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The 3 Minute Activist
The State Journal (June 01, 2020).

Let opinion writer Chris Stirewalt and the Editor of The State Journal newspaper know you think Stirewalt has it wrong in his editorial and you support breastfeeding legislation in West Virginia. .

Participating is easy, just fill in your name and email address and add anything to the letter that you'd like, and press the submit button at the bottom.

Name:
Email:
Subject:

The State Journal 13 Kanawha Blvd. West Suite 100 Charleston, WV 25302 Dear Editors of The State Journal and Chris Stirewalt, I am writing in response to the May 25th opinion piece "Lactation Today, Tomorrow, Forever" http://statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=11147&catid=159 Stirewalt seems to think the efforts to protect nursing mothers and nursing babies from harassment are a waste of tax payer money and government's time. I would like to correct him. Support for this law is not solely the effort of a few "do gooders" as Stirewalt purports. Rather, a visit to mommasmilk.com shows that the West Virginia Child's Right to Nurse Act is the work of an alliance of parents, healthcare providers, organizations, and citizens across the state and nation. Groups ranging from the West Virginia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics to the West Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy challenge the legislature to back breastfeeding by enacting legislation to protect it. Perhaps Stirewalt is not familiar with threats mothers receive and the effect they have on the initiation and duration of breastfeeding in the West Virginia population. These situations are common place: a mother eating lunch in a restaurant is told she "Cannot do *that* here"; A mother watching her older child swimming is told to cover-up and "Other children might see *that*"; A mother in a grocery store is told to "Do *that* in the bathroom", etc. Maybe a mother has indeed been told she needs to leave a Radio Shack store as Stirewalt imagines. Mothers begin thinking these harassers are correct and breastfeeding in public is illegal. Mothers need to clearly know the law is on their side when threatened with violations of indecent exposure or nudity as they provide nourishment to their baby. Breastfeeding in public in West Virginia is legal. The proposed legislation is needed to reinforce this matter so the general public knows it is acceptable. Stirewalt seems to think working this breastfeeding legislation is mutually exclusive of working on tax code legislation. Federal and state governments spend millions to promote breastfeeding and many have acted to protect their investment with legislation protecting the rights of breastfeeding moms. It is time for West Virginia to follow suit. As Stirewalt must know, this investment actually saves him, and other tax payers, money with every mother whom initiates and continues breastfeeding. Harassment and lack of support have discouraged many women from breastfeeding even when they know use of supplementation is detrimental to the health of their children. Federal and state governments spend millions to promote breastfeeding and many have acted to protect their investment with legislation protecting the rights of breastfeeding moms. It is time for West Virginia to follow suit. Sincerely,
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The 3 Minute Activist The State Journal (June 01, 2020).

The 3 Minute Activist
The State Journal (June 01, 2020).