"You want to pop your titty out and breastfeed this kid?" - Genine ComptonJust when you thought the infant mortality rate was high enough for Black babies, in steps Genine Compton. Just in case you haven't heard of this woman just yet. She was recently ticketed for child endangerment. You see, Genine thought it was a good idea to breast feed her child while driving. Talk about multitasking, right?
Not only did she find it convenient to pop out a titty for her starving malnourished child - she said that her child was hungry and she wasn't going to dare to deny her child food - she was also talking on her cell phone. Now, I sincerely hope this woman was using one of those Blue Tooth headsets. Its bad enough that the baby had to suffer the ordeal of being fed while she's driving and endangering the welfare of said child. But its another thing that she was also using her cell phone.
What destination was so important that this woman could not take the time to stop and feed her child, if the child was in need of a meal? What person on the other end of a phone call was that important at that time? Thank the lord that it was due to the concern of a fellow driver that this woman was caught. You see, it was through the actions of another driver that the police got involved. After the phone call of another motorist was this woman tracked down through license plate information.
I saw this story on CNN Headline News yesterday, and I was shocked that this woman, even with a camera in her face, declare that she did what she thought was right. I promise you, I wanted to chop her in the throat. According to officials, she she faces up to 180 days in jail and a $1,800 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor. As an advocate for breastfeeding, I applaud any woman who takes it upon herself to breast feed in public. But to do so while driving? Well, you could imagine how I feel. I'm just kinda ticked off that this is only a misdemeanor and not a felony.
As I driver, I've seen people do some of the dumbest things while driving. Anything from reading the newspaper, putting on makeup, to even an act of fellatio. Yes, fellatio; I've seen it. All of which are a danger to not only themselves, but to other drivers. But what this woman did, takes the cake in my book. The real tragedy here is that it involved the life of a child. Personally, when it comes to children, I think we must do better.
FULL STORY HERE
If you click the above link, you can hear the recording of the non-emergency police call.
QUESTION(S): Do you think this woman should lose custody of her child the likes of mothers of crack babies? Do you personally think its wrong for a woman to breastfeed a child in public?
9 comments:
Hello everybody. To answer the second question first, public breastfeeding doesn't bother me.
Of course her child shouldn't be taken into care. She is misguided, definitely, to nurse and drive. Just a little education about the dangers involved in having a child unsecured in a vehicle.
If she's committed enough to breastfeed her child, I'm sure she only needs to be notified the child has to be buckled into a car seat for the entire trip.
Let me tell you a story. Many years ago I was leaving my mother's home, setting out on a hour long drive back to mine.
My daughter, eight months old and adorable, was getting hungry.She must have been hitting a growth spurt, we had nursed before we left.
But she was distressed, I was afraid to sit by the side of the road to feed her for several minutes and we were on a road without rest stops or stores.
I put my daughter in the front seat, buckled her into the middle and nursed her for several minutes until she was full enough to doze.
Yes it was wrong. I don't know this situation, but mine was being alone with two young children and not wanting to be on the road at dark.
It happened once, and by the time we hit the road again for any length of time she was eating more solid food.
It's so distressing to hear them cry, and of course I'm sorry it happened. No excuses, it was wrong. Mea culpa.
But there are children left in their parent's care after being physically harmed- that I don't understand, at all.
And there are babies born every day who will not have parents committed and responsive enough to breastfeed them.
And to take a child away from a loving parent for one mistake, especially when no harm came of it? That would be a crime.
Every species of the animal kingdom breastfeed their young when and were ever the need arrives and with out any problem. This once was consider a natural act for mothers many years ago...Our society have decided it's not right.
But I will agree driving why breastfeeding is wrong plus talking on the phone was just stupid.
I feel like she could have found an alternative for her child to receive breast milk. Such as pump it out and put it into a bottles when she travels with the baby. Otherwise, she could have stayed home and breastfed. Yes, it was surely dangerous to have the baby behind the wheel and on the phone. Whomever it was could have left her a damn voicemail message.
Hopefully she learns a valuable lesson from this madness.
I'm the mother of four. All were exclusively breastfed until the age of two, the last one till nearly three. I nursed everywhere and anytime they required it. Yep, on occasion even while driving. No cell phone though. Fuck all you privacy-invading, you-know-what's-right-best-and-safe-for-me-and-mine mickeyfickeys! Mandating safety, y'all irk the hell outta me. I'm not a parent by accident. It took us almost three yrs to have #1. Three of my four are talented/gifted. They have never eaten a school lunch - sack lunch prepared from home with love. I'm not going to even pretend that I feel like nursing and driving was wrong. Just like anything else. If it bothers you then don't do it.
I'm pretty serious about my children being in car seats in moving vehicles if I can help it. If my son needs to nurse, I will pull over or get off the highway altogether, take care of him and then secure him back in the car seat. But then again, I also don't talk on my cell phone while driving unless I absolutely have to and have an earpiece. If not, I pull over. Especially if I'm driving with my kids.
As for there second question, there is absolutely nothing wrong or obscene about breastfeeding--anytime, anywhere. If it bothers you to see it, turn away. That being said, I'm not one to pop the whole thing out to nurse. Generally, I can nurse so naturally and seamlessly that unless you are really staring, you wouldn't even know.
I'm always baffled that this society is so prudish when it comes to breastfeeding yet half naked girls parade around on TV and no one bats an eye.
I don't think they should go as far as to take her child away but I think maybe she needs to take some parenting classes so she understands that she needs to make sure the child is always safe. That's her duty as a mother.
breast feeding in public is not an issue with me
however..
driving and doing anything else is...
my rule is if you cannot do it while walking.. don't do it while driving..
reaction times are significantly lowered when another activity is brought into the mix - even talking to a passenger, smoking a cigarette, talking on the phone, changing radio channels.. those seconds where your eyes are not on the road - you are not in full control of the vehicle...
Brother... I used to tell my children, Don't try to make a wrong right. Driving is a ultra dangerous task, so no amount of rationaliztion can make your activity right. What I would like to happen is when society sully the images of the Black women in her "survivor mode", this is the behavoir of someone overwhelmed,to include her male partner that has deserted obligation. Her response was that of someone trying to stay afloat.
I don't mind if a hot chick breast feeds her baby in public as long as I can get some off the other side, ya dig. I'm gettin old and I need calcium in case this osteoporosis sets in LOL.
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