Reaction of Politicians to Oil Spill Along Coast

Todd Bonnet, who makes his living surfing professionally, was arrested Feb. 10 for surfing in the oil-filled ocean off Huntington Beach.

As a taxpayer and a 16-year law enforcement officer, the picture of this young man with his arm twisted up behind his back being forcibly arrested made me angry.

The fact that this heinous crime made the front page of the Orange County Edition (Feb. 11) was even more astounding. On the same date in a special section, there is a picture approximately 10 times larger showing a dory fisherman (with his boat at the water’s edge). Why wasn’t he arrested?

Could it be that a surfer’s low-paying job is not perceived as important as a steadily paid fisherman? Could it be that big business, i.e., restaurants and the fish market depend on the fisherman, whereas the surfer has no such backing?

One could argue that the fisherman was “working” and not “having fun.” Who is to say that surfing practice is “fun,” especially in smelly, oil-saturated water? The fact that Todd was held in jail for five hours after the incident is disgusting. The reason he was arrested was to “protect” him from the potentially dangerous effects of the oil.

I am sure that a thorough explanation of the health hazards and the warning that it could potentially, permanently end his surfing career would have been enough to deter this young surfer from continuing to practice.

How many taxpayer dollars will be spent on such a case? One must consider the judge’s salary, the clerk’s salary, the bailiff’s salary and the district attorney’s salary. The jails are crowded enough without this kind of “justice.”

MARK ABELL

Orange