Breast-feeding in a Time of War

“From the: Montreal Gazette

<snip>

Deborah Wolfe, a Canadian citizen who was just breast-feeding her son and changing his diaper while en route between Houston and Vancouver, says her "subversive" actions led to her being threatened with detainment, RCMP involvement and legal charges for terrorist action against a U.S. citizen in international airspace while on an American flight during a time of war.

Her story strains credulity, save that it's so outrageous, it's hard to imagine she could make this stuff up. It's Python-esque farce; funny, pathetic and much scarier than the experience of a woman who earlier this month was awarded $1,000 by the Quebec Human Rights Commission after a security guard kicked her out of a Montreal municipal courtroom for nursing her infant.

In an e-mail, Wolfe says it started during the final leg of a trip back to Vancouver from Florida, when a man seated near her on the Continental Airlines flight took offence to her nursing her 4-month-old son and complained.

Continental Airlines spokesman Rahsaan Johnson told me that the airline does not have a policy that prohibits breast-feeding on board. But Wolfe says a flight attendant told her that if someone - anyone - complains, the mothers are supposed to change diapers in the bathroom and nurse at the back of the plane. This has its own unpleasant connotations, never mind the fact that passengers must stay in their seats during takeoff, landing and turbulence.

Wolfe says she refused a flight attendant's offer of an airline blanket to hide herself because it hadn't been sealed and, given the SARS scare, she'd rather use her own things. Thus, unbeknownst to her, a "Level 1" crew complaint was filed.

When an announcement then came over the public address system stating that all mothers should change diapers in the plane's bathrooms, she decided to ignore it because she found the change table too high, right above the toilet and with nary a restraint to stop an infant from falling.

She says she explained all this to the flight attendant who came over for a second time, but the complaint, of which she was still unaware, was upgraded to Level 2.

Wolfe began to nurse the baby again, using her own bib and blanket. She says the man got out of his seat, walked over to hers and stood staring at her. She says she approached him afterward and twice asked if he had a problem with her feeding her son.

"He marched past me and to the very back of the cabin to talk to the flight attendant," she wrote. "He told her, 'This woman just assaulted me.' ... He then explained that the asking of two questions by a 'foreign national' in international airspace made him feel the victim of terror and as such he wanted to file an assault charge."

She says the flight attendants also began to call her and her travelling party "foreign nationals in international airspace on an international flight during a time of war." And she was informed both of the complaint and that it could be upgraded to a Level 3, which meant possible mandatory detainment by U.S. authorities for 24 hours, RCMP involvement and criminal charges for an act of war upon an American.

<snip>”

“Defendant did knowingly and feloniously assault said plaintiff passenger by exposing breast and nursing felonious infant on international flight in time of war, thus creating security threat to United States, Canada, Continental Airlines, and passengers who are offended by lewd and lascivious acts of nursing infants.”

“Free breast shot and he's complaining. Can you say "Nancy boy"?”

“PUT DOWN THAT NIPPLE AND BACK AWAY FROM THE INFANT! NOW!”

“LMAO @ Stickman!!

well, that's about retarded and a half.”

“The world is just chock full of idiots, eh?”

“I checked the link and it's legit.”

“I hope he was a Republican!”

“I think they were both stupid. She was looking for a fight after the first incident, and he needed to adjust his sensibilities.”

“lol. Did you hold your breath and say a little prayer before you checked that link gremlin?”

“Now ma'am, nothing to get upset about, just hand me the tit and everything will be alright.”

“Oh my goodness gracious.”

“That is one wild story. It is hard to believe! That guy is whacko. I wonder if now that bottles are such a thing if the world will just become more and more offended by nursing mothers? It seems especially odd to me being backwoodsy as I am. Heck fire, all we new up in the mountains was tit_y. My kids nursed til they were good sized. Our son was big enough to reason with before he was weaned and still doesn't get upset if we tease him about at age 13. LOL sheesh. I guess there's no hope for me ever understanding the human race.”

“Ten to one that guy votes republican!”

“you breast fed till he was 13?”

“j/k.”

“That is a weird imagery. Can't imagine an 8 year old kid cradled in her arms and feeding. And the thought of him standing there while she...


...OMG!”

“Heck, I'm 42 and my mom still...




nah - I won't tell that one.”

“Violin is a tittybaby!”

“He was 18 months when he was weaned at last. He is almost 13 now and still has no shame about it if we tease him. As for the thing about bigger kids nursing, no way I'd do it. Thats over the top.”

“Or under the top, as the case may be...

:)”

“I think that’s the first post by bazooka joe that wasn’t a cut & paste from scrappleface. It’s important to always sign out from your troll name immediately after posting. Just ask Mountain Roamer.”

“Just a little friendly advice.”

“i'm breastfeeding right now, on an international message board. i do hope you all aren't worried by my terrorist activity.”

“Just watch where you point that thing.”

“Where is the morality in this? She was using her breasts for their intended purposes. Someone explain to me why this guy was so offended?

Anyone?”

“Maybe she squirted him.”

“My wife had an older woman get very upset at her for discreetly feeding our youngest in a mall (blanket over babies head and all). No way was she going into a germy bathroom or anything to feed her. Some folks are just funny that way.”

“LOL! Assault!”

“That's really hard to believe. Maybe they're leaving out the part where she fiercly taunted him with a french accent. Either way it's UTTERLY ridiculous.”

“You mean udderly ridiculous?”

“This will be a good story for my wife's website's library section. She's always on the prowl for the absurd pressures women are under to keep their breasts "in-line." Her latest product is a bib for breast-fed babies that she's promoting for mother's day. tit4tat.net”

“and the canadaian was not forthcoming and generous.”

“Maple just reminded me of the giant t_t in the Woody Allen flick "Everything you wanted to know about sex..." Size 308 with a double Z cup! That would have brought them to their knees...”

“why was there no picture of said offensive breats....i mean...maybe it was truely offensive...”

“Maybe it was a she-male.”

“Stupid. But I believe it. Three wks. after Newergirl was born my brother was in a serious car accident and spent a few days in the ICU. Well, the hospital he was at has the labor & delivery unit right across from the ICU. I can't tell you how many people gave me dirty looks for feeding Newergirl in an open shared lounge area that was between the two units. I was covered and not being the least obscene. It's a hospital freaks! There are babies being born a few feet away!

I think alot of Americans are all weird about breast feeding. It ain't no thing.”

“..an article from The Montreal Gazette finally hits TT. We're famous.

I don't think too many people is too uncomfortable, with a woman breast-feeding her child next to them. Now, changing diapers besides them is a whole different story.

A while back, while my friends and I were at restaurant, a woman changed her baby's diaper on the table in the dining room. GROSS.”

“Okay, I'll agree w/ that Stanlee. Talk about unsanitary.”

“bunch of freaks!!!”

“I think that man was an unbelievably rude prude.

Breast feeding has come and gone and come back again in my recollection. In my family all of the women breast fed so it never occurred to me not to. My husband's sister however thought it was gross--can you believe? She is ten years older than I am and many folks her age thought breast feeding was old fashioned. Less than half of my girlfriends from high school breast fed their babies. My daughters and all of my nieces and their friends all breast fed--it is "in" again. Lord knows what will happen in the future. People are so strange.”

“I totally agree Mary. Almost 3 yrs. ago, when Newergirl was born, they pushed it. Now, w/ the birth of my sister's babies, they act like they have this all new plan . . . FORMULA! It's like a fad.”

“having breast fed 3 boyss till the age of one(ok, buffalobabe did most of the work) i know alot about this subject.....

so i got that goin for me.....”

“We show decapitations on TV, rapes, murders and all sorts of crulity....but show one breast and everyone goes nuts.

Heaven forbid we should let a woman feed her child.....some one might catch a peek.

Like newgirl and stikman said....bunch of freaks.”

“its not just in Canada folks.....”

“she could have shot out chemical weapons outta them. you never know, maybe she was a fembot....”

“I know I'm late to this brawl but I remember back 17 years ago when my oldest was a newborn my ex-brother-in-law got grossed out by my ex-wife breast feeding. He made several comments which really hurt my wife's feelings. Then, he walks outside with his stupid little yappy, fru-fru dog (some breed with long hair) and follows it around the yard until it takes a dump. He then wipes its ass, very meticulously I might add. Go figure. My kids were all bfed until at least the age of 1 and they are well-off because of it.”

“At this rate we need a law to protect women....

it aint like they are having sex.

Strat I hope buffalobabe did ALL the work :D”