Barbara Walters said, on TV, that she was made "uncomfortable" when a woman seated next to her breastfed her child. Apparently expressing this opinion in a forum as well-respected as The View is TOTALLY unacceptable, and Walters is a bad mother who hates babies. See here for a sample of the insane overreaction.

Can people really not express discomfort about this without prompting "nurse-ins" like the one staged to protest Walters' comment? I'm not opposed to public breastfeeding, but yes, when I see it I do experience a certain "Hey! I didn't expect to see a nipple over there!" reaction. To quote Homer Simpson, "It's not... usual."

I'm easily irritated by rants against ill-defined political correctness, but it really does seem like pro-public-breastfeeding mothers are incredibly easily offended by any opposition to the practice. The only explanation I can come up with is that mothers view this (largely non-existent) debate as an attempt to interfere with their childrearing efforts, which makes something angry and biological kick in. Walters is the hapless camper standing between a grizzly and her cubs.

I realize that this theory is insultingly patronizing, but I really can't come up with a better explanation.