Affluenza??

Affluenza, it reminds me of influenza, is it a disease? I typed the word and a squiggly red line appeared beneath it. Strange, huh? Why is this strange? It's strange because it has recently been used to describe the mental state of a Texas teen who recently killed four people while under the influence of alcohol.

It's common knowledge, you don't drink and drive. You don't drink period, until you're 21 (don't count the sip of wine at church every Sunday, that's different.) So I find it incredibly shocking that a teen who was driving while intoxicated kills four people, and doesn't face prison time.

It was June 2013, and Eric Couch and his friends had left his party (no adults were in attendance) to grab snacks at a convenience store. At the same time, Breanna Mitchell who was returning from work had car troubles and pulled off to the side of the road. She stopped in front a house belonging to the Boyles'. Hollie and Shelby, mother and daughter duo, came outside to help Mitchell contact her mother for assistance.

Brian Jennings, a pastor, was returning from a graduation party on that same road. He was traveling with two family friends' kids. Once he saw the car trouble, he pulled to the side of the road to see if he could help, but he told the two kids with him to stay in the car because he would only be a minute.

As all of this good Samaritan work was going on, Couch was flying down the two lane road, going up to 70 miles per hour. Within minutes he would be tipped over in a ditch, three good Samaritans and an unfortunate young lady would have lost their lives. Couch lived, and walked away facing no consequences, except for a session in rehab paid for by his parents.

So what is affluenza, and how did it allow Couch to walk away scotch free? Affluenza, as claimed by the defense in this 2013 case, is the suggestion that Couch was so spoiled by his parents, that he didn't understand right from wrong. I don't know if I'm allowed to curse on here, but I call a bs.

This is not okay!! There's a fine line between common sense and no common sense. It's common sense to not drink and drive, and it's common sense that everyone should face consequences, regardless of their wealth and "social ranking".

Couch should not have walked with only a prescription for rehab, paid for by his parents. Couch was 16 and drinking, which is unacceptable, and he walked away from four counts of vehicular manslaughter.

It's not surprising that parents spoil their kids. And I don't see anything wrong with them having money, they were successful and they worked hard, but Eric Couch did not. I hear to many teens now a day say that they have so much money. They don't! Their parents do.

I find it unacceptable, that in today's day and age, a teen who killed four people while driving under the influence would be able to walk away facing no consequences. Any other teen would have faced consequences, and if affluenza would have been brought up they would have received a laugh in the face from the judge.

Social hierarchy still exists, not as sharply as it has in the past, but it does. It makes me so upset when the rich and the more "well to do" are able to walk away without facing consequences for their actions. I hope we are able to change this. People shouldn't be granted "special consequences" based on their bank accounts.

I hope this brought some more knowledge to you, and I hope you're able to understand that many people receive special privileges based on their social ranking.

stay peaceful!!