107 20 12614 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, February 10, 2002 12:09 PM New Vote.com votes as of 12:09 PM EST on February 10th, 2002 Dear September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Vote.com is the Internet's most popular voting site. Millions of people regularly express their opinions and - in just one click - automatically send their views to important decision makers like you. Here are the latest votes on the question, DOES THE GOVERNMENT'S AID PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES OF SEPT. 11 VICTIMS GO FAR ENOUGH?: YES: 15 votes NO: 0 votes Group Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-10 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojP000480.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-02-10 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, November 26, 2001 8:00 PM compensation for September 11th victims partners Dear Attorney General Ashcroft, > > The deaths on September 11th were the result of an attack on America. > Please do not discriminate against the unmarried partners of September 11th victims. All unmarried partners, gay or straight, young and old and their dependents should be eligible for compensation. > Individual Comment Valencia, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000693.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 8:43 AM please ensure equal protection for ALL victims of Sept. 11 December 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Bradford, VT September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002771.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 14, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Anderson, SC September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004687.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 17, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Santa Rosa, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA005008.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Congress of the United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515-0801 December 26, 2001 The Honorable Kenneth Feinberg Special Master September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Special Master Feinberg: Enclosed please find correspondence I received from a constituent of mine, of Wilmington, Delaware. 's father-in-law, , was a victim of the World Trade Center tragedy. In his letter, expresses his concerns regarding the intent of Public Law 107-42 which established the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund of 2001. believes that the Act will clearly provide fair compensation to many of the families who were devastated by the September 11th tragedy. However, he raises very valid points supporting his concern that for many older workers families, the Act may provide no compensation at all. As Mr. states in his letter," Many of the older workers who perished in the attacks were past their prime income earning years. Also theses older workers had fewer years left in terms of their income earning potential and reasonable life expectancy. Older workers would have typically accumulated large amounts of 'collateral sources.' Accordingly, the surviving spouses of older workers will have smaller gross awards, much larger 'collateral source' reductions, and the possibly of a net award of $0." wants to make sure that his mother-in-law is in no way discriminated by the fund for the sheer fact that her husband planned their finances wisely. The survivors of older, more successful workers life , who was about to turn 56, may not get any compensation because they have life insurance, pensions or mutual funds. I strongly believe that this fund must be administered in a fair and equal manner that best assists all those surviving families who are dealing with the pain of their tremendous loss. I am hopeful that you will look into this matter and provide your current thinking on the issue. I have also written to Attorney General Ashcroft and House Judiciary Chairman Sensenbrenner to make them aware of 's concerns. Thank you for your consideration of this issue and if you could please provide and my office with a response, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your assistance. Sincerely, Michael N. Castle Member of Congress November 30, 2001 The Honorable Joseph R. Biden United States Senate 221 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Michael N. Castle Congress of the United States 3 Christina Center, Suite 102 201 North Walnut Street Wilmington, DE 19801 Re: H.R. 2926 September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Of 2001 Dear and : I am writing to request your assistance in seeking amendments to the Air Transportation Safety And System Stabilization Act, enacted as Title IV of Public Law 107-42 (the "Act"). As you know, my father-in-law, , was a victim of the World Trade Center tragedy. and I are doing everything we can to assist her mother in picking up the pieces after this tremendous loss. We need your help in revising the Act in order to provide and others similarly situated with fair compensation as a result of this national disaster. The Act will certainly provide fair compensation to many of the families victimized by the September 11th tragedy. For many older worker's families, however, the Act may provide not compensation at all. Many older workers were past their prime income earning years. In addition, older workers had fewer years left in terms of income earning potential and reasonable life expectancy. Finally, older workers would have typically accumulated large amounts of "collateral sources." Accordingly, the surviving spouses of older workers will have smaller gross awards, much larger "collateral source" reductions, and the possibility of a net award of $0. My father-in-law would have been 56 years old just a few weeks ago. Therefore, he would have had at least nine (9) additional years left in his working career. Assuming a reasonable life expectancy of age 74, remaining life expectancy would be eighteen (18) years. The pain and suffering, loss of companionship, loss of consortium, and related non-economic damages recoverable by would be lower because of fewer years of remaining life expectancy. Since e was a veteran of over three (3) decades on Wall Street, he had accumulated a fair amount of pension, annuity, and 401K assets. At his age, he was past his peak income earning years, as a result of the heavily bonus-based compensation system which is common on Wall Street. In short, the "collateral source" numbers for 's claim would be high relative to the average victim, while her likely "economic loss" and "non-economic loss" claims would be low compared to other victims. Accordingly, there is a possibility that the end result of 's claim will be $0. It is very disturbing and disheartening to and her family that the Act's compensation formula may very well place absolutely no value on their loss. THAT IS WHY , , AND I ARE ASKING FOR YOU TO SPONSOR LEGISLATION TO CORRECT THIS INEQUITY. New legislation is needed which would provide a surviving spouse with the option to make a claim under the Act solely for economic losses and metal anguish, with no reduction for any collateral source funds received. This would provide fair and equitable compensation for surviving spouses of older workers, who may otherwise be unjustifiably discriminated against by the Act. Allowing recovery for economic damages and mental anguish would be in line with standard damages limitations contained in most States' wrongful death statutes (See, e.g. 10 Del.C § 3724). Additionally, such an option would insure that the Act achieves its intended purpose. The purpose of the Act is "to provide compensation to ...relatives of a deceased individual...killed as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001." Act at Sec. 403. The Act fails to meet its stated purpose for surviving spouses of older workers. Thus, surviving spouses like may be forced to bring lawsuits against the airlines, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the building managers, security companies, etc. Such litigation will be time consuming and costly for all involved. Such lawsuits will also be a painful reminder of the heinous act of war which has victimized so many families. We need your help. Legislation is needed as soon as possible. Regulations intended to implement the Act must be promulgated by the Department of Justice by December 21, 2001. Please let me know if we can count on your help. Very truly yours, RLA:cth P.S. Since is a resident of Ridgewood, New Jersey, I would certainly appreciate it if your offices could forward a copy of this letter to Senators Torricelli and Corzine, as well as her local Congresswoman, Representative Marge Roukema. ________________________________________ 1 The Act calls for the Special Master to reduce any ward by the amount of collateral sources (e.g life insurance proceeds, pension benefits, and other funds received as a result of a victim's death). September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002603.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, March 19, 2002 10:04 AM I am outraged! I am outraged over the fact that your victims fund will be discriminating against those gay and lesbians who lost their lives in the September 11th attack. I understand that the partners of only gay and lesbians will receive less if anything at all simply due to the fact that they were not heterosexual. I am appalled at this.... Aren't they all Americans, straight and gay alike? Were they not hero's also, those who lost their lives in the attacks? I have been with my partner for 8 years now.... longer than many "heterosexual marriages". We are domestic partners, we own a home, we are respected in our community, we "VOTE" and pay taxes.... and also donate time and money to charities. It angers me to think that your fund would view our partnership with little value simply because we are gay. I hope that you will rethink your decision. Your plans to discriminate are becomming well known and these emails will become public record in the process. I am proud to ge a Gay-American..... but also dissappointed in Americans like you! Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002081.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 06, 2001 4:21 PM To Whom It May Concern at the DOJ: Please do not exclude the families of gay and lesbian victims of the Sept. 11 attacks from the compensation funds. It would be a travesty to see that our government, rather than excercising the 'compassionate conservatism' our president espouses, would engage in such hateful tactics as those families' struggles to survive in the aftermath of such a great loss. Many of those families may become homeless if you do not assist them. Don't forget about them. Prove to me that my vote for your administration - yes, i voted for President Bush - hasn't been a stupid mistake. If you do not include these families, you can forget about my vote!! Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-06 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001206.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-06 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, December 24, 2001 1:27 AM Firefighter and police inequity Dear Mr Feinberg, NY Policemen and fireman, who heroically perished at the wtc disaster,and who saved the lives of 99% of the people in the buildings below the floors struck by the planes, are entitled to absolutely nothing according to your plan. They risk their lives every day and their pension plan is their reward for this risk, not their meager salaries, as they make 30% less than surrounding communities. Their rights to a lawsuit have been stripped by Congress as nothing will be left of the airlines insurance when the creditors and government get at it. My son perished in this disaster and it is great to know that you consider his life to be worth ZERO. No amount of money can replace him. The rich airlines were protected and the little guy gets stung again. It is truely sad that I will never see his smiling face or know what it like to have a grandchild. I am a firefighter and work at Ground Zero in the recovery effort. If you could come here for one day and work by my side, you would see terrible and horrific sights which would enlighten you and make you very sympathetic to the 3,000 heroes who perished that day. The government (FAA) is wrong to have allowed people to bring knives and boxcutters on board. Step up and take some responsibility for this disaster.Don't give ZEROES to HEROES. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-24 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000766.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-24 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, November 28, 2001 1:00 PM September 11 Victim Compensation Fund TO: Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs, Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Dear Mr. Zwick, I urge the Department of Justice to include among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners or one or more parenting figures-- regardless of the sexual orientation or marital status of the victim or the compensation recipient. It is the right thing to do. Sincerely yours, Individual Comment Roosevelt, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA000073.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 13, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Nevada City, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA005539.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, March 19, 2002 7:10 PM Justice for ALL 9/11 victims / survivors To whom it may concern: Thank you for your work in the Victim Compensation Fund for those killed in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. I would urge you to include in consideration survivor benefits declared and recorded domestic partners of the person killed, whether of opposite or same sex. I would ask that this be done at national level, same as for heterosexual married couples, and not (as I understand is the proposed policy) on a state-by-state basis dependent upon current legislation regarding survivor benefits in each state. If it be objected that laws must be honored, I must strenuously protest the double standard used in allowing families and spouses of illegal aliens to receive benefits, but not those of law-abiding U.S. citizens and legal aliens killed who were gay / lesbian. Indeed, if obedience to law be given as the reason for excluding gay / lesbian victims' survivors from benefits, then why is the law ignored in not arresting and prosecuting the illegal aliens victims survivors who themselves are in the USA illegally? Let me be clear: I do think the death of the illegal aliens is tragic, and in this instance, the law should be waived, and their survivors should be compensated. Likewise, the death of gay / lesbian persons killed on 9/11 is tragic, and THEIR partner survivors should be compensated, too, or at the very least, be invited to make application for such compensation. The current policy, as recently enunciated by Mr. Feinberg, I consider wholly unjust to gay and lesbian victims and their survivors, and very bad public policy. I hope that policy will be reconsidered, and the spirit of equality, fairness, and compassion that has been our nation's hallmark will prevail. The honorable memory of gay heroes of 9/11, such as &nbsp &nbsp , flight 93 hero &nbsp , and &nbsp , who as &nbsp was murdered aboard the plane that crashed into the &nbsp , demands that other gay and lesbian persons killed on 9/11 be honored with justice: and that means providing their grieving partners the very same compensation as those of "straight" partners. Thank you for your consideration, and I will be attentive to news reports, etc. holding the hope that the present shameful and biased policy excluding gay / lesbian partners, and opposite sex domestic partner survivors, will be amended, and real justice prevail. Sincerely yours: Individual Comment Morton, IL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002251.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 06, 2001 9:13 AM September 11 Victim Compensation Fund Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs, Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Dear Mr. Zwick: I am writing in response to the Department's request for public comments regarding the forthcoming regulations for implementing and administering the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." I strongly urge the Department to draft regulations that ensure compensation is available to all victims of the attack, including the committed partners and the non-biological children of gay and lesbian victims. It is unquestionable that the devastating grief and economic losses suffered by the families of gay and lesbian victims are no less than that of other families. Just as the terrorists drew no lines in choosing their victims, our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urge the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you would any other. Sincerely, Individual Comment Pittsburgh, PA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-06 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001118.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-06 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, March 20, 2002 2:44 PM compensation comments Excluding survivors from compensation because they are not legally married is wrong. Life partners of homosexual victims have already suffered a great loss; to be further victimized through discrimination by our own government is a sad commentary on our "freedoms". Individual Comment San Francisco CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002378.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, March 16, 2002 3:48 PM Compensation for Gay partners of 9/11 Gay victims To Whom It May Concern : I am writing to express my extreme dissappointment in your actions towards gay victims and their partners of 9/11. I am shocked and appalled that you place any less importance on these people's loss than others from that day, including illegal aliens and unborn fetuses. Gays are no less American than anyone else who died that day. &nbsp did not stop to think who he might be helping by keeping Flight 93 from reaching its intended destination of destruction.He just did what was right.Now it is YOUR turn to do what is right. The laws of "life as usual" were changed forever on that fateful day in September. ALL men...and women....all HUMANS are created equal in America...or at least that has been the premise of the freedoms fought for by Americans throughout our history. It is time to break the lines of discrimination against yet another group of Americans who were willing to give their lives in the name of what is right and good......the gay Americans who died on 9/11. &nbsp was the first victim of this outrageous act. A man who risked his life to see that another man's soul would be at peace for eternity. He sought to do what was right, not to ask the man's religious beliefs or gender identity. Again, I ask you to do what is right. Do not seek to lessen these people's sacrifice by demeaning their value . Their partner's and families lost just as much on that day. Do not add to their grief by telling them they are not entitled to be thought of as "equal" to the others who grieve their losses from that tragic day. Once again, I ask you to do what is right. Sincerely, a proud gay American, Individual Comment Cleveland, Ohio September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001061.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 21, 2001 12:59 PM Help same sex partners of terrorist victims Dear Mr. Zwick: The very humane Fund for relatives of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks must include all relatives of all the victims. This importantly should include the partners and children of same sex unions. They suffer just as grievously for their deceased loved ones as do other survivors, and their need for assistance is just as great. Please do not give in to the importuning of callous homophobic groups and individuals who would have the Department of Justice limit compensation to survivors of heterosexual unions. They are interested in a political victory, not humane assistance. This Fund is intended for humane purposes; it is not a political statement, Mr. Zwick. Sincerely, Individual Comment Winooski, VT September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000454.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Congress of the United States House of Representatives Washington, DC February 4, 2002 Mr. Kenneth Feinberg: Thank you for meeting with Congressional Staff on Friday and for staying accessible to review my comments and those of other Members of Congress. My counsel, , has informed me that you are taking some steps to address some of the concerns I have raised regarding same-sex couples and others persons financially and emotionally dependent on the victims of the September 11 terrorist attack. tells me you have asked that we contact you to continue the dialogue and clarify some unresolved details, and I write in order to do so. A. New York State Public Policy for Domestic Partners of September 11 Victims First, I understand you have agreed that if a state uses state VOCA funds to compensate same-sex or other domestic partners of victims, you will honor, that state's policy and apply the same principle to the Federal fund. When a victim has been killed, New York Executive Law 324(b) and (c) provides funds to a victim's "surviving spouse," parents, children, and "any other person dependent for his principle support" upon the victim. Prior to October 2001. New York cases interpreting this law required a gay man or lesbian to receive at least 75% of his/her support form his/her life partner/crime victim in order to receive an award under the fund while heterosexuals married to their victim/spouse could receive an award even if they, and not the victim/spouse, were the primary wage earner. On October 10, 2001, Governor Pataki issued the attached Executive Order 113.30 that we have provided you in the past. In the Order, Governor Pataki not only relaxed the 75% requirement to 50% for crime victims, but for dependents of September 11th victims, he virtually erased the distinction previously made in the New York Executive Law between heterosexual and homosexual couples. The order provides that a "dependent person shall be eligible for awards upon a showing of": "unilateral dependence or mutual interdependence upon such a victim, which may be evidenced a nexus of factors, including but not limited to common ownership of property, common householding, shared budgeting, and the length of the relationship between such person and victim." This "mutual interdependence" standard ensures that same-sex couples will be treated equivalently to all but the most estranged of heterosexual married couples. It is important, of course, that New York's public policy of equal treatment among victims- among heterosexual married couples, homosexual couples, and other domestic partners-be applied to the September 11th Fund even in the case of an objection by a family member. Under New York Law, no objection by a victim's children, her parents, or -to use your example-her Aunt Minnie prevents VOCA funds from going to a mutually interdependent domestic partner. So in order to follow New York's public policy in the Federal sphere, I hope you would do the same. As was pointed out at the meeting, state probate laws were designed primarily to distribute a deceased person's property and therefore apply primarily in cases where an elderly person or a person with a terminal illness has had time to plan out the distributions and , if he or she has substantial assets, to write a will. People in their twenties and thirties who die a sudden violent death are not at all the typical circumstance to which probate laws usually apply, and I think Governor Pataki recognized this by making the exceptions he did in his Executive Order. I would note further that at the meeting, you described the Fund as more a Federal "safety net" for those dependent on the victims than a wrongful-death compensation program, and I would think that someone mutually interdependent on a victim in far more in need of such a safety net than a victims distant relative, such as your example of "Aunt Minnie" This discussion leads to the following questions: 1) If a same-sex couple or other domestic-partner relationship meets the Pataki standard of mutual interdependence as described in Executive Order 113.3, will you provide the award to a domestic partner domiciled in New York, even if there is an objection by other family members? 2) If other State governors follow Governor Pataki's lead with similar Executive Orders. will you follow the same policy in these States? B. Awards to Domestic Partners Absent Objections form Family in States Without Public Policy on Awards to Domestic Partners reported from the staff meeting that you supported domestic partners receiving awards where the family did not object. You stated a family member who would otherwise receive an award could do this in two ways: (1) by endorsing the award check to the domestic partner: or (2) by waiving his or her right in advance of the award. Unfortunately, as another staffer pointed out, option (1) would likely lead to a large gift-tax assessed against family member and so it is practically not an option. As to option (2), I want to clarify who has to make the waiver for the domestic partner to get his/her share. In many states, where there is no surviving spouse (as in the case of most gay couples who are not allowed to form civil marriages or, except in Vermont, civil unions), the award goes to the children, and, if there are no children, the parents receive next, then siblings, then aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Let me raise the hypothetical case of domestic partners living in mutual interdependence where the victim has no (legal) spouse, no children, one surviving parent, and a number of surviving, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Assume under the probate law of the state of domicile, this parent would inherit all of the victims estate, and the siblings and other relatives would receive nothing. This raises the following questions: 1) If the sole legal heir-in this case the parent-waives his or her right in favor of the domestic partner, would the award go to the domestic partner? I hope you would not require every sibling, aunt, uncle, first, second, third, and sixth cousin waive their rights as well. 2) If the answer to question 1) is yes, could you award the amount directly to the domestic partner so that the legal heir(s) do not have to face gift taxes? C. Extraordinary Circumstances I understand that you have discretion in "extraordinary cases" to re-allocate funds to domestic partners even in states that do not have a public policy regarding domestic partners when the otherwise lawful heir does object. I am informed that this possibility - which you termed the "Barney Frank provision" -- has been endorsed by the Attorney General. If this is true, I am gratified to hear it, and I would urge you, in the interests of fairness, justice, and the "safety net" that Congress intended, to apply this principle generously when the situation warrants. Barney Frank BF/ml cc: The Feinberg Group, LLP 1120 20th Street, N.W. Suite 740 South Washington, DC 20036-3437 780 3rd Avenue Suite 2202 New York, New York 10017 September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojP000435.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-02-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, January 01, 2002 12:44 AM 9-11 Victims Relief Fund January 01, 2002 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Chester, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-01 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN001269.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-01 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, December 18, 2001 8:53 PM September 11 relief fund December 18, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Washington, DC September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002389.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, March 20, 2002 4:16 PM Extremely Disappointed Dear Director of the Victims Compensation Fund: I was greatly disturbed to learn that you are that are not extending the same benefites to gay and lesbian partners who died on September 11 that you are extending to heterosexual spouses. WHY? How is their love any different? How is their pain any less? If anything, their pain has only been exacerbated by organizations that discriminate at one of the most painful times of their lives. Individual Comment West Hartford, CT September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002390.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-20