Editor's Note: Professor Locs, aka Charles Easley, is an educator who explores race, class, gender, sexuality, media and popular culture with humor and insight. His column is published here each Wednesday. Opinions expressed are solely his own. Click here to read his blog.

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Historically and culturally, we have been obsessed with the female form, especially breast. We see this in classical art that depicts voluptuous women reclining in sensual poses, and we see it as well in more modern constructs, such as Dolly Parton and Pamela Anderson.

So if we are so fascinated with the female form, why do we become squeamish when we have to deal with the practicality of that form?

I saw this contradiction played out recently in two news stories about two different women in two different cities. The stories reminded me of the opening line in Charles Dickens’ famous novel, “A Tale of Two Cities.”

Dickens’ novel chronicles the years leading up to the French Revolution and begins like this: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness….”

I saw revolutionary thought and some immediate similarities between Dickens’ “Tale” and the stories of the two women and their unique experiences with breastfeeding. If we had to have a working title, we could call our story “A Tale of Two Women and Four Breast.” (Ok, I agree it needs some work…lol.)

Anyway, the first story involved a mother on public transportation feeding her baby. Afrykayn Moon, 32, was minding her own business and breastfeeding her son on a bus outside of Detroit. This natural act obviously took the SMART bus driver over the edge because he ordered her to cover up or get off.

Michigan has a public-indecency law, but Moon was well within her rights to breastfeed and ignored the drivers’ demand. (Holy receiving blankets, Batman, this confrontation could get ugly!)

This confrontation did get uglier: The driver would not leave the bus stop until the baby was done feeding.

Maybe it’s me, but I’m more creeped out by a male stranger staring at a breastfeeding mom than I am about the actual breastfeeding.

The driver finally continued the route, but security was called and boarded the bus to question the woman at the next stop.

It has been a minute since I was on public transportation, but I do recall some women boarding in very revealing outfits, young men literally showing their butts with pants sagging and a symphony of loud, foul and downright inappropriate conversation, but this driver chooses to make an example of a nursing mother. Go figure.

I told you these stories included revolutionary thought. Moon and other women from the Detroit area will stage a "nurse-in" at SMART facilities in Troy, MI, and Taylor, MI. Mothers will nurse their babies in lawn chairs to support Moon in a kind of lactating sit-in…smile.

Now to continue my Dickens’ analogy. Next we explore a story that deals with absolute foolishness.

I tell my students all the time to use their powers for good not evil. Well, an Ohio woman used her breast to commit a pretty evil, if not bizarre, deed.

According to the Delaware County sheriff's office, Stephanie Robinette, 30, was arrested and charged with domestic violence and assault linked to a domestic dispute, as well as disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Robinette’s husband told authorities that his wife got drunk at a wedding, got into a dispute, assaulted him multiple times before she locked herself in their car. (I know a real classy dame…lol.)

Sheriff Walter Davis said that when police approached the car to question the woman she begin to yell profanities and refused to get out.

This is where it gets really bizarre. Davis said, "When deputies attempted to remove Robinette from the vehicle, she advised the deputies that she was a breastfeeding mother and proceeded to remove her right breast from her dress and began spraying deputies and the vehicle with her breast milk.”

I wonder what the police radio monitor sounded like:

Officer: “Ma’am we need you to calmly exit the vehicle.”

Woman: (Reaches into her blouse and removes right breast) “I am a breastfeeding Mom, and I am not afraid to use this.”

Officer: (on radio) “We have a situation. The perp is armed and dangerous. Approach with caution!”

Woman: “Tell your guys to get back. I didn’t express any milk this morning, so I am locked and loaded.”

Officer: (radio) “Officer Garcia, do you have a clear view? If so bring down the perp.”

Radio: Lot of yelling and chaos as Officer Garcia attempts to remove woman from car.

Woman: “I told you to get back. Take this!” (Woman skeet’s Officer Garcia squarely in the eye.)

Officer: “The perp is subdued, but Officer Garcia is down! I repeat Officer Garcia is down! I need wet wipes, STAT!”

How can we on one hand objectify the female form but get so freaked out when we see it being used for something as natural as breastfeeding?

I know I am still traumatized by an incident from my youth: When I was a boy, I sat in church one day next to a woman who just whipped out one of the girls, right there in the pew, and started breastfeeding. To this day, I still start sweating every time I hear the hymn “Come Ye Disconsolate,”….lol.

I know I am not alone, so please comment or share if you have a favorite “Tale of Two Breastfeeding” story….smile.

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