"I've given birth to five babies, and I've breastfed every single one of these babies. To think that the government has to go out and buy my breast pump for my babies, I mean, you wanna talk about a nanny state -- I think you just got the new definition of nanny state," Bachmann told Ingraham.
Anyone should be proud that Bachmann breastfed all five of her kids. Surely it was nice she had a husband at her side and financial security enough to stay at home while she took care of her children.
Not all mothers in the United States have that luxury. Single motherhood has risen meteorically in the United States. The number of single mothers grew from three million in 1970 to more than 10 million in 2003 according to census data posted to Project Single Moms.
It's OK for Bachmann to breastfeed her own children, but far be it from a poor single mother to try to have the same thing for her children. Something simple as breastfeeding, a healthy choice for both mother and baby, shouldn't be a political issue. But here it is. It's OK for affluent mothers to breastfeed but it's not for the poor.
What's disturbing is the way Bachmann said it. She insinuated the government is forcing mothers to buy breast pumps because the IRS is allowing a tax incentive. How come Bachmann didn't complain about mortgages? The IRS allows a tax incentive for mortgage interest, yet less than half of all housing units in the
United States required a mortgage in 2000.
Bachmann's not complaining about how the IRS is allegedly forcing citizens to buy houses with a long-term mortgage. The reason Bachmann said she's against the IRS funding breastfeeding is because First Lady Michelle Obama plans on touting the program for African American mothers and working moms.
Why stop at breastfeeding? Bachmann may well have said local school districts allow horrible books on the shelves of their libraries for kids to read. The government shouldn't give seniors a prescription drug discount, unemployed shouldn't get government checks and Social Security should go away.
The point is just because the IRS says there are tax deductions for certain items, it doesn't mean citizens must do it just to have a tax deduction. It's an option--just like reading a book, driving a car or choosing prescription medication.
She's also a proponent of defunding Planned Parenthood because the organization provides abortions for women. Yet Bachmann offers no alternative--no free condom distribution and no funding for sex education to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first place.
Raising a child who is healthier and smarter due to breastfeeding should actually save the government money in the long term. The child will get a better education, get a better job and stay off the welfare rolls.
Bachmann fears a "nanny state" when she talks about funding breastfeeding but she seems to miss long-term implications of breastfeeding. Healthier moms and healthier kids due to breast milk only betters our entire society and keeps them less dependent upon the government for the same handouts about which Bachmann complains.
Rep. Bachmann is a woman herself yet curiously many of her conservative stances against abortions and now even breastfeeding seem to be anti-woman.
*This clown of a politician is a hot political mess! Anytime your dead set against a "mother" potentially getting a tax break for breastfeeding and raising healthy humans, you have to be INSANE! Whoever listens to or believes anything that Michelle Bachmann has to say is INSANE also. She lies bad and is out to wreak havoc across America. This chick is clearly out of touch with being a mother, (even though she is one) and with living in America. How in the hell can you be against something that can potentially help mothers care for their families? All in all, Michelle Bachmann doesn't have a clue about what mother's of today are facing. She is out to destroy and promote nonsense all so she can be famous and profit. Again, she's a very ignorant politician in so many ways, and someone needs to put a sock in her nonsense*
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