To the editor:

Michael Kohnen, defender of the rich in his Oct. 31 letter to the editor, should be challenged.

For one who seems to perceive himself as intellectual, he should have first defined who is “rich.” That is something our society should contemplate. Undoubtedly, we have more “rich” than ever before, and their absolute resistance to sharing is at the root of their problems with our president.

People such as Mr. Kohnen respect and encourage unlimited affluence.

I do not have that as one of my “social science major” values. My limited intellect tells me that two-thirds of American wealth has been inherited — not through hard work and long hours as we commoners are supposed to believe.

In the mid-1900s, we had a maximum tax rate of 90 percent. Evidently, there was no sobbing from the wealthy.

Now Missourians sob at an income tax rate of 6 percent, regardless of your income — or lack thereof.

To return to a possible definition of who is “rich” — in my opinion, anyone who could be taxed at a rate of 60 percent whose standard of living would not suffer, is rich.

Americans need to share the wealth or make no progress as a so-called Christian nation.

Do the “rich” care?