In Barnett rules out breastfeeding legislation, the West talks about WA Premier Colin Barnett’s appearance on the 6PR Breakfast Show. Barnett ruled out bringing WA into line with other states with regards to adding breastfeeding discrimination to the Equal Opportunity Act. He wants less legislation on discrimination, not more, preferring instead that “common sense and courtesy” should rule the day.
And by “courtesy”, he means that we dirty filthy breast-flapping sluts should be more modest and discreet and private about these things.
This was prompted by an episode at a restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Perth where Mandy Crabtree, mum to seven month old Taj, asked to move to a more private area where there were few people, so that Taj might breastfeed under a blanket. The staff member went to ask a supervisor, returned, and kicked her out of the restaurant altogether. Audio of an interview with her can be found here at 6PR, though likely briefly.
It wasn’t until baroquestar pitched in that I noticed this bit of wording by the Premier.
“That’s an issue where, hopefully, if mothers are breast-feeding their babies… in public venues that they are discreet in the way that they go about it and modest in their behaviour,” Mr Barnett said.
“Equally, the operators of establishments need to recognise and respect the right of the mother to feed its baby.”
What an awesome leader. We should have known when he appointed the chair-sniffer as Treasurer and sneered about fish-wives that he wasn’t really one for women’s rights, eh? Oh wait, we did. Who the fuck voted for this misogynist arse?
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So, in the episode he was referring to, the mother already was trying to be ‘discreet and modest’. The response she got was to be ejected from the restaurant (an eating place!). Tells you what his idea of discretion and modesty is: non-existence.
Tells you what his idea of discretion and modesty is: non-existence.
Exactly.
The word “modest” always sets alarm bells ringing for me.
I take offense to the use of the term “its” instead of “her” in the quote,
“Equally, the operators of establishments need to recognise and respect the right of the mother to feed its baby.”
What’s with that?
I have been verbally abused by a “man” (I use that term very lightly, perhaps he was an “it”) for breastfeeding my baby on a bench seat in the Murray st Mall, he told me off and ran away before I, or my partner, had a chance to respond.
The irony was that his general appearance was far more offensive than breastfeeding could ever be.
He was a coward, and despite not caring what he thought, it still hurt me that someone felt they had a right to tell me to deny my child her food. Would he have preferred I not feed her and let her cry in hunger? Or would he have preferred I stay at home where every good little wifey belongs and never dare take my child out in public in case she or I may do something to offend someone?
How is this society so utterly twisted that a breastfeeding mother can be told she’s not allowed to feed her baby in public?!
If it offends you, stop bloody well staring!!
Words fail me… is this maybe some kind of stupid idea about political correctness, that makes people write things like “…between a woman and their gynaecologist”. Laughably stupid, in any case.
One of the happy side effects of having children all of one gender is that I can say things such as, “Has each child washed her hands for dinner?”
I’m not sure what’s worse here – reducing women to being “it” or saying that women must be discreet if they breastfeed in public. It would make me very tempted to be very, very open about feeding my baby (were I still feeding a baby, and did I live in WA, and all that).
Wait, we’re talking about the guy who today claimed that some asylum seekers set fire to their own boat while being towed to safety by our Navy?
Well hell, at least he’s consistently evil. Like the Pope!
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