Breast feeding.

[Nicholas]

This absolutely natural behaviour has me wondering...

Are people that are against breast feeding in public actually protesting against something that points directly to their own shadow?

Is this social objection merely a cultural taboo, or shadow aspect that needs further inspection? On the face of it, why on earth would you argue against a perfectly natural phenomena?

Is it a direct assault on western culture? 

I think so.

[Jade]

I think this is a many layered phenomenon.

Firstly, the over sexualization of the female, and especially the breast, makes for discomfort when one is cognizant of their more pure, natural, innocent purpose. People don't like being reminded that a breast isn't just a 'funbag', but a foodbag, and on that note most of us spent a lot of time on our own mother's breast, which in sexual context is discomforting.

I think another thing is the fact that we've depersonalized and prepackaged food the the point that a lot of mothers don't breastfeed anymore, and instead feed their children a food powder substitute, which causes a layer of guilt amongst those mothers who didn't suckle and amongst children who know that their mother didn't suckle them. The, "I turned out just fine" mentality runs deep.

[Nicholas]

I think another thing is the fact that we've depersonalized and prepackaged food the the point that a lot of mothers don't breastfeed anymore, and instead feed their children a food powder substitute, which causes a layer of guilt amongst those mothers who didn't suckle and amongst children who know that their mother didn't suckle them. The, "I turned out just fine" mentality runs deep.

"...causes a layer of guilt..."

That's what I was trying to understand. I brought this topic up because I think it bears a relationship to the emotional vacuum that seems so prevalent these days. The outsourcing of parental bonding has a huge side effect and I think to bear the burden of being a mother, and  being expected to contribute to the household income has some significant input here.

I had a run in last night with a friend who has recently moved to Austrailia, and facebook is our random meet up arena. He posted a meme advocating physical spanking as a valid form of discipline. Granted, I few glasses of red got the better of me and I invaded his meme comments section (it was kind of inviting when there were no likes or comments). 

I totally slated the carrot and stick philosophy and did not hold back on my emotional content. My friends reaction was more concerned about the swear words I used and that swearing is "worse" than a spanking!

*headbutts the computer table*

He totally circumvented my point because I was cutting straight to a nerve he was not ready to face. It had nothing to do with my cussing, he was trying to control the narrative by deliberately interpreting my reply in such and such a way. And it was precisely as you put it, Jade. "I turned out fine".

Anyway, I quickly realised I was bordering on infringement here and accepted his "I am a parent, you are not" closure. I even tried to exclaim to him that although we don't see eye 2 eye on this issue, at least we get to stay in touch!  

I think "spanking" deserves it's own thread come to think of it!