Above My Pay Grade

Sister Simone Campbell recently went viral after going on FOX News, and addressing the DNC convention. She has been tagged - and has tagged herself-  as one of several "Nuns on the Bus" (as opposed to the wheels on the bus I suppose).

Another old sing-song that she may like goes something like this: "Some like it hot, some like it cold, and some like it in the pot nine days old."

Well, it seems that Sister likes it hot because she delivers a lot of hot air   - publicly. And she seems to especially like to criticize her 'own people and her own way of life' including Cardinal Dolan, and the Catholic Church itself. She is getting popular (among certain circles at least ) because of her criticism of "the U.S. bishops for their stance on the Affordable Care Act and the HHS mandate, as well as decrying what she sees as a Church leadership too focused on the right to life of the unborn versus other aspects of the Catholic pro-life message, and more." according to the Catholic News Herald,  (http://www.catholicnewsherald.com/schools/199-news/rokstories-vote/2341-sister-simone-campbell-nun-on-the-bus-gets-cheered-at-dnc-online) Sept, 19, 2012.

Still, she seems to be able to take the heat so I am going to give her a bit more ...

Sister Campbell seems confused about who/what she really believes in. While openly criticizing really Catholic Catholics she seems to prefer to run with Catholics who have to keep reminding the rest of us that they (really) are Catholics. That's the funny thing, Cardinal Dolan never has to tell people he's really Catholic does he?  That's because we know he is Catholic by what he says,what he expressly believes, and what he does. Her friends, on the other hand, need to keep telling the rest of us that they really are Catholic! And that's because we don't recognize them as such by the way they live, act, and talk. Even they have to keep reminding themselves that they are Catholic! 

Also, when asked by O'Reilly about her stance on abortion - after delivering an impassioned sentence or two about the immorality of the Romney/Ryan plan, Sister quickly dismissed the question by saying that a discussion of abortion is "above her pay grade"! 

If you are going to insert yourself into a discussion about the immorality of certain economic plans, it seems to me that you're paid enough to be able to opine on whether killing an unborn baby is right or wrong, for heaven's sake. Even our daughter with Down Syndrome can know that with 100% clarity and without doubting herself that killing little babies seen moving around, sucking their thumbs, yawning, and stretching on ultrasounds is a black and white issue - they are human and they are alive! Who's kidding who? All of us know it's a lot easier to know life when they see one compared to  understanding the full ramifications of economic plans on the poor and displaced people!

Sister, will you please get off the bus and start holding newborns so you can really understand who you support for president - the one you back with all your might and vocal cord energy! He is the president who would allow that same child you are holding to be executed gang style just moments before birth; and all because his intelligence prevents him from knowing that "a person's a person no matter how small!

And one more comment, Sister, please pray about this. By this I mean: stop asking God to get rid of those rascally Republicans  and start asking Him to give you a heart that is obedient, humble, and one that loves enough to take up the defense for the  very least of His: the unborn child!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fortifying-Families-of-Faith/128093305549?ref=hl

the Neighbor's Signs

We are in the season of the lawn signs. Yesterday, I was talking with a friend who worried over whether she should talk to her Another Catholic Voting NO neighbor because they had just put up the No sign and it kind of shocked her. While we expect to see political signs for Dems, Repubs, and Libertarians, I have to admit that it is much more startling to see these non-partisan - strong issues -  signs that force discussions - at least in our heads.

This is the season of the lawn signs. What do they prompt? They prompt us to become bean counters - we see how many neighbors agree with us (or at least seem to). We think that a certain sign may mean that neighbor A will not be talking to neighbor B for a long time.

We naturally wonder whether to fight or take flight from neighbors expressing points of view that surprise us. Like my friend, we wonder whether to talk to our neighbor about their sign - perhaps they are a bit confused....So we wonder about it every day until that darn sign is taken down.  We ask ourselves should it be today or tomorrow. Most of us opt for tomorrow even though that day never fits our schedules. But shouldn't we - after all we are our neighbor's keepers aren't we?

We used to put up lawn signs too; but decided somewhere along the line they were just too much in our neighbors' faces even though I was raised to not to miss a fight. But it seemed like the signs seemed to put  more distance between us and the neighbors. Our signs sat in front of their big windows day in and day out    until they suddenly blew away. Do you know how many of our lawn signs just blew away? Too many to count. Their disappearances were as sudden as several of our bashed in car doors that  just seemed to happen without explanation. These incidents turned us a bit suspicious of our neighbors. 

And so, we began to wonder what our lawn signs said to our neighbors. Did they say, Hi there, how are you today? Or did they say "Hey neighbor I want you to vote for _____ (my candidate). And if I had two signs did it suggest that I thought the neighbors needed more reminders?

Yard signs bother me today - they make me want to yank them out of my neighbors yards like I presume they did to ours.  They show how unable we are to really talk about important matters. They are like the little dog who barks and barks but doesn't seem to accomplish much of anything other than annoy us. In my opinion, yard signs represent  UN-neighborliness.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could put up artistic signs that say what we believe and why.  They would be akin to giving a witness talk but in technicolor. I'd like  a billboard on my lawn showing why why I stand for marriage between man and woman. It would  picture me, Dave and our 7 kids and their 13 kids along with blank space reserved for those yet to come along. At least, my neighbor would likely better understand why we believe the way we do .

Pithy one liner signs really don't explain much about us to our neighbors. Perhaps this is a new business opportunity - making witness lawn signs - what do you think?

Dreams of the Everyday Housewife

Now I'm mad...


Recently, Hilary Rosen , Democratic Stategist, inferred that Ann Romney knows nothing about economics having been a stay-at-home mom and never having "worked a day in her life." This slight against Romney's knowledge and practical experience was also an attack against everyone who has also chosen to stay home. That includes me.


Rosen is wrong - we work!

Once not that many years back, I dreamed of being a CEO of a large corporation. That soon gave way to dreaming about becoming a good mother and wife. I have lived my dreams. I worked at that large corporation and switched from there to home by choice. I had decided that my children were just a bit more worth my attention. This move afforded me time to keep dreaming while attending to being a good wife and mother. Now that the kids are nearly all grown up I have time to go back to that large corporation but I just don't think I will do it. I prefer to manage the very business that I started when I wasn't working - the very same business that I started even though I knew nothing about economics - according to the Hilary Rosen's of the world.

I'm not sure that a career has afforded Rosen this same privilege; her words hint at bitterness and stereotyped thinking - the kind that feminists were supposed to upend. Perhaps she - and others like her - have sunk too far into the male world to recognize feminine geniuses who balance multiple things at a time while preferring relationships to projects. Too many females have adopted the notion of the masculinized female who ridicules her own femininity which would normally revel in nurturing, creating, ordering life around the Creator, being careful of others' feelings, and giving of self to others (volunteer work).

Why is it ok to ridicule stay at home mothers? I remember when we closed on our home recently after refinancing (to take advantage of lower interest rates)and the lender commenting that I was spoiled because my husband "let me stay home while he had to bear the brunt of paying the bills". I didn't get up right then and there because I took it for the greater good of the family finances! I also didn't tell him that I cook the meals; wash the clothes - even making one or two now and then; pay the bills, wake up in the middle of the night to attend to the children so my husband is fresh for his job even while my days are somtimes pretty dreary due to lack of sleep. Nor did I tell this mortgage lender that I garden and can the veggies to help make ends meet - or used to anyway. Nor did I mention that I am the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker! Literally. Also I failed to mention that I have a brain and use it to write books. Neither did I mention that I didn't like being called spoiled. Again, we moms at home take it for the sake of the family.

On another occasion I recall the words of a former colleague: "If I had a wife making your salary, I sure wouldn't let her stay home!"

I can't figure it out. Are all these people just envious of our choices? Or of the fact that we have a choice? I thought men and women were all about choice. Yes, I did make a good salary! And for sure we would be in a higher income category had I continued to work - outside of the home. But life would have been much more complex! And more than likely we wouldn't have had seven children.

No matter, it's obvious that some people fail to appreciate that money and job title do not define me or any stay at home mom! Most of us think we're in the business of forming character. Maybe that's the missing link in these career folks. Or maybe, they just don't have time to think straight!

Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words cannot hurt me or Ann. But they sure can make us mad!

The very real art of Breastfeeding

The Very Real Art of Breastfeeding: The Abstract

Worthwhile human activity, whether it falls under the umbrella of science or the humanities, serves to advance society. We sort our education into generally two categories: science or art. It has become far easier to explain something in scientific terms than to discuss its humanizing consequences especially those that come about through process.
This is the argument that must be made with regard to breastfeeding - an art with deep humanizing qualities. Hands down, science has proven to the world that breast milk is best for babies. Unfortunately this proof ignores its most important element - breastfeeding. While the uniqueness of human milk has been touted and showcased, breastfeeding is still relegated to closets and bathrooms. In our society, out of sight is synonymous with out of mind. Is it any wonder then why breastfeeding rates continue to fall below healthy baby goals and objectives?
Mothers who breastfeed their babies will need to learn new skills, techniques and principles in order to get breastfeeding off to a good start. She will need to be observant. But these still won’t be enough.
If we had only known just how great breast milk was generations ago, perhaps we wouldn’t have to teach women how to breastfeed today! Lack of insight into both have advanced the cause of breastfeeding buttinskies who continue to discourage, disparage, and even ridicule breastfeeding – overtly and covertly. But are they really just discouraging the mammalian way to feed a baby? Perhaps their disparagement is more sinister. Perhaps they are part of the crowd that simply discourages men and women to love less.
Human experiences that encourage us to genuinely give of oneself to another – especially for the good of another human person – and at the sacrifice of one’s own self – simply is the process that increases our own capacity to Love. When we learn to love others authentically all of society benefits!
Breastfeeding allows mothers to give of themselves in a way that uniquely allows them to grow their own capacity to love in a way restricted to femininity… .

chapter one -- the joy of authentic parenting

As one ponders parenthood, he/she should ask some fundamental questions before stepping into the deep. The following are a few to consider. Why become a parent? What is the purpose of parenthood? What do we hope to achieve after becoming a parent? What’s in it for us? What should be our family goals and priorities? What do we have to do in order to be an effective parent? What do good mothers/fathers do? What are the primary duties and responsibilities of parents? Furthermore, do the primary duties and responsibilities of parents’ change with the age of the children. Do parents continue to have ‘obligations’ for their teens, emerging adults or married children? If so, what are they? This book looks at these questions very specifically and purposefully.
All parents – in fact all adults – look for meaning to their lives. Too many look to others to try and help them find quick remedies to sticky personal or family issues. That’s why pop icons including Oprah, Ellen, Dr. Phil, and others appeal to so many adults. Yet, John Paul ll teaches us to avoid looking to the pop culture for answers but to search for answers about faith, purpose, and meaning in life from an organized system (The Catholic Church) in an organized way. This search will lend to the resolving of the issues in grace-filled ways.
This book tries to help you find answers to the questions about parenthood that were posed earlier in this section in an organized way (The Catholic Church) by looking at parent’s moral obligations toward their children from an organized system - The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Pointing to these obligations will help you attend to them in a better way; this will also provide convincing evidence that authentic parenting is critical for the formation of the whole of society as well as for each child within every family. Furthermore, there is no substitute for authentic parenting since parents are primary to the passing on of the faith and the forming of moral consciences for the next generation. This knowledge will empower you to pass on the Truth to the children living under your roof.

Theology of the Church

The following questions were compiled and presented to our "parish teaching committee" of which Dave and I are members. The teaching committee is kind of a sounding board for a persepctive priest named Aaron who is studying Theology at the St. Paul Seminary. He is preparing a paper about the theology of the church and asked for input from the members of the committee. The following are our responses; we thought some of you might be interested in the responses.

What is church?
Dave: The People of God – Christians
Linda: The Church is the result of the successful, apostolic succession instituted by Jesus Christ; He instructed the disciples to “go out into the world” and make disciples of all nations by baptizing them…” Consequently, Church is the fellowship of believers; we are Jesus’ disciples. The Church is to serve mankind’ it is to teach and provide the keys by which we come to know our Lord and Master and culminating in joining Him in Heaven. And to end our journey with God “is the whole purpose of man’s history.” CCC 450

What would make it cease to be church?
Dave: No disciples left in the world.
Linda: Church will cease to be church when it no longer:
1. Promotes the truth about God, Heaven and all of Creation
2. Evangelizes or catechizes others about the Good News
3. Cares for or fails to be the voice for the needy, the poor, unfortunate
4. Teaches others to be amazed by man’s worth and dignity. “The name of this amazement is Gospel or Good News (par 10 of Redemptoris Hominis). In other words, goes along with society’s penchant for trivializing aspects of human life through abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, same sex marriage, divorce, contraception, etc.
5. “Directs man’s gaze, to point the awareness and experience of the whole of humanity towards the mystery of God to make all aware of the profoundity of the Redemption..” Par 11 &12.

What should be the relationship between the pope and bishops?
Dave: Bishops should be obedient to the Pope in faith and morals.
Linda: They should be in full unity with each other. Pope is the head; the spokesman for the universal Church and leader of the college of Bishops. The Bishop is the head, spokesman and leader of the local Church. (diocese)There should be no dissent between the two offices. The Pope and His Bishops must lead the universal and local churches so we are not left like “sheep without a shepherd”. They must be solid, strong, charismatic; they must be the strong, loving, faithful voice of Jesus Himself.

What should be the relationship between the universal church and the local church?
Dave: The local church is to submit to the authority of the universal church.
Linda: They are to be in full unity in matters of faith and morals with each other.

What should ministry look like in the church?
Dave: Serving others.
Linda: It should look like this:
1. Lead people to the truth without adding confusion or personal doubts. The message must be clear, consistent and ordered with the universal Church.
2. Lovingly help people to understand the truth even though the message may be counter-cultural. Help people formulate a Christian Worldview that is necessarily different than a secular worldview.
3. Be faith in action helping those in need.
4. Be bold as it proclaims Christ; must imitate the original enthusiasm of the apostles who stated: “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” CCC 425.

What does it mean that we are a missionary church? How does that look globally? Locally?
Dave: Evangelize others about Jesus Christ regardless whether its’ a global or local effort.
Linda: The Church’s mission is to evangelize first and then to catechize (bring light, truth, understanding) where previously there was none or very little. The missionary effort must “extend the invitation of faith to non believers in order that they enter into the joy of having a communion with Jesus Christ.” CCC 425. This end result differs little whether the efforts are local or global. The means by which they achieve the end result must be culturally pertinent, specific and sensitive. Global missionary work means that we extend this invitation beyond our shores. Local missionary work means that we extend this invitation to those beyond our church doors including those who have left the church.

What is the purpose of the Sacraments in the Church? How do they relate to the “life” of the Church?
Dave: The purposes of the Sacraments are the means to receiving grace (blessings from God) on multiple occasions and continuously (Eucharist, Penance). They are primary to the life of the Church.
Linda: The sacraments were instituted by Christ and the Church is obliged to carry them out for our sake – to receive grace. The Sacraments commission us to become disciples who are faithful to Christ. They help us take the necessary steps between birth and death to reach Heaven. Consequently, they are the important first (baptism and confirmation), second, and final public steps (sacrament of the anointing of the sick) taken by believers that proclaims their belief in God.


What do you think is the vision of local Catholic Church? Namely what is the focus or emphasis with which you think activities, liturgies, and events are planned?
Dave: Vision: provide a School, faithful liturgy. This becomes its focus and emphasis.
Linda: I think the vision is to be a Sacramental Church and this becomes its focus: to provide the sacraments to a whole group of individuals. It is also the urgency to "go out and become active" Disciples of Christ after they receive the sacraments. The church initiates the people well but the follow-up and expectation of living a Christian life after initiation is compromised by competing interests among busy lives. For example: many churches don't have any youth or teen outreach that is solidly ‘gospel based” because youth are so busy -- and then their catechesis lags. . Also, adult catechesis after confirmation is non- existent as well with the exception of occasional Lenten or Advent speakers - again in part due to busy lives.
Many parents think that the local Catholic schools provide the necessary faith and catechesis for students but a recent survey pointed out that protestant schools do a better job of emphasizing faith whereas catholic schools emphasis is generally on academics not faith formation. We need to consider our young people as the mission fields. this proposal targets new parents, parents of teens and parents of college bound students.

Should we try to beat death?

Imagine if man could devise a way to live "forever". What a dull world it would turn out to be! There would be no rush to bring forth new persons into the world for multiple reasons. New life after all would simply serve to over-populate the planet we live in - people are already complaining about that. It would be a genuine complaint if the old just kept getting younger! Without new life, a staleness would set it. Yet scientists world - wide try to invent body parts that rejuvenate the worn out ones. Attempts to "plasticize" man aren't that far fetched.

Imagine, if man could live for centuries, how boring it would be to repeat the same mistakes time and again without consequence. Today, the pervasive philosophy is you're only young once, so get wild. The mood then seems likely to become: you're forever young, so get wild and stay there.

If man could live for centuries, imagine the lack of need to connect to other people on deep, emotional levels. After all wouldn't looking at the same face for 250 years get old?

If man could live forever, imagine how few - if any - negative consequences would result after saying, doing, thinking that we can live forever.

If man could live forever, imagine how useless God would be. What need would there be for a relationship with God? None, because we would become our own gods - in charge of our own destiny. That - hasn't worked out over the millenia too well - but we are hard headed that's for sure.

I write this on the eve of the funeral of a friend of ours. So even though we can't live forever here on earth - nor should we aspire for that - it sure feels hard to say goodbye once again to someone who was so loved as wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Ii often does seem like the good die too young. So while it's tempting to wish, our friends and family and self would not die and leave us behind, imagine the other possibility. Living forever here on earth sure seems like a worse option indeed to me and without ever meeting God face to face!

So goodbye good friend until we meet again. May God have mercy on your soul; may God bring peace to your family; and may God bring us all into his heavenly blessing.

Birth Control Mandate in HHS Bill Deserves Everyone's Attention

I am inserting a copy of a commentary entitled: Birth-Control Mandate Puts Religion in a Bind
dated Monday, August 29, 2011-09-02
from the Very Rev. Peter A. Laird Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia.
Star Tribune
"Benefits outweigh birth control costs" (Aug. 1) drew attention to an Institute of Medicine recommendation adopted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It requires health care plans to cover contraceptives and sterilizations under regulations for preventive care created in response to the health care reform legislation passed in 2010.
This is a troubling mandate. It raises serious questions not only about the nature of health care and employment, but also about religious freedom and public charity.
For the church, one consequence is that the state seems to have begun to define who our neighbor is and the extent of our mission.
The position of the Catholic Church on artificial birth control is well-known, though not always well-understood. Our teaching is founded in a conviction that every human act is meant to witness to the truth about God and man. Acknowledging that God, our creator, is love and has been revealed to the full in Christ means not only that there is right and wrong but also that we should testify to that truth so that all men and women might be free and come to have life to the full.

The church does not consider unnatural and artificial (my words inserted) birth control a right of health care, much less a good for human flourishing, because pregnancy is not a disease.
Moreover, to suggest that one may, without consequence, use contraception in pursuit of human flourishing is manifestly contradicted by studies such as the one reported by the Guttmacher Institute showing that 54 percent of women who have had abortions have been using birth control.

Birth control promises a life without consequences, but every action has consequences, and often it is women and children who suffer most when we pretend otherwise.
Under the guidelines issued by the Obama administration, only a very narrow exemption from the contraceptive mandate would be permitted for "religious employers."
It would apply only to an organization that has as its purpose the "inculcation of religious values," that primarily employs persons who share the religious tenets of the organization and that serves primarily persons who share those religious tenets.
Thus, organizations such as Catholic universities and hospitals, social-services agencies and Catholic Charities, because they serve people without regard to religious affiliation, would be forced to provide contraceptive and sterilization services.
In other words, we would have to stop being Catholic if we wanted to serve all men and women, as Jesus did. It would also require Catholic organizations to employ only Catholics, which may be at variance with both federal and state discrimination laws.
This extremely narrow exemption substantially differs from existing conscience-clause protections, which protect individual providers from being forced to perform any service that conflicts with their beliefs.
Absent sufficient regard for rights of conscience, the birth control mandate will force all men and women -- and all employers -- to carry health "benefits" that violate the sincerely held religious convictions of many.
If this is not rectified, the vast social-service network of the Catholic Church will be imperiled, and with it not only those who are employed and assist us in our works of mercy, but also those who are served: our neighbors."

Even those who are not Catholic should - in good conscience - protest this mandate for several reasons other than the theological ones outlined by Fr. Laird. First, it's time to shore up everyone's respect for the freedom to practise any religion clause subscribed to by Americans when they pledge allegiance to the flag and the constitution. This means respecting all religions even those of Catholics. failing to come to the defense of Catholics will ultimately mean failing to come to the defense of any Christian religion. Protest by calling your congressmen.

1943 Guide to Hiring Women

The following exhortations are taken from a copy of Savvy &Sage September/October 2007 which is an excerpt from July 1943 Transportation Magazine. We have all come a long way baby!

"Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees"
1. Pick young married women. They have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, and are less likely to be flirtatious...
2. Try to hire older women who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives ... less likely to be cantankerous and fussy.
3. Husky girls are more even tempered and efficient than underweight sisters.
4. Retain a physician to give each woman special physical examinations. Reveals any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.
5. Stress that a minute or two here or there makes serious inroads on schedules.
6. Give the females a day long schedule of duties so they won't bother management for instructions every few minutes. Women generally lack initiative in finding work for themselves.
7. Change employees schedules during day from one job to another - females are less inclined to be nervous and happier with changes.
8. Give a girl adequate rest periods - You have to make allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidy, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times daily.
9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or making criticisms. Women are often sensitive. Never ridicule a woman - it breaks her spirit and cuts off efficiency.
10. Don't swear around women. She'll grow to dislike the business where she hears too much of this.
11. Get enough sizes of unifrms so girls can have properly fitting uniform. This is important in keeping women happy.

More about Breastfeeding

All newborns lose weight after birth. Breastfeeding success is often measured by how quickly baby returns to birth weight. Yet some experts question using the birth weight as a litmus test for breastfeeding success. A recent study by Joy Noël Weiss, A Kirsten Woodend, Wendy Peterson, William Gibb and Dianne Groll (15 August 2011 International Breastfeeding Journal) entitled “An observational study of associations among maternal fluids during parturition, neonatal output and breastfed newborn weight loss” conclude that “ The phenomenon of newborn weight loss is complex. They found that maternal IV fluids received prior to birth (during labor) are related to newborn output and their weight loss. Consequently they warn that corrections in fluid balances in these newborns should be considered normal and therefore should not warrant outside interventions; i.e. introduction of formula, etc.
Furthermore they found that the reasons for delayed lactogenesis should be studied further; they found a correlation between late onset of lactogenesis 11 (more than 3 days after birth) was positively related to the total amounts of maternal fluids received from admission to birth. “ Most women (95% of the participants) noted first day of breast fullness however 41% of the women reported having late onset of lactogenesis . These women's babies were observed to have a significant positive correlation between late onset of lactogenesis ll (beyond day 3 reported by 41% of the sample) and percentage of newborn weight loss.

Letting nature take its course is still often the best advice. Over medicalization of birth, labor, and pain contributes to hyper concerns with regard to baby. The result is often early intervention using manufactured formulas which introduces other risks to baby and the breastfeeding success.
These researchers suggest that birth weight should not be the parameter from which clinicians measure success with breastfeeding – rather it should be other observable factors including wet diapers, etc. Finally, the reserachers concluded with this recommendation: do not use birth weight as a measure of breastfeeding success. Rather clinicians should use a 24 hour old weight as one of the parameters to determine whether or not intervention is necessary.
__________________________________________________________
Did you know that the current administration is very pro- breastfeeding. So much so that Ed Keefe , a Washington Post Staff Writer wrote this on Wednesday, December 22, 2010 :
President Obama is asking federal personnel officials to draft "appropriate workplace accommodations" for federal employees who are nursing mothers. The president issued a memo this week to the Office of Personnel Management asking that the new workplace accommodations be published when ready. The changes are mandated by provisions in the ObamaCare passed this year that require new breastfeeding rights, primarily for hourly workers in the private and public sectors. But Obama asked the federal government to go a step further by establishing new guidelines for all federal employees, no matter their status, according to White House aides. The federal legislation assures that women will not be discriminated against or fired for breastfeeding or pumping breast milk during breaks or lunch. It also provides tax breaks to employers who establish special rooms for breastfeeding mothers or that rent lactation-related equipment.
_____________________________________________________________
The Iowa Independent by Andy Birkey found a detractor of this new policy in Rep Michelle Bachmann. She stated her objections recently. They are:
over promotion of breastfeeding, particularly among black women, to curb obesity; the policy creates a nanny state which makes breast pumps tax deductible along with other over-the-counter medical items such as pain relievers, bandages and contact lens supplies.
How is that related to breastfeeding? Guess they have to be able to see baby's face. Bachmann continued, “I’ve given birth to five babies and I breastfed every single one of these babies. To think that government has to go out and buy my breast pump for my babies. You wanna talk about the nanny state? I think we just got the new definition of a nanny.”
_____________________________________________________

Finally, on March 30, 2010, "President Barack Obama signed into law Obama Care aka: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Did you know that the Act mandates employerswith more than 50 workers to provide a room, not a bathroom, in which the female employee can express breast milk for her child as needed. The female is not obligated to work for or otherwise compensate for the time spent on this task. This can be done until the child is one year old.
While small companies with less than 50 workers are ‘exempt’ so to speak, if they make more than $500,000 per year, they too have to abide by the law. The law also requires that any company that provides medical or nursing care services, schools and government agencies abide by the Act. It requires the provision of a private and clean lactation room for mothers of babies younger than one."

While advocacy for breastfeeding is warranted, I guess the notion that everybody must help pay for every woman's choice to breastfeed is in vogue. This notion is consistent with the administration's belief that all must help pay for women's contraception, abortion services and other " health" issues as well. Hmmmm - thoughts?