I would have gone with Ethan Couch, "the Affluenza Teen", as exhibit A for this thread. I can't think of a better example of a white guy literally getting away with murder by virtue of privilege.
Regardless, I'm skeptical that race is the key factor. I think it's more likely about wealth, privilege, and connectedness. Obviously the great majority of those who are wealthy, privileged, and connected happen to be white, but I don't think it's race in itself that lets wealthy white people off the hook in situations where a minority person would be doing jail time. Consider cases where black college athletes have been shielded from consequences because they score lots of touchdowns. Wealth and influence might be sources of privilege, but they aren't the only source.
I gather that statistics indicate that even in cases of comparable severity a black person is likely to see harsher charges and longer sentences. That might well be true. I don't dispute that some degree of racism is at work. I just think that trying to make the conversation strictly about race and ignoring other key factors misses the mark.
-k
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