Letters: Too little aid for battered women
Left to right, Lawyer Michael Dowd, Barbara Sheehan, her son Raymond Sheehan, and daughter Jennifer Joyce after Barbara was found not guilty of second-degree murder of her husband Raymond. State Supreme Court building in Kew Gardens, Queens New York. October 6, 2011. Pool photo by Uli Seit Credit: Photo by Uli Seit
Barbara Sheehan's husband had a loaded gun next to him as he shaved ["Bullets are the wrong way out of a marriage," Opinion, Oct. 11]. How many times has Newsday published accounts of women with restraining orders being killed by their abusers? Restraining orders are a joke if an abuser wants to kill; obviously, the abuser finds a way.
She will probably serve time for gun possession, and that is enough. A jury of her peers has spoken, so be it.
I do not condone violence, but can understand this woman's terror and helplessness. He probably would have killed her before she had an opportunity to call 9-1-1.
Her children came to her defense; I'm sure they were privy to their father's violence. Columnist Anne Michaud should not be judging shoes she hasn't walked in.
Anne Setteducate, Coram
The last sentence in Anne Michaud's opinion piece states that "society has worked hard to ensure that battered women don't have to resort to violence, too." What information does Michaud have that I don't know about? Does she mean that battered women are hidden in safe houses? Or maybe they are going undercover with their children in tow?
As an activist for women's rights for more than 40 years, I think she missed the boat on this one. Women in the United States are still being killed by their significant others at the rate of three per day.
It's about time women took care to protect themselves, whatever they must do. They are tired of waiting for "society" to protect them.
Marilyn Fitterman, East Hampton
Editor's note: The writer is the former president of the National Organization for Women of New York State.
