To the editor:

George Will mischaracterized Ms. Warren’s comment about rich folks owing something to society (Journal-World, Oct. 6).  She said a successful person should get to keep a “big hunk” of their wealth and that they should part with “a hunk” to reimburse society for its role in their success. She did not say that “any individual’s achievements should be considered entirely derivative from society,” as Mr. Will put it.

Mr. Will also overstates the liberal view that people can be manipulated by advertising. I am a liberal, and I believe in free speech and individual responsibility. I do not think of “other Americans” as a bovine herd. I do believe that, in our free market economy, unscrupulous people sometimes lie and mislead others to make a buck, and busy people needing to operate in an extremely complex economic environment do not have the time or resources to research every economic move they make. “Let the buyer beware” is neither fair nor realistic in this day and age. 

I wish Mr. Will would stop exaggerating the liberal perspective. He is just knocking down a straw man when he does.