Generakos’ Death

As the mother of a special-needs child, I am appalled about, but understanding of, the tragedy surrounding the shooting of Michael P. Generakos in Orange County (Nov. 24). My autistic son is 13 years old, but his father still has a hard time coping with his disability. I came to realize that there is not a lot of information specifically targeted for fathers and how they can cope with a child’s disability. Men deal with it differently from women.

A disability puts a strain on a marriage, and more often than not leads to divorce or separation. It doesn’t help that the conditions of custody are unfairly biased in favor of women, even in cases where the father has been providing for the child’s emotional, physical and educational well-being.

I am not condoning Generakos’ actions; I think he was selfish and wrong in his use of violence and is atypical of most fathers. But we must all understand the frustration of men who are good fathers but who are subject to a system that does not regard their rights as being important as women’s.

FLORA STEWART

Los Angeles