Should businesses have the right to ask a nursing mother to leave?

Forgiveness_Man wrote:I guess if her nursing is becoming an impediment to their business, then yes they should be able to. If she is managing to make it so it has no effect on the business' performance, they have no causation. But if it's causing problems, they have a right to do something about it.

Chris wrote:We discussed mothers nursing, and whether or not they should choose to, in another thread? Do you think that business (privately owned establishments) should be able to ask a nursing mother to stop, or leave? Legally they can't, but what's your take?

MandyPerfumeGirl wrote:

Chris wrote:...Do you think that business (privately owned establishments) should be able to ask a nursing mother to stop, or leave? Legally they can't, but what's your take?

Definitely not! Mothers should be able to feed their babies wherever they happen to be, and if the other people don't like it, tough.

RedBedroom wrote:I think that women should be required to cover up. I don't think it is right to feed at breast in front of everybody.

RedBedroom wrote:I think that women should be required to cover up. I don't think it is right to feed at breast in front of everybody.

CatEyes10736 wrote: I agree with Red. It should be required that nursing mothers cover themselves when feeding the babies in public, ...

There are many ppl for cultural reasons think the same way.



But why do you think this way? Is there something nasty about a female breast that warrants it not being seen in public. I go shirtless all the time in public here. Why are my hairy breasts OK to be seen in public and not some woman nursing a baby?

Forgiveness_Man wrote:If the woman is really blatant about where she nurses the baby, it could affect business. Right or wrong, people can be uncomfortable with it.

Besides, I think businesses have the right to make policies about what they will or will not tolerate in their establishments. This holds true even if you don't like their policies.

thepossiblepolice wrote:And people have a right to protest! I've been to "nurse in's" before and I believe that the negative attention brought to a business from their less than tolerant policies is more harmful than the business they would lose from a few close minded customers who were offended by a nursing woman just being at an establishment.

Forgiveness_Man wrote:

thepossiblepolice wrote:And people have a right to protest! I've been to "nurse in's" before and I believe that the negative attention brought to a business from their less than tolerant policies is more harmful than the business they would lose from a few close minded customers who were offended by a nursing woman just being at an establishment.

People have a right to protest yes, but what exactly are they protesting? A business making it's own rules? Often times, protesters can hurt their own cause along with the business'.

And I hardly think standards are less than tolerant at all.

thepossiblepolice wrote:Discrimination against nursing mothers. If a person can be there feeding a baby a bottle, they should be allowed to be there breastfeeding. Businesses can also say they don't want Christians in their place, black people in their place, gay people in their place, Jewish people in their place...And people who are offended by that have a right to protest that kind of discrimination.

Not sure what you mean by the standards comment.

Forgiveness_Man wrote:

thepossiblepolice wrote:Discrimination against nursing mothers. If a person can be there feeding a baby a bottle, they should be allowed to be there breastfeeding. Businesses can also say they don't want Christians in their place, black people in their place, gay people in their place, Jewish people in their place...And people who are offended by that have a right to protest that kind of discrimination.

Not sure what you mean by the standards comment.

There is, however, a time and a place to nurse. Behavior is not the same as race or religion. You can easily breastfeed elsewhere. Businesses have the right to establish dress codes and enforce certain behavior restrictions. It's not discrimination. Protesting is always an option, but it's not always the most mature of options either.

Forgiveness_Man wrote:Again, there's a time and a place for it. It's not discouraging it to believe that it shouldn't just be done anywhere. Looking is a behavior? Nope, not gonna fly cause then you can justify indecent exposure too. If you start protesting because of not allowing BFing in public, you will force the hand of businesses and they'll just set age restrictions. In the end, you end up even worse off.

Well when you are breastfeeding, you have to plan. If you're in a business, you should come prepared. They'll need to be changed too and not all places have suitable changing areas. So they going to be forced to let you change the kid in front of everybody? Really appetizing if you're at a restaurant. Again, it's not a business' job to cater to your schedule. You have to be prepared.

Okay, so you got away with it. And if you get away with it, that's fine. Nobody's saying don't do what nobody minds you do. It's kind of an irrelevant point to say that you got away with it. lol

thepossiblepolice wrote:

Forgiveness_Man wrote:Again, there's a time and a place for it. It's not discouraging it to believe that it shouldn't just be done anywhere. Looking is a behavior? Nope, not gonna fly cause then you can justify indecent exposure too. If you start protesting because of not allowing BFing in public, you will force the hand of businesses and they'll just set age restrictions. In the end, you end up even worse off.

Well when you are breastfeeding, you have to plan. If you're in a business, you should come prepared. They'll need to be changed too and not all places have suitable changing areas. So they going to be forced to let you change the kid in front of everybody? Really appetizing if you're at a restaurant. Again, it's not a business' job to cater to your schedule. You have to be prepared.

Okay, so you got away with it. And if you get away with it, that's fine. Nobody's saying don't do what nobody minds you do. It's kind of an irrelevant point to say that you got away with it. lol

My point is not that it's something to "get away with"...It's not something that should have to be hidden under a cover is my point. Just because a woman doesn't drape a blanket over her shoulder that doesn't mean she has her boob hanging out for the world to see.

As for nudity...NO. It's not the same. Breastfeeding benefits society as a whole. It makes smarter, healthier kids...Saves our healthcare system money, reduces infant mortality, reduces obesity, reduces breast cancer rates, reduces rates of PPD, among other things. Public nudity doesn't do any of those things. Neither do peeing in public, having sex in public, or any of the other things like that that are listed as reasons why breastfeeding, even though it's "natural" should not be done in public.

Forgiveness_Man wrote:

thepossiblepolice wrote:

My point is not that it's something to "get away with"...It's not something that should have to be hidden under a cover is my point. Just because a woman doesn't drape a blanket over her shoulder that doesn't mean she has her boob hanging out for the world to see.

As for nudity...NO. It's not the same. Breastfeeding benefits society as a whole. It makes smarter, healthier kids...Saves our healthcare system money, reduces infant mortality, reduces obesity, reduces breast cancer rates, reduces rates of PPD, among other things. Public nudity doesn't do any of those things. Neither do peeing in public, having sex in public, or any of the other things like that that are listed as reasons why breastfeeding, even though it's "natural" should not be done in public.

Let's say in theory that she does? MAybe she takes the "you don't have to look" idea to the extreme. THEN does a business have a right to be upset?

I am sure those who support them feel they have several benefits and will likely tout several. Also, PUBLIC breasfeeding has no more benefits than private breastfeeding. Nobody is saying that you cannot breastfeed. So the benefits of it are irrelevant. Eating benefits you too but many businesses prohibit food/drink in their establishments.(And I doubt they care if you are diabetic and need to eat at regular periods) As long as the store's policies are clear, I don't see the problem.

RedBedroom wrote:... and since it is not common, I am not a fan of exceptions to the rule. ...

thepossiblepolice wrote: ... Public breastfeeding has the benefit of exposing people to breastfeeding so they wont think it's "weird", not people who are older and set in their ways, but in younger people, specifically potential mothers...

Forgiveness_Man wrote:Many activities have benefits. That doesn't mean such activities are appropriate anywhere and everywhere. And if somebody owns a business, that should give them the right to restrict which behaviors they will permit in their place.

The question is a hypothetical one. Therefore a relatively extreme example is not absurd to present. If you do it with regard to the comfort of others, chances are that the business will not try to throw you out anyway. Most don't troll around looking for breastfeeding mothers.

The benefits of breastfeeding or consequences of not breastfeeding are irrelevant to this question. It's not a "to breastfeed or not to breastfeed" situation.

It's not the same but the merits are the same. Babies need to be changed. People eat in public all the time but they don't eat in every business establishment. This is also specifically about breastfeeding in a privately run establishment owned by somebody else. IMO, a business should have the right to say what does and doesn't go on within it's place of business. It's a privately run business. This isn't about breastfeeding in public at all. It's about business' rights.

Shale wrote:

RedBedroom wrote:... and since it is not common, I am not a fan of exceptions to the rule. ...

thepossiblepolice wrote: ... Public breastfeeding has the benefit of exposing people to breastfeeding so they wont think it's "weird", not people who are older and set in their ways, but in younger people, specifically potential mothers...

Possible (may I call you Possible?) I agree with everything you have been saying in this debate, but this little bit of activism is as valuable to our society as the nourishment is to infants and children. Just in this thread alone are shown the reasons why more women NEED to be seen doing what nature intended - to desensitize ppl to the sight of breastfeeding and show that it is normal and acceptable.

This is the same with gay ppl who hide in closets. They not only do a disservice to themselves, they do it to every other gay person by not letting the world know that we are common everyday ppl and we are normal.

There are all sorts of prejudicial mindsets that ppl form because they have not seen all the possibilities. Interracial couples are becoming more common now - as ppl start accepting that there is nothing wrong with it because they see more and more interracial couples.

That is how this kind of activism works and it is exponential in its effect. One person is seen doing it and soon another follows and eventually it becomes the norm.

thepossiblepolice wrote:You're right, it's about whether businesses should have the right to discriminate against a person based on the way they feed their child.

The same way a business should have the right to not allow a woman in a burka into their business? The same way a business should be allowed to not allow gay and lesbian couples to have PDA's in their business? The same way they should be allowed to not allow interracial couples to have PDA's in their business? Those are all activities that it's not PC to discriminate against that are choices a person makes based on being part of a protected group; a certain religion, gay or lesbian, or race. It may not be illegal to be racist, homophobic or xenophobic, but that doesn't make it OK. Nursing women are legally protected, people can not like it, but they still are.

If a business allows children and bottle feeding, then banning breastfeeding is discriminatory against breastfeeding women.

If a business should always have a moral right to discriminate for whatever reason they want, or a legal right to the same, then I will agree that it should be within their rights to discriminate against breastfeeding women as well.