George,

I don’t know what children are being killed or dismembered at the moment, and if they are, what relevance it has to my investment strategy.

Apparently, Mr. Walter would rather I spend my days just working away and not achieving some worthwhile goal – liking making money with money.

I don’t know Ben Walter, and as far as I know, he does not know me. Where the personal attack regarding the sacrifice of one of my family members came from is beyond me.

As far as my profits go, what can I say? If it borders on the obscene to be thinking of profits (while innocent children are being killed and dismembered?), would it make things all better for Mr. Walter if I did give this money schools and hospitals?

It’s profits on stocks that allowed me to open and start my own business in 1995 and then employ people and pay them a minimum of $15.00 per hour. In 1998 a man named Joe Szakos stopped in because his organization, The Virginia Organizing Project had just moved in a street away. Weeks later another fellow stopped by to ask me questions about shopping locally and paying a livable wage. He presented me with a green sticker to place on my storefront stating that my business was a part of the livable wage campaign (I have since sold that business and enslaved the employees).

Does it matter to Mr. Walter that I made profits on stocks in 1995 versus now? Should I go ahead and dump all interest in the stock market and give up any future thoughts of starting another business and pay more people more than a living wage? Does Mr. Walter know what happens with something called Capital Gains?

I do not plan to give any profits to anybody except for one organization. That organization is called the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Walter, they will ensure that it will get to those schools and hospitals.

Would it be acceptable if I sent the profits to CCPJ? Now I know Ben Walter.

Will Lyster (electronic mail, March 11, 2003)