Three years ago, one man’s Ford F-350 went missing. This F-350 was, unbeknownst to the man, being driven by his son, who had seven other individuals in the car with him. They made a stop at a convenience store, stole liquor, and drank it in the car. Speeding down a 40-mph street at 70 miles per hour, the man’s teenage son, Ethan Couch, struck and killed four individuals.

Fast forward two years, and Ethan Couch is in the national news for a second time, on the run from law enforcement in Mexico. Couch had made a successful plea in court for rehabilitation over punishment, as a result of impaired decision-making ability stemming from a childhood of wealth where responsibility and accountability were never taught nor learned. This claim of “Affluenza” sparked debate across the nation on what privilege is, and how it impacts those with wealth or status.

Using “affluenza” as an excuse for a mistake is a spit in the face on everyone who has worked hard, or has had a goal of an American dream. Privilege needs a purpose, a channel to utilize its occurrence. Privilege ensures access to an education, and a childhood in a safe area. Both of these attributes mean those growing up in privilege don’t need to commit crime in order to survive, which can be a motivation for some to break the law.

Growing up in America, one learns about laws. The credibility of these laws, and the likelihood you adhere to them, rises exponentially with your wealth. This runs directly counter to the idea that “affluenza” makes you ignorant toward the law; there is no way you don’t know the law, and as a wealthy person there would be no reason to commit crime unless you are simply a reckless individual.

Viewing Affluenza as an excuse makes it ridiculous that poverty can’t be viewed the same way. Both are economic factors in livelihood, and in poverty, crime could at least be viewed as a solution to the poverty.

Privilege in society reveals to us that poverty, a state associated with minority populations, is regarded as inevitable; but affluenza, a phenomenon associated with the white population, is seen as a poor circumstance that isn’t a child’s fault. Recognizing the differences in mindset toward different populations highlights the faults in the system.

The key to understanding a privileged life is to recognize what it means to live without those privileges. Many who are white, straight, male, wealthy, etc. don’t experience oppression inherent in society, so they can forget it is there. These individuals also have the biggest immediate sway in the political system, so minority rights, gender rights, sexuality rights, etc. are often forgotten amongst debates about Iran or immigration.

Growing up wealthy and free from oppression gives one a chance to learn and act better than any other section of society, to learn how to fight oppression, and to raise others out of poverty. If there is one sure-fire way to decrease crime, it is to raise others up out of poverty.

Affluenza assumes the opposite: that it is acceptable for the rich to be involved in crime, and only the wealthy progress in society.