An Open Letter to Fort Worth, Texas Magazine

To Whom it May Concern,
I am still appalled by the Op/Ed article published in your magazine’s latest edition (Read it here: http://fwtx.com/blogs/fwvoice/distracting-behavior). I know that you have received numerous e-mails and Facebook messages regarding it (including one from me) and I received your form letter in response. I didn’t appreciate the way you halfheartedly apologized with “The opinions of our columnists do not always reflect the views of our magazine at large.” To be honest, that’s ridiculous. It concerns me that your magazine will publish articles that may not reflect the views of the publication. I know that is not exactly what you said, but the inference is there.
I was contacted by Dallas/Fort Worth’s Channel 8 to be interviewed about the article (it didn’t happen because of other breaking news) and while nervous, I was excited to share my opinions. Let me share with you what would have been broadcast over the news.
The article upset me on many levels. First, I am a nursing mother and a Christian. I have nursed both of my babies in church (both in nursing mother’s rooms/cry rooms and in the service). Comparing me nursing a child in church to busting out a tuna fish sandwich during the opening prayer is obnoxious. I feel like the list of comparisons are a stretch when you look to tie them back to breastfeeding in church. Honestly, though, this isn’t my only problem with the article.
Mothering is hard. Parenting is hard. The “Mommy Wars” are something we should be fighting against. We should be supporting each other and loving on each other. Breastfeeding mothers need support.  Bottlefeeding mothers need support.  We should be helping each other grow as parents though love (I’m pretty sure Jesus would approve of this). We should build community through our actions, especially in church. We should not be tearing each other down by criticizing a mother for feeding her baby (and thus preventing “Disruptive Children”, a distracting behavior listed in the article).
I know that kindness and love don’t sell like chaos and mayhem and hot topics do, but I think our world could use a little more of both. Maybe you have accomplished your goal by printing and electronically publishing Distracting Behavior; I am writing about it. If that’s the case, well done. Maybe next time we can work together to build up our parenting community.
Sincerely,
That Mama