Friday, March 12, 2010
Legislature / Phillips Wiping Out the Non-Existent eBay Breast Milk Trade
Posted by Betsy Phillips on Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 5:26 AM
So let me get this straight. We're supposed to believe that women exist in Tennessee who are savvy enough to use eBay to buy breast milk, but stupid enough to give anonymous unscreened breast milk to their kids? And that Tennessee women are desperate enough to sell their breast milk on eBay?
So much so that we need a law against it?
"State Rep. Joe Towns Jr. said he's seen reports of people selling breast milk on eBay."
Please.
Who are these women in Tennessee in such dire financial straits that they are pumping their breasts for strangers, but at the same time can also afford a computer and Internet access -- let alone spare time from breast-feeding their own kid(s) in order to run a breast-feeding Internet enterprise?
Hell, how do they even ship the breast milk? The start-up costs on a breast-milk business have got to be enormous. Even if you're just selling it to people you know, you've got the outlay for coolers and containers. That's not cheap.
I defy State Rep. Joe Towns Jr. to name me one woman who is doing this in this state. Hell, I defy Towns to show me one sale of this sort taking place on eBay right now at all. And should he, by chance, find such a sale (there are none at the time of this writing), I challenge him to show how it affects Tennesseans.
I know y'all get excited up there when you think it's been too long between laws regulating what women can do with our bodies. And this bill shows the whole scope of anxieties that Tennessee legislators have about their women constituents in one neat package -- we're always looking to harm babies, we're always working a scam (selling breast milk, passing off babies that aren't yours as yours, etc.). But come on, people, please. This is a solution in search of a problem.
Is it really too much to ask that legislators show something is actually happening before they legislate against it?
Or are all urban legends fair game for legislative attention?
Comments (9)
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I just searched ebay. I was shocked, shocked, to find at least 5 (OMG 5!) listings for fresh breast milk storage trays. Whatever is this nation coming to that some slime ball feels free to sell fresh breast milk storage trays on ebay. You would think that such carrying on would be relegated to back alleys where no decent people could see the word breast.
Hasn't our State got enough real issues without this sort of idiot grandstanding?
Just for grins and giggles I looked up "breast milk sales ebay" using a well known search engine. I got this result:
http://blisstree.com/live/ebay-responds-about-breast-milk-auctions/?utm_source=blisstree&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=b5hubs_migration
If this person is to be believed, someone actually did try to sell breast milk on ebay. Of course, a simple e mail seems to have solved the problem.
Maybe he should move on to greener pastures and sponsor a bill prohibiting the sale of votes to wealthy campaign contributors.
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It is kinda telling that they want to ban selling breast milk, but buying it is allowed. Now you just have to get your breast milk from out of state.
Breast milk is used quite often for medical reasons, especially in neonatal ICU's.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/118/1/e115
If someone wants it for some other reason they are entitled to all the problems they encounter.
I'm convinced our state legislature would make for the best half-hour comedy show on television.
Where are the daring TV producers to make this a reality?
Auntie, you've just given me a bang-up idea for a new internet business. "Dial a Wet Nurse." Gotta' design a new website for it. Am open to suggestions. Think I'll make it a contest. Winner earns points toward services.
That oughta' start some of our renowned legislative solons salivating. To say nothing of Ronal and his merry men. Just imagine the fun vice officers would have with that one.
I think Joe Towns was just looking for an excuse to say "breast."
{ titters }
{ pun intended }
Oh, and I guess Rep. Towns won't be eating at Klee next time he visits New York City.
The head chef has been making cheese from his wife's breast milk.
