Leonard Gray / L’Observateur / August 19, 2000

I saw something recently which really, finally convinced me that the country’s gone to the weird in a handbasket.

Yet, at the same time, it demonstrates what a wonderful country we have in which even the obviously loony can form their own “protest group” and have the right to parade their beliefs.

At the Democratic Party national convention, one of the groups out front paraded themselves as the Citizens Against Breast Feeding.

Right.

To argue their case for the press was this man (who has never breast-fed an infant in his life and never will), who claimed that breast-feeding children destroys their tender little psyches, messes up their sexual development and leads to smoking.

Uh-huh.

He cited himself as an example, saying that because he was breast-fed, he is now a two-pack-a-day smoker. Now, isn’t that gratitude? His motherfeeds and nurtures him and he blames Mom because he can’t keep cigarettes out of his mouth.

Never mind the obvious health benefits of breast-feeding, including passing along immunities from mother to child, and the emotional bonding which takes place at the same time.

He also called the act of breast-feeding uncivilized and is likely grossed out at the very sight, never mind that the vast majority of women are discreet and private about this act. It’s not like they just whip it out whenSnookums wails.

And never mind that this completely natural act is something of private concern to the mother only, whether she chooses to do this or not.

This guy probably subscribes to porn magazines, too, and blames breast- feeding for that as well.

Speaking of loony groups, I was upset to learn the other day that the Millard Fillmore Society appears to have gone by the wayside.

This was a group which, for whatever purpose of their own, trumpeted the life and accomplishments of the late president.

Apparently, a group which didn’t take itself too seriously, this was a fun idea and I hope someone picks up on the the notion, for poor Millard’s sake.

America is the land of ideas, to be sure. Every idea is welcomed, becauseone never knows where the advancement of civilization will come from.

It’s freedom of speech and freedom of expression and freedom of thought which makes America unprecedented in the world and makes this country great.

The internet, for good or ill, has become a boon to such groups to get their messages out, and that’s to the good as well.

It’s good, though, that such a group as the Citizens Against Breast-Feeding exists, all 5,000 to 10,000 of them, based in Arizona, so we can locate these people and know who they are. It’s nice to be forewarned.They probably have their own website, too. Everyone else does.

LEONARD GRAY is a reporter for L’Observateur.

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