"When a soldier becomes pregnant or causes a soldier to become pregnant through consensual activity, the redeployment of the pregnant soldier creates a void in the unit and has a negative impact on the unit’s ability to accomplish its mission," an Army spokesman said. (emphasis mine)The wording is quite striking and I have to think that, as it was no doubt run through a battery of lawyers, it is intentional. Rape is a felony, so the rapists don't get off scot-free (if they are caught). But the women get punished in any event, whether or not the sex act was consensual. And since the Republicans have manged to outlaw abortions at military hospitals, the women have no choice in that regard, as well.
(H/T)
Next step, it'll be illegal to have been born female. Punishment: To wear a burka when in public.
ReplyDeleteI think the phrasing is unclear. I believe the clause "through consensual activity" applies to both the pregnant soldier and the impregnating one.
ReplyDeleteIt's a stupid rule. I understand the frustration, but women in the Army's key employment demographic have a tendency to get knocked up. All other employers have to deal with it and, in fact, they can be sued if they retaliate against an employee that gets pregnant. That doesn't stop them from finding ways to do it, though.
Women facing disciplinary action will respond in various ways. Some will stoically accept their fate, some will be defiant, and some will file a false rape charge to muddy the waters and evade punishment. There will be lawsuits and appeals to Congress and shrill TV newsmagazine segments with pregnant women shedding the heartbreaking tears of injured motherhood and men claiming false accusation due to the Army's coercion.
And how will this affect morale? The Army's resort to punishment is an indication of just how widespread the problem is. Try as they might, they're not going to keep twenty-year-olds away from drunken hookups. The proximate risks of unprotected sex are pregnancy and venereal disease; adding the marginal risk of a dishonorable discharge is not going to suddenly make young people act sensibly.