George,

I sure wish I knew why a number of your readers spend much of their time attacking the author and not the content of their comments written to you. The aggression seems to be towards those on the right by those on the left – although I don’t read every article and response on your site, so I can only speak on my own experiences.

Gene Foster’s questions to me are insulting. I am sure Mr. Foster is a good man and has a nice family. I don’t know Gene, but I would imagine that he is a hard worker and provides for his family. I wouldn’t think of trying to insult him. We may have a difference of opinion politically and I am happy to discuss that.

Unless Mr. Foster has direct questions for me about my opinion of lobbyists forcing the government to dictate how a business conducts its operations, I can only answer him thusly:

My letter was written as an employer and an investor. First, I do not keep employees if they are found with any of the disqualifying traits I mentioned. I also don’t keep my head in the sand and think that they are complete angels when my back is turned – no smart businessman does. Clever businessmen will build some internal theft (and other loss) into their business model.

Like many people, I own shares of stock in different public companies. I also am a customer of many of these companies and the service at times can be very poor – even to the point of rude. While there is nothing I can do about these employees from a shareholder’s standpoint, I can hope that their employer will do something after reading my opinions.

Fast food restaurants are a good example. Employees that stand out back smoking when they are needed inside are stealing from that company. Service is sometimes poor and employees are rude; employees that show up late and have a co-worker punch their timecard for them early are guilty of theft.

This does not make the manager of the restaurant any less of a manager unless it goes unnoticed for a long period of time. When it is noticed however, the employee is let go.

Nonetheless, I still find it odd that so many of your readers continue to attack the author rather than the content. To me it is a sign that I must have hit a nerve with a reader and they are so blinded by some unknown rage that they strike out against me personally and not my opinion.

It’s too bad; because I am sure Mr. Foster is more mature than that. I hope he can provide more substantial questions about my opinions in the future and not personally attack or try to bait me.

Will Lyster (electronic mail, January 7, 2007)