Family
Jun. 22, 2026
How a generation of fathers built character
A Father's Day reflection on the tough-love generation of dads whose quiet sacrifices, humor and hard-earned wisdom shaped their children for life.
Lou Shapiro
Email: LouisJShapiro@Gmail.com
Louis, a former Los Angeles County Public Defender, is a criminal defense attorney and State Bar-certified criminal law specialist out of Century City. He is also a legal analyst, board member of the California Innocence Project and Project For The Innocence at Loyola Law School, CACJ and LACBA'S Criminal Justice Executive Committee.
Father's Day is, of course, a time to pause and thank our fathers for what they provided us--whether they are still with us or have passed on to the next world. It is also worth taking a moment to reflect on how different parenting is today from when we were kids, and whether we are better for it.
Growing up in Los Angeles in the 1980s was a good time. Kids still played in parks and people on the right and left could share a beer together. After they got married, my parents to...
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