Odd word ‘affluenza’

An odd word ‘affluenza’ could be used again. The word was first noticed in papers describing a young man, Ethan Couch, who killed four people while drunk but was too wealthy to understand right from wrong, his legal team said. He initially avoided jail time but ended up there after violating his bail conditions. Surely anyone without perhaps brain damage must know that killing four people was wrong.

The concept has seemingly re-emerged although for a minor dismeanour, when Piotr Szczerek, a millionaire executive snatched a signed hat out of the hands of a young boy. He has subsequently said that it was a ‘mistake’.

There must be a better understanding of the consequences of not differentiating between what is right and wrong for all people as so many people, including some wealthy influential people, are doing the wrong thing without any obvious acceptance of their guilt.

Too many people doing the right thing are being let down by those doing the wrong thing.

Dennis Fitzgerald
Melbourne, Australia