Six vs. Sixteen, Why Are Six Year Olds Held to Higher Standards?

I guess I'm just going to be blunt here, but what the bloody hell is wrong with our society? I had some posts I wanted to do that were more light and, I guess just more bizarre and out there, but recent events just can't be ignored.  What kind of world are we living in where a 16 year old can get away with killing four people and injuring others, but we hold 6 year olds accountable and charged with sexual harassment for kissing a girl on the hand / cheek?

Unless you've been living under a rock (which is sounding more and more appealing every day) I'm sure you've heard about the texas teen who killed four people and only got probation because of "affluenza". If you haven't heard about it and for whatever reason don't feel like clicking on the link, here's the basic rundown.  Sixteen year old Ethan Couch was with two friends as he stole two cases of beer from Wal-Mart, got smashed (3x's the legal limit for someone who's OF age to drink and he had traces of valium in his system), drove his father's company's truck at 70mph in a 40mph zone and slammed into four people and killed them.  One of the two people riding with Ethan has brain damage so severe he's basically a vegetable and can't move or talk, and the other just had massive internal injuries and numerous broken bones... no biggie right?  I mean his parents let him start driving at 13 illegally, and when he was just but a year younger at 15, he was cited by police for being found parked in a pickup with a passed out and naked 14 year old and wasn't punished by his parents at all so he totally shouldn't be held accountable for killing four people drinking and driving right?  At least that's what the "psychologist" his lawyer hired said.  He said that Ethan was a victim of wealth and "affluenza" and has never been held accountable for his actions so he couldn't possibly have felt there would be any consequence for stealing booze and getting shit faced and crashing into and killing four people.  The judge apparently agreed, even though she didn't directly mention "affluenza" and only gave him 10 years of probation... for killing 4 people...

I can't really wrap my head around that.  The judge basically agreed he's never been held accountable for anything in his life and therefore wouldn't have had the foresight to think "Hey! Getting completely shitfaced and driving could injure or kill me and other people! I should just stay in and not drive!"  Ten year olds understand drinking and driving is illegal and bad! So what does she do?  Let him off basically with no punishment at all and doesn't hold him accountable for his actions!  Ok, ok.  He didn't totally go unpunished.  He's not being allowed to return with his parents, they're making him go to some sort of private one on one rehabilitation facility that's gonna run his pops like... $450,000 a year or something.  And get this... can you just imagine for a moment how terrible it would be to be sent to such a place?!?!  With it's location being on the beach and having to participate in *gasp* equine therapy?!?!?  THE HORROR!!!  Being forced to be away from your parents at 16, staying at a house on the beach and having to ride horses!  Who am I kidding... shit send me there I got my bags packed already!  But if you're going to say he was not responsible because of his environment and upbringing, are you going to start letting gang-bangers get away with shit too because they're a product of their environment?  Or how about the poor kid who's parent was an alcoholic, so they thought boozing was ok, got drunk, drove and killed someone... are they not responsible because of their environment as well?

 (Granted this isn't the exact rehab place but this image will do for now)

Even more appalling... well ok I'm not sure it's more appalling, but equally maybe?  Were some of the comments on that link I posted up there.  People were actually bringing race into it (all people involved were white) and saying it's only the evil rich white people who get away with shit.  Uhhhh OJ?  Zimmerman (come on he was half Hispanic).  And I'm quite sure if I wasn't so lazy right now there's plenty of other rich non-whites that have gotten away with shit because they have money.  There's tons of kids with parents who aren't wealthy or rich who spend years in jail for way less than killing four people.  People blamed politics.  People actually commented and said "Well how can he be held responsible? I've gotten drunk and blacked out so how could he have possibly been aware enough to recognize this as being a bad idea to drink and drive?"  What the bloody hell happened that no one accepts responsibility for anything anymore?  It's always someone else's fault. Hell our government won't even admit if they made a mistake, and I'm sure that's but a small part of the no accountability problem.  People said "We should make the driving age 18, that'll help it!"  Hell... I got my license at 16.  I drank underage. But guess what? I never killed anyone.  Why? I knew drinking and driving was bad and very dangerous and stayed the hell inside when I got smashed.

Then on the other hand we're holding 6 year olds charged with sexual harassment for kissing a girl on the cheek / hands, a 7 year old suspended for chewing a pop-tart into the shape of a gun, or the 10 year old who was suspended for pretending to shoot an imaginary bow and arrow at a friend? Shoot when I was in elementary school, there was a boy in school who had a crush on me, tackled me to the ground and kissed my cheek and ran off.  I wasn't traumatized!!  And who of us "older folk" has never played cops and robbers or anything similar? Shit I'd be willing to bet if you asked any of those kids if drinking and driving was good or bad to do, they'd even be able to tell you drinking and driving is wrong and bad!  I'm sure they could also tell you that cops and robbers is pretend and that killing people in real life is bad!  You can't tell me Ethan didn't understand what he was doing was wrong.  And yet, even though supposedly the reason he made that choice... to go out and steal booze, and go drinking and driving was because his parents never punished him or made him learn there are consequences to our actions, he still really has been given no consequence for his decision, and once again does not have to pay a price for taking the lives of four people.  I only hope when he fucks up his probation over the next ten years (and he probably will) and gets locked up, some other innocent person doesn't lose their life too.