Baby Formula, Breast Feeding, and Abortion
These three topics sound like they should be separate subjects, but as many people now recognize, there is an overlapping connection between them.
First, the shortage of baby formula: There are many theories of why there is a shortage, but I suspect it is due to all or most of them.
My granddaughter is one of those young mothers having difficulty finding formula for her 11-month-old son. She is being told to switch to cow’s milk, but he has an allergy to cow’s milk. Sometimes there are no easy alternatives to any problem.
Then there are those who demand that women breastfeed, usually from people who have never breastfed an infant.
They scream and insist people breastfeed and then scream that people are breastfeeding in public. These are the same people demanding that abortion be “banned” amidst a baby formula shortage and think that all women can always breastfeed, in any way, and at any time. Their ignorance will cause many mothers and babies to die all the way around. But they don’t seem too concerned with any of that.
Do anti-abortionists not see that banning abortion will not only cause women to die from Illegal back-alley abortions, die in childbirth (yes, this still happens), die from untreated miscarriages, die from abuse from a husband or boyfriend angry at her for bringing in an unwanted child (even if they are responsible for that unwanted child for being born), and other causes.
Banning abortions will cause more children to be born who will need formula, which will further cause shortages. They will be pushing breastfeeding while also condemning breastfeeding while criticizing formula feeding. From forcing women not to have babies to forcing them to have babies against their will and causing children to be born that can’t be fed, can’t be cared for, and are not wanted by either the mother or father. Condemning and insisting that women never have sex until after marriage, and then insisting to never deny sex to your husband or boyfriend. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
But we all know… yes, all, including conservative Christian Republicans, that this has nothing to do with babies and everything with controlling the actions of women, especially the actions of women having sex.
The innocent children will suffer the most from the actions of conservative Christians who claim to be the pro-life party, but there’s nothing in their actions that indicate they are pro-life.
By forcing women to be pregnant against their will, it will also force women not to have the opportunity to explore education, jobs, or a career in political offices. Essentially it keeps women hidden at home and covered up so that no one can see they were women. In addition to forcing the Christian religion on people who have no desire to have it, we might as well be in Iran.
The United States is a secular country with opportunities open for everyone, including women, people of color, LGBTQ and refugees, and immigrants. None of these rights are only allowed for only straight, white Christian men. Using the excuse of pregnancy takes away everything this country stands for.
I don’t think anti-abortionists realize what a Pandora’s Box will be opened up if abortion bans continue, plus the lack of baby formula and assistance that everyone can breastfeed. When it comes to parenting, we need lots of options and open-mindedness as there is never just one way to do anything.