Unless you have been hanging out with the Anointed One in the Oval Office for the past two weeks (that black hole in which information is sucked into a void and no one knows anything), I am sure you have heard about the 16-year-old who mowed down four innocent people while driving drunk. He was raised in a very wealthy environment and his parents allowed him to do whatever he wanted. According to his attorneys, he was never taught right from wrong. Therefore, they contended, he must certainly have suffered from “affluenza”. In my day we just called kids like this spoiled brats and the parents were thought of as self-interested, neglectful jerks. Wonder of wonders, the esteemed Judge fell for their line of bull and sentenced him to 10 years’ probation.

Now, let us put this into perspective. Charles Manson was born to a young, drug-addicted mother who pretty much dumped him on a street corner one day leaving him to his own devices. He was never taught right from wrong. Although he grew up in a poor environment, he was technically allowed to do whatever he wanted. He did time in juvenile detention, was sent to a military school for a hot minute and was involved in the criminal justice system for much of his young adult life. When he killed somewhere around 8 people (or ordered their deaths – however you want to look at it) in a 2 day span, he ended up being sentenced to death, then life without parole, for his crimes. Soooo, is this what “poor-lio” looks like?

I mean – you’re rich and neglected so you go out and get drunk (underage, might I add), kill 4 people who did nothing to deserve a death sentence, leave one of your good friends paralyzed to the point where he can only communicate by blinking his eyes, but you get a slap on the wrist and a cool new defense is born – affluenza. You’re poor and neglected, engage in various criminal behaviors, become an adult and kill 8+ people, get a life sentence and no catchy nickname is used to defend you – like poor-lio.

People with affluenza will never have to pay for their crimes, they will never learn from their mistakes and will most likely end up like Charles Manson or so many others. The only difference is there will probably be a battery of fancy lawyers to get their candy asses off like they have done time and time again. People such as Charles Manson are exactly where they are supposed to be based on the types of crimes they committed. However, had they been loved and guided in life when they were young, perhaps things might not have gone so far. The 16-year-old brat is far from where he belongs and has already murdered 4 people. Had he been loved and given some guidance in his life, perhaps things might not have gone so far.

One thing is obvious, it is better to have affluenza than poor-lio any day.