One may speculate that since becoming pregnant is outlawed, consensual sex also is disallowed — a good way to just cut the head off the problem and issue — but this is not the case. Consensual sex between single servicemen and women serving in Iraq is permitted. The act is allowed, but not the potential results. After extensive outcry from all over the political spectrum and the public, the military has rescinded the incarceration portion of the ban, now stating that it was only intended to act as a prevention method and would never actually be used.

Well, then why even include it in the first place? Many might argue that becoming pregnant interferes with one’s capacity to perform her duty, which is accurate, but better methods exist to discourage pregnancies rather than jailing women. The carrot can be more effective than the whip. This is something that the military has been slow to realize.

Encouraging the practice of safe sex through education and increasing the availability of birth control could have the same effect without adding a nasty taste to the public’s palate. Regardless of the alternative prevention options, anything would have been better than jailing pregnant women. Not only was the idea behind this policy sexist and fundamentally flawed, but it represents a larger disconnect between what the top brass of the military view as good policy ideas and the actual reality of those options, and generally a reluctance to change old ways.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell,” a policy that communicates taciturn homophobia while also granting silent approval, is arguably the greatest indicator of this disconnect. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” allows gays to serve in the military only if they don’t “tell” anyone and in turn the military won’t “ask” anything (I’m not sure who came up with the name, but they were just oozing with creativity).

Gays secretly serve in the military and the world hasn’t imploded, the command structure hasn’t fallen apart and there hasn’t been a complete breakdown of discipline. Life goes on, but as soon as an individual is found “out of the closet” the military is required to discharge that individual, as if suddenly they couldn’t do their job as well as they did when they were secretly gay.

Of the 26 NATO nations, 22 allow gays to openly serve. Once again, the United States is lagging behind, and it is costing us. Since 1993, an estimated $363 million has been spent on replacing the 9,488 servicemen affected by the policy. Despite criticism from nearly all sides, the policy stands. The disconnect continues to grow, and little is being done to change it.

Military policy makers continue to create policies that don’t make sense and do little except tarnish this nation’s military image. The removal of the jailing clause could be called progress, but the fact that it ever was included is frightening. I can only imagine what I’ll see next time I turn on the 24-hour news stations. Maybe I’ll just see the typical news rabble. One can only hope.

Matt Manning is a State News guest columnist and international relations junior. Reach him at mannin84@msu.edu.