Barstow Beauty Queen’s ‘Ludicrous’ Arrest
“The Short, Sad Reign of Miss Barstow” (June 28), about the teen vandals in Barstow, makes me shudder. Any reasonable father in such circumstances would have made the errant teens clean up the mess and apologize.
Had Emily Arnold “keyed” the car or done other real damage, then Sgt. Stan Clair’s response likely would have been appropriate. But in the circumstances, he grossly overreacted and used his authority as a CHP officer to do so.
The even greater issue is the over-response of his CHP staff with three--count ‘em, three--squad cars showing up. This would be laughable except that we all know of the chronic shortage of CHP units to enforce order and safety on our state highways.
As a lifelong California resident I have been troubled over the years by a pattern of the CHP trying so hard to be G-men at the expense of its taxpayer-mandated highway safety mission.
Wally Roberts
San Clemente
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I want to commend Sgt. Clair and the CHP for their courageous takedown of Miss Barstow. Few people know or even care about the growing epidemic of teenage beauty queens run amok. Just yesterday I caught one scribbling “wash me” with her finger on the dusty windshield of my car. Sgt. Clair, where were you and your three squad cars of brave highway patrolmen when I needed you?
Mark Herder
Van Nuys
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Kudos to The Times for recognizing abuse of power and its impact on the life of a person who can think of nothing worse to say about her school rival than that she is mean. And kudos to the editor who placed the story on the front page.
Shame on Clair, shame on the Kiwanis Club and shame on half the citizens of Barstow. Just once I would love to see a big fish in a small bowl get what he deserves. In a perfect world, Clair would be reprimanded by the CHP and kicked off the school board.
By all means, get out of town, Emily Arnold. Go to where you can continue to excel.
Mark Espenschied
Aliso Viejo
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I would not describe Arnold as sad. At the age of 18, she has intelligence, ambition, poise, beauty and the wisdom to walk away from a situation that at best would be described as ludicrous. Let’s hope that she uses equal wisdom in parlaying this instant fame into a productive career. If she chooses to write anything else to the Clairs, maybe it should be, “Thank you.”
Jonathan D. Kaunitz
Santa Monica