WE BEGIN WITH SOME GOOD NEWS THAT ETHAN COUCH, WHO IS
ALSO REFERRED TO AS THE AFFLUENZA TEEN, HAS BEEN
SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS BEHIND BARS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT HE
SKIPPED THE COUNTRY AND TRIED TO AVOID THE FACT THAT HE HAD
VIOLATED HIS PROBATION.
FOR ANYONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHO HE
IS, IN 2013 HE GOT INTO A PRETTY SERIOUS CAR ACCIDENT WHEN HE WAS
UNDERAGE AND DRUNK DRIVING.
HE KILLED FOUR PEOPLE ON THE SIDE
OF THE ROAD.
IN FACT, GAWKER HAS MORE DETAILS ON THAT.
THE STORY GOT NATIONAL HEADLINES BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT HE WAS
ABLE TO NOT EVEN GET A PRISON SENTENCE AND INITIALLY BECAUSE
HIS DEFENSE WAS THAT HE WAS SO WEALTHY AND SO PRIVILEGED THAT
HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS ACTIONS.
THUS HE WAS REFERRED TO AS THE AFFLUENZA TEEN.
I LOVE THAT
THERE IS FINALLY SOME JUSTICE IN THIS STORY, BUT JUST CONSIDER
THE FACT THAT EVEN AFTER ALL OF THIS, EVEN AFTER HE GOT CAUGHT
IN A SNAPCHAT VIDEO DRINKING WHICH WAS VIOLATING HIS
PROBATION, EVEN AFTER HE AND HIS MOTHER FLED THE COUNTRY
BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF
THAT, EVEN AFTER HE KILLED FOUR PEOPLE AND PARALYZED ONE OF
HIS FRIENDS, HE JUST GETS A TWO-YEAR SENTENCE.
ANYONE ELSE WHO MIGHT BE UNDERPRIVILEGED IS PROBABLY
GOING TO FACE A LIFETIME BEHIND BARS BECAUSE OF THAT.
>> THAT'S CALLED WHITE PRIVILEGE.
>> NO, THAT DOESN'T EXIST.
WHY DO YOU HATE WHITE PEOPLE?
>> I DONíT, I LOVE WHITE PEOPLE.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT THIS IS WHITE PRIVILEGE AND THIS IS
THE EXACT DEFINITION OF IT.
2 YEARS FOR FOUR PEOPLE.
I'VE KNOWN PEOPLE, NOT STEREOTYPING, BUT I HAVE
KNOWN PEOPLE IN THE PAST TO GET AT LEAST 10
YEARS FOR HAVING OVER AN OUNCE OF WEED OR AN 8 BALL OR SO
OF COCAINE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I'M NOT JUSTIFYING DRUGS, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THIS IS THE
QUINTESSENTIAL EXAMPLE OF WHITE PRIVILEGE.
HE KILLED FOUR PEOPLE AND GOT TWO YEARS.
>> AND INITIALLY IT WAS A SLAP ON THE WRIST.
HE GOT PROBATION.
THERE ARE SO MANY LAYERS TO THIS CASE.
WE'VE BEEN
COVERING THIS FROM THE GET-GO.
THE ORIGINAL JUDGE, TO FURTHER
BOTH OF YOUR POINTS, THE CASE RIGHT BEFORE ETHAN COUCH, ALSO A
16 YEAR OLD, THIS KID WAS UNDERPRIVILEGED AND ALSO HAD A
DUI WHICH ALSO COST SOMEBODY'S LIFE.
IT WASN'T FOUR LIVES, IT WAS ONE
LIFE AND HE HAD A LOWER BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL AND GOT A
STIFF SENTENCE BEHIND BARS.
HE WAS NOT ABLE TO AFFORD
THIS ROCK STAR TEAMS OF LAWYERS AND EXPERT WITNESSES TO
TESTIFY IN HIS DEFENSE AND COME UP WITH AFFLUENZA WHICH IS
A COMPLETE JOKE.
HE KNEW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT
AND WRONG, HE IS AN ENTITLED PRICK.
>> I LOVE THAT KENNY BROUGHT UP THE WHITE PRIVILEGE THING,
BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT THAT A LOT ON THE SHOW AND I GET A LOT OF
HEAT BECAUSE I BRING IT UP A LOT.
IT CERTAINLY EXISTS, AND I TRY
TO CLARIFY WHAT IT MEANS SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS NOT
US POINTING OUR FINGER TO WHITE PEOPLE AND SAYING, ìYOU DIDN'T
EARN WHAT YOU GOTî OR THAT YOU ARE NOT DESERVING OF WHAT YOU
HAVE IN YOUR LIFE, IT'S JUST MEANT TO POINT OUT THAT THERE
ARE CERTAIN INJUSTICES, CERTAIN DOUBLE STANDARDS THAT MINORITIES
OR UNDERPRIVILEGED INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT THE WHITE
COMMUNITY DOES NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
IT DOES HAVE A LOT TO DO
WITH SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.
POOR PEOPLE, AS SAM MENTIONED,
DON'T HAVE THE SAME RESOURCES AS WEALTHY PEOPLE SO YOU CAN'T HIRE
THE BEST DEFENSE ATTORNEYS, SO YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A
STIFFER SENTENCE.
YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE CONVICTED OF A
CRIME.
IN THIS CASE WITH ETHAN COUCH, THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE
OF A WEALTHY WHITE KID WHO WAS GIVEN THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.
SO MANY MINORITIES IN THIS COUNTRY DON'T GET THE BENEFIT OF
THE DOUBT.
BUT A LOT OF WHITE PEOPLE DO, SO JUST UNDERSTAND THAT THAT
IS WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHITE PRIVILEGE.
IT IS NOT A KNOCK ON WHITE PEOPLE, IT IS A KNOCK ON
HOW SOCIETY SEES CERTAIN RACES.
>> I LOVE WHITE PEOPLE AND IT IS NOT ME TRYING TO PLAY THE RACE
CARD.
PEOPLE THROW THAT OUT AS WELL.
IT IS WHAT IT IS.
THIS
IS A BLATANT EXAMPLE.
THEY FLED THE COUNTRY.
THAT'S FEDERAL.
WHERE'S THE FBI?
CAN I GET THE FBI INVOLVED IN THIS AS WELL?
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS AND THERE ñ
FORT WORTH, TEXAS IS RIGHT OUTSIDE OF DALLAS.
I GUARANTEE
THEY KNOW SOMEONE IN THE POLITICAL REALM IN THAT TOWN AND
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONNECTIONS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW
ABOUT THAT IS UNDER THE TABLE.
IT'S THE WAY THE WORLD IS AND
THE WAY THE COUNTRY IS.
I'M NOT GOING TO SAY HOW I FEEL
ABOUT IT BUT WE ALL TRY TO GET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WEALTH
AND STATUS WHEREVER WE ARE FOR THINGS LIKE THIS.
>> IT DOESN'T HELP THAT THIS KID, WHEN YOU WATCH THE TRIAL,
THIS KID HAD ZERO REMORSE.
IF ANYTHING IT WAS JUST
SELF-PRESERVATION FOR HIMSELF.
THE PARENTS TOO.
ALL THEY DID
WAS CARE ABOUT THEMSELVES, NOT THESE FOUR FAMILIES AND THE
VICTIMS AND THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY DESTROYED.
YOU LOOK AT HOW THEY DON'T FEEL ANY SORT OF ACCOUNTABILITY,
SO WHEN HE DID VIOLATE HIS PROBATION AFTER A REALLY
LIGHT SENTENCE, YOU WOULD THINK AND HOPE THAT A PARENT WOULD
DISCIPLINE THEIR CHILD AND SAY, ìWHAT ARE YOU DOING?î
NO.
SHE DYES HIS HAIR AND TAKES HIM TO MEXICO.
THEY WENT TO STRIP CLUBS AND HAD CASH AND A GUN.
THEY WERE OUT.
>> IRONICALLY, IT DOES SERVE THE DEFENSEíS ARGUMENT BECAUSE
THE MOTHER DOES SEEM TO COVER UP FOR HER SON.
SHE DOES SEEM TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE HE COULD DO NOTHING WRONG.
IF HE HAS ANY TROUBLE LEARNING WHAT CONSEQUENCES ARE OR
WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG IS, HIS MOM
DEFINITELY DOES PLAY INTO THAT.
>> HE KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG.
>> ITíS CALLED BAD PARENTING.
>> BUT HIS MOM IS TERRIBLE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF SHE IS GOING TO FACE ANY JAIL
TIME FOR THIS BUT SHE IS DEFINITELY FACING CHARGES.
>> CIVIL LAWSUITS.
>> SHE DESERVES CONSEQUENCES FOR HER ACTIONS AND MAYBE SHE
WILL LEARN ABOUT CONSEQUENCES.
>> THIS IS WHEN YOU SEND YOUR KIDS TO TIMEOUT AND YOU
DON'T DISCIPLINE THEM BY BELT OR SOMETHING ELSE, THIS IS
WHAT HAPPENS.
I'M NOT SAYING TO WHIP YOUR KIDS, BUT
I GOT WHIPPED PLENTY OF TIMES.