Should pregnant agents in the police force, FBI, CIA, etc. be permitted to work

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   danielleantoszposted 12 years ago

   Should pregnant agents in the police force, FBI, CIA, etc. be permitted to work in the field?
   
   Women working in the field in the military and agencies such as FBI, CIA and the US Marshals is actually quite new in the history of the US. But how should pregnant women be treated  when they are working in the field?  This assumes they would be in danger of being shot at, etc.  What do you think?

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2. 0

   .josh.posted 12 years ago

   Wow, I can understand why people aren't jumping out of their seats to attack this question - I can see it becoming controversial... especially since I'm going to say no. I think it's quite problematic. I am by no means a sexist - I'm far closer to being a feminist than being on the other side of the fence - but there are a lot of reasons why putting her in the field would be a bad idea. For the sake of brevity, I'll just give you one, and let others chime in.
   
   In all reality, the truth is that while she might be fully there mentally (and perhaps even emotionally), she's not at her physical peak while pregnant. This is a job where mistakes can cost lives, and if she can't keep up - or perhaps she's cautious at the wrong time because of the child - that could put another person's life in jeopardy. I absolutely believe the job should be kept for her, but I don't think she can adequately fulfill her duties while pregnant.
   
   I won't even get into the societal reaction if something were to happen to her, but that would also likely be an issue.

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3. 61

   Jonesy0311posted 12 years ago

   I think it's perfectly acceptable to implement a policy which takes pregnant women out of the field and places them on limited or modified duty. If you want to stay in the field, don't get pregnant. I served four years in the Marine infantry and can honestly say that I enjoyed not having to work in the field with any women, ever, at all. But hey, if they want to get shot at and play Wonder Women, let them. I have no respect for any of the agencies that you just mentioned (except the military) so I could really care less about their safety.

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4. 74

   danielleantoszposted 12 years ago

   yes, it is kind of a sticky question!  Actually I agree with you Josh, even though I do believe that women should be treated the same as men in every other aspect (For example, I think women should be required to register for the draft the same as men).  Setting aside the physical limitations later in pregnancy, when you add another life into the mix I think it is just too risky.

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5. 58

   myinjuryattorneyposted 12 years ago

   This is really an interesting question. For me, they should not permitted to work in their field  in that situation. Because her work could not only her life but also the life of her baby in her womb.

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