Ive got a bone to pick with Mitt Romney (Rep-of course).
As many of you are aware and maybe some others are not, I am LDS (Mormon). Not at all an 'in your face' Mormon. Very private about my religious choices, beliefs and value system. I'm not sure if that's my personality or what, hmmmm now that I think about it its not much my personality, I am usually very expressive about my opinions but maybe because I value other peoples choices to choose something so intimate and life changing. I'm definitely not one of those out to convert the world. I'm not even out to convert my husband. I'm happy where he is, I'm happy where I am, and we get along just fine, better than fine. We agree on some things, God, charity, agency, Sacrament, the suspiciousness of Noah and the Ark (and other Bible stories) "they'll put anything in that book" (Jose Vergara quote), we disagree on others, Modern day revelation, temples, tithing, etc. But it works for us.
Anyways, I veered a little.
So, another little fact about myself, I'm a huge advocate for breastfeeding. There are only a slight percentage of reasons in my book why someone shouldn't be able to breastfeed (I wont list them), but that's not to say that I don't completely respect a woman's choice to not breastfeed, I just don't understand it. I nursed Cailin until she was almost 3 and Avrie 2.5 is still nursing. I love it, its great for flying, an amazing bond (Cailin still remembers nursing, I hope she never loses that) One more fact about myself, I birthed both my girls at home with a midwife, surrounded by sisters and mom, and of course hubbie. So, in my mind I had it easy. This is about women who hospital birth who have to fight the system, resist the temptations and stand up for themselves and their families over and over and over again. (can you tell I don't have much respect for the medical community?)
Ok, so here is goes...
Mitt Romney, as governor of MA pressured his states Public Health Council to rescind a ban of free formula given by hospitals to new mothers and paid for by formula companies. Does everyone understand the complexity to this decision?
By not allowing formula samples in hospitals we are finally raising the bar for women in our society. No, I'm sorry, it is not OK to not even try to breastfeed your baby. It is not OK to give up just because it feels funny. You are obligated to try 110% to provide everything you can for your child, and if you don't want to, if its inconvenient, then don't have babies. By providing formula samples in the hospital we are first choosing to ignore the guidelines we supposedly subscribe to set by WHO (The World Health Organization) and we are giving women an easy out, when it gets a little trying in the beginning, 2am and your baby is screaming and wont latch on. Instead of working through it knowing it will get better. You grab that free sample lovingly (maliciously) given to you by the formula company. One thing leads to another 3 weeks later your milk has dried up your baby wont latch on anymore and you are walking around telling everyone you had a low milk supply "My body just wouldn't make enough" Oh, boo hoo and bull sh**!!
Background: In 2005 MA became the 1st state to prohibit formula sample bags in hospitals. Supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
Fortunately the Public Health Council in MA resisted his pressure and kept the ban.
Unfortunately he fired and replaced 3 members in the committee (I wonder what their vote was?) right before the vote and it passed. That's called playing dirty!
Just a side note...2 weeks later Mitt Romney announced a deal with Bristol Myers (largest formula company in the world) to build a $66 million pharmaceutical plant in...where?... Devens Massachusetts!!! Coincidence????? I THINK NOT!!!!!
How much do I hate formula companies? More than I can even verbalize. It ignites a bonfire within me that makes it necessary for me to breath into a paper bag. That's not to say that I don't think there is a time and place for formula. On the contrary, I think in the proper time and place formula can be a life saving manna. It is a spectacular invention. But it should definitely be the exception not the norm.
Lets not even go into Nestle taking their formula into remote villages in South Africa, getting children and mothers addicted, then leaving them with no clean sanitized water, no money to pay for the formula and no more breast milk left in their bodies. Nestle is personally responsible for millions of infant deaths in South Africa and other Third World Countries and no one is holding them responsible. Grrrrrrr!!!!! Why? Because big dollar companies are so intertwined in our government, you can't tell where one starts and the other begins. That's why they aren't held responsible. Because the committee set by the government to monitor and regualte formula companies consists mainly of board members from the formula companies. Ok class, can you say 'CONFLICT OF INTEREST'?
link : http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/breastfeeding/formula-profit.html
Okay, so this is for all the Mormons out there who support candidates solely because they are Mormon or call a particular plumber solely because he is Mormon or make assumptions about someone solely because they are Mormon.
In the case of the politicians, generally speaking this is how is goes...if they are Republicans they are probably corrupt, if they are Democrats they are probably corrupt, so if you ask me the worst breed of politicians...are politicians. And that's my 8 cents about that!!!
6 comments:
Jenny,
Sara told me about this blog and because I'm a political junkie, I have to respond.
I completely agree with everything you said about breast feeding. I don't know anything about this Mitt Romney incident other than what you wrote, but I agree with you, it does seem really disturbing.
I don't agree with the statement, though: "If they are Republican they are probably corrupt" because I think Democrats are plenty corrupt as well. I would instead say "if they are a politician, then they are probably corrupt", but I'm a hopeless independent, someone who hates both political parties equally.
I'm also not sure why you would say "Mormon Republicans are the worst breed of politicians", just because of one example by Mitt Romney. Please explain this to me, why would being Mormon disqualify you from being a politician? How would a Mormon politician be worse than another kind of politician (like say a hate-mongering Evangelical Christian politician, or a triangulating, cheating on wife with intern, say whatever people want to hear politician)?
Am I being too picky? Am I not allowing you to rant? Probably.
But the real reason I'm posting is this: Read this wikipedia entry and then tell me that John Edwards is not almost single-handedly responsible for our ridiculously high rate of C-section births in America.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edwards
The two key paragraphs are in the "Legal Career" section of the article describing his cases involving medical malpractice during childbirth.
I hope you don't mind my post, and I definitely appreciate and agree with your position on breast feeding. And for anyone else, yes I'm Mormon, no I'm not voting for Mitt Romney.
Just wanted to offer my 2 cents as well.
Jenny, I'm sorry, I really have to say this:
The worst kind of politician really is the
"let's preemptively invade countries for fabricated reasons taking advantage of 9/11 for your own political purposes, shoving our country into massive debt, ruining America's good name throughout the world, creating a breeding ground for terrorists, while taking an inordinate amount of vacation time in Texas" kind of politician.
But that's just me. :-)
-Scott
Scott-
I was just on a rant. I really dont actually think the worst kind of Politicians are mormon Reps. I was just making the transition from, if you are Mormon you are MOST LIKELY a Rep. Just a little humor thrown in at the end of a heated blog.
I love your responses. I will definitely check out that link this afternoon.
There will be an upcoming blog about C-sections after I finish reading the latest article in Mothering. Ill love to have some extra ammunition from Edwards...thanks :)
Sara
I watched that SNL monologue by Chris Tucker. I almost peed my pants at the end. Hilarious.
I vote Scott for President. I like how he makes everything sound so logical as opposed to Jenny's emotionally driven rant...mine would have been the same, so no offense Jenny. I also like that Jenny explanis the article. I never would have taken the time to do that, I would have simply written about how much I hate politicians and big business in the US and how they care nothing about the general well being of the people they supposedly serve. It makes me want to grind my teeth and scratch my eyes out. If professionals would just leave us alone when we are sick or have babies, the world would be a much healthier happier place. Instead we have politicians and medical professionals clawing to get at us and take all of our money. Isn't the main great idea of America freedom, then why are there so many people trying to take it by forcing drugs on us when we don't need it and cutting open our uteruses when our babies are meant and fully able to pass through our vaginas. I'm with Jenny, GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! I read the Mothering Magazine nearly cover to cover, it's the best one they've had in a long time. And that's my 2 cents.
Jenny,
I am so thankful for the formula in the hospital (and truthfully for the hospital itself). My son was born not breathing the cord not quite around him but close. I tired to breast feed..i really wanted too but he was too small, wouldn't latch and I had high blood pressure meds in me that we were concerned about. Albeit some drs are idiots..but thats not the point. my child would have starved if not for the formula. I did try and pump while in the hospital and i gave that to him but even pumping every two hours gave little than an half ounce total from both sides. I have heard from other moms that did breast feed that sometimes for smaller it babies its harder. I think all moms should try and work at breastfeeding-even my lactation consulant didn't know what was wrong with me. I think all moms want to breastfeed, it is cheaper after all and helps with weight loss & is great for the baby etc. but don't take it out of the hospital. think of the moms whose babies are allergic to their moms milk (like i was).
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