Bad Reactions Are Still Good Reactions

One of my favorite blogs is The Bad Ass Breastfeeder.  I have the page liked on Facebook, of course.  I had re-posted a picture of a woman nursing in public.  On the picture was a caption that read:

"When you say, 'I support breastfeeding but.................'

"It means you do not support breastfeeding."

Immediately an ex-co-worker of mine commented "WRONG."  

I asked for an example, to which she replied (and I quote), "I just don't wanna see tits."

Oh, how a part of me died inside.  I have to wonder if this is a normal way of thinking.  I had thought that perhaps people were emerging from the societal boxes they were brought up in, also known as good old American culture.  Of course, the comment unveiled a shit storm.  I couldn't do much except for laugh about it and dutifully offer some insight.  I couldn't resist.  

All of her answers pertained to how "it's gross to see boobs in public."  Gross?  Are you effing kidding me?  What are we in, seventh grade?  Gah, the whole thing gives me a headache.  I can tell people about how ignorant they sound until I'm black and blue and they still won't ever understand.  They're preconditioned to meet the demands of our society and frankly, it's sad.  It's sad that women can't simply support each other.  It is a living nightmare having to hear about women who feel ostracized for their choice to breastfeed.  It tears at my heart strings when women tell me about how they need to go and nurse in another room so that their family (that's right, their own flesh and blood) can isolate them.  Why?  Because it makes them uncomfortable.  In a way it's almost comical to me how offended people can get by something as simple as just nursing a baby.  All the woman is doing is feeding her baby.  Nothing more, nothing less.  

Although the conversation got slightly heated, this is one of the reactions I actually enjoy.  So many people are uneducated on controversial subjects and like to assume that what they were taught is the only way of life.  When we crush those barriers with our own free thought, it forces them to reconsider what they believe to be true, whether they want to or not.  

Ultimately, the woman ended up deleting my from her friend's list on Facebook.  And that's okay.  It really doesn't bother me.  Good riddance, in my book.  I would rather surround myself with like-minded women who have the same passions or who are able to open up their hearts to change.  Even if she was too dense to understand what point I was trying to get across, perhaps someone else was able to get something out of it.  If not, se la vie as I say.

"It's now very common to hear people say 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights.  It's actually nothing more.... than a while.  It has no meaning, it has no purpose.  It has no reason to be respected as a phrase.  'I am offended by that.'  Well so fucking what."
-Stephen Fry

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