vision. Easy.

Or you do the right thing and bring a bottle or two along when you go out. Easy.

Nobody is asking a child to go hungry. We're asking a mother to have a little decency. That is nowhere near too much to ask from someone in a modern society.

fair point, but then you have the issue of having to warm it up and stuff. And what if you forget to bring one? Should the child still go hungry?

Of course, the reality is a lot of women are perfectly aware of how many people view breastfeeding as indecent, so they will refuse to feed their hungry children out of embarrassment or whatever. Child abuse? Maybe, but you can hardly blame the mother. It's society telling her she's indecent, and the whole notion of embarrassment comes from the desire to refrain from being indecent in public. Whatever the norm is, I find it despicable that society's expectations of decency take precedence over a hungry child. I know you're not saying that the child should go hungry, but sometimes that is the choice. Be decent, or feed your child.

I have noticed a lot of whip-out-your-penis analogies happening here, but I don't think it's the same. And if for argument's sake it was the male that had the milk-providing organs, and that this argument was about males exposing themselves, I doubt that there would even be a discussion. Women are still expected to be decent and presentable and all the rest, but men don't have that expectation laid upon them. Consider how acceptable topless men are over topless women.

And yes, for the record, I do not enjoy seeing topless men whenever they walk around the place. I do find it, while not necessarily indecent, an uncomfortable thing to see. But I'm certainly not going to complain about it, because they have every right to walk around topless... and there's still that ever-present look-the-other-way option that I have every right to execute.

 

[Lyri]

Do people have nothing to do whilst they're out that they're too fixated on staring at a women feeding her child?
If you notice it I'm pretty certain you can look away and carry on with your business.

 

[Shanecooper]

There is nothing wrong with women breast feeding in public. If you don't want to see it, you don't have to watch it.
That being said, I do think said woman should ask if it's alright if she has company. Common courtesy and all that.

 

[Smooth Operator]

I don't mind it if the boobies are nice, otherwise put it away

 

[Rottweiler]

I've heard all the arguments. I answer with this:

If I can be cited for public indecency for urinating in public, how is it different?

You are exposing something linked to Sex in a public place. I don't care what your motivations are. Frankly, there are less sex fetishes involved with Urination than there are with Lactation at this point, and both are 'natural acts'.

 

[IceStar100]

If they use a blanket or such but to do it open seem more rude then anything.

Thenb again I watched my manger for a restraunt I once worked at kick a women out Well refuse her service. They reserve that right. If she willing to do it better be ready for the fall out.

 

[Candidus]

You're a long time dead. This is a trivial thing to get upset about, just like bad language and public nudity. It's unseemly when people are upset about nothing-- it's like watching someone in a flap. There's nothing worse than watching someone who can't calmly look for something they've lost.

Basically, I'm saying that any complaint over this is drama that none of us have time for. If you can't look away, buy some blinkers or a velcro blindfold. I'm speaking seriously.

 

[Dimitriov]

Telling people that if they don't like it and that it is their problem and they should therefore just get over it is ridiculous and is not a valid argument. That logic doesn't hold true anywhere else nor should it here.

I stop to pee in the middle of the sidewalk. You don't like it? Too bad that's your problem.

I come up and fart in your face. You don't like it? Too bad, it's a natural body function.

I start yelling racial slurs at you. You don't like it? Well too bad 'cause I am having fun.

(Obviously these examples are not meant to equate the preceding acts with breastfeeding, simply to point out the logical fallacy of saying it's your own problem if you don't like what I am doing.)

 

[Calbeck]

"Put that away unless you brought enough for the whole class."

 

[Flare Phoenix]

For all the people saying the baby has to be fed, keep in mind you can put breastmilk into a bottle and feed it that way. As for how I feel about it personally I don't know... it hasn't really come up enough for me to warrent formulating an opinion on the matter. Still, I'd probably be a bit uncomfortable at first but forget about it soon enough (actually I'd be going "So that's what real breasts look like..." ).

 

[Mimssy]

If a baby has to eat, a baby has to eat.

 

[Yopaz]

I don't care, but I am more for than against.
I just look at the options we have.
No breast feeding = Loud crying baby
Breast Feeding = you might see a boob
There's really nothing bad with it, but I don't care and don't know why someone would make a big deal out of it.

 

[nicebuffalo]

i don't think it's impolite or should be looked down upon. babies need milk and their mothers aren't doing their job right if they don't give it to them. it's only weird if the kid can speak. that is disgusting.

 

[Whodat]

Just go like a wave bro. ~~~ Like a wave ~~~

 

[IceStar100]

I wonder to those who are fine with it. Is it ok for me to wolf call and hoot at her. If she does not care if she make other uncomfortable should I have to care about her wants.

 

[ZenMonkey47]

I've heard all the arguments. I answer with this:

If I can be cited for public indecency for urinating in public, how is it different?

You are exposing something linked to Sex in a public place. I don't care what your motivations are. Frankly, there are less sex fetishes involved with Urination than there are with Lactation at this point, and both are 'natural acts'.

I would think that public urination would have more to do with public health and sanitation rather than "ew a penis!"

In a perfect world, we'd just make the naked female breast not automatically equal "filthy, FILTHY sex". Problem solved (and imho we'd be a better society for it)

I'd rather see a compromise. Allow various shop owners decide whether or not they want to allow breastfeeding. If not, put a sign in the window "No breastfeeding please". No sign means that it's a-ok. The presence or absence of this sign might cause other customers to avoid their shop as well.

 

[Flare Phoenix]

I wonder to those who are fine with it. Is it ok for me to wolf call and hoot at her. If she does not care if she make other uncomfortable should I have to care about her wants.

Yeah I think that's the thing that gets to me. If you pull them out in public, you got to be prepared for some people (especially young boys) to be like "Wow! What the hell are those?!". It's kind of like the whole "just because I dress like a slut, doesn't make me a slut" argument some women use for how they dress.

 

[jawakiller]

So would the correct comment be:

"62 people don't like boobs"?

Cuz thats what it sounds like.
(and 74 people don't give a fuck, interesting)