Articles written by Paul Elam

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About me - Paul Elam

Being born in the mid 50's, I grew up in a much different world than we live in today. My father was career military, serving faithfully through two wars and bearing the scars to prove it. My mother served as well, being an army wife and raising three boys.

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Society & Lifestyle > Feminism & Women's Rights Should US companies be required to provide equal pay to women and men?: 1 of 55

To answer this we must first get the question stated more accurately. The question really asks, "Should we force companies to pay based on sex rather than performance?"Of course the correct answer is "no," at least for people who want to live in a culture free of sexism, especially when that sexism is mandated by the state. G... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Gender Issues Is equality something men and women really want?: 1 of 35

The quest for equality is perhaps the greatest example of the neurotic human chasm between what we claim to want and what we really want. It is like people who say they want to skydive, and they really believe it, but just until they take that first look out of the plane.Sure, some people do it. But then again, how many peopl... More..
Relationships & Family > Children & Divorce In divorce, should the father have equal custody rights to his children?: 4 of 110

It is in one way ironic that we put troubled families into the hands of lawyers; the one profession certain to turn any manageable conflict into a war zone. One the other hand, a wise man once said if you want something destroyed.Courtrooms, the one place on the planet other than congress where cockroaches aren't afraid of th... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Police & Prisons Should all sex offenders have to register: 1 of 19

At sixteen, Ricky Blackman was fairly typical of teen-age boys. He loved sports, especially basketball and football, and played them well enough to have realistic hopes for a scholarship. He liked socializing and hanging out with his friends. And girls. Of course there were always the girls.His Middle American upbringing prod... More..
Relationships & Family > Male / Female Communication Styles Are young women today being taught how to respect relationships?: 1 of 17

There is an incalculable amount of advice in this world instructing women on how to get what they want from men. Scarcely is there and issue of COSMO or a host of other women's magazines that doesn't have and article on how to find the right man, how to get and keep the right man; how to make that man love you, how to drive t... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenting (Other) Should fathers be able to opt out of parenthood?: 2 of 27

In a culture that advocates freedom of choice and freedom from sexism, we have the peculiar and hypocritical habit of extending these ideals only to women when it comes to decisions about what happens when a sexual union results in a pregnancy.Such is the gender insanity that rules the day.On first glance it makes sense. It i... More..
Health & Fitness > Alzheimer's and Dementia Living with Alzheimers: 1 of 13

It was February, and I drove through Athens into the heart of east Texas with a cold wind blowing dead leaves and debris across the highway. The sky, dark and moody, mimicked the turmoil in my heart."Just talk to him," Jim had said. "There is much you have to say and you won't have many more chances.""You just don't f*cking g... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Changing gender stereotypes: 2 of 21

Recently I went on a whale watching trip in the Straights of Juan de Fuca in Washington State. The boat was captained by a woman and the mechanic on board was also female.There were, in fact, whales on the trip. We spotted the fin of an Orca about nine hundred yards off the port side. The picture I got looks like a turtle sti... More..
Health & Fitness > Mental Illness The effects of childhood sexual abuse: 3 of 29

Amy sat across from me in one of the two Queen Anns. She looked vacantly at the floor and her shoulders slumped downward, as if ready to collapse under the weight of a hard life. She used a pale finger to absently toy with a strand of hair that hung by her cheek and was silent save the sound of her breathing. She was the thir... More..
Business > Human Resources Assessing equality: Trends in pay scales for men and women: 1 of 6

Pay equity is one of the last battles in a gender war that started with women's suffrage and eventually raged through the 60's and 70's. Unfortunately, it is a battle that continues for naught.All the fighting is predicated on the notion that women earn less than men for the same work. Depending on who you listen to the actua... More..