Mississippi – A 76-year-old woman has created controversy yesterday, by breastfeeding her 42-year-old son in the middle of a KFC restaurant. Many customers of the fast food joint would of complained about the incident and prompted Linda Berrety and her son, Michael, to leave the establishment. Both finally got expelled.This unusual episode has sparked strong reactions on social medias and provoked a huge debate on the limits of breastfeeding in public places, while many customers present at the time of the event seem to have seen a gesture of sexual nature and incest, rather than a gesture of maternal concern.
“What in God’s name was that?” claims Ali Belfouz, a customer who witnessed the whole scene. “I have nothing against breastfeeding, but that was pure nonsense. I felt like if I was watching some fetish type of porno. You have to be insane to breastfeed your child at that age. They should of got arrested for gross indecency rather then getting expelled.”
“It’s my right as a mother to breastfeed my child,” says Mrs. Berrety. “If people don’t agree with the way I raise my son, that’s their problem. I have raised a great man, beautiful, tall, who still lives and stays with me. I think I’ve done a great job as a mother and don’t appreciate getting insulted and expelled just because I decided to breastfeed my child a little longer than other mothers.”
In front of the controversy sparked by the incident, KFC spokesperson Jocelyn Binoy quickly reacted and apologized to Mrs. Berrety and her son, and promises to condemn the decision of the manager to expel them.
The chances of winning of the 76-year-old woman would be pretty excellent, according to many legal experts. Since 1976, the United States Bill of Rights prevents all discrimination against women breastfeeding in public, that at many occasions, merchants were condemned to pay important fines to women who were asked to stop breastfeeding or expelled for doing so.
