113 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. 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 San Francisco, 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 dojA001838.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 7:46 AM Dear Madam/Sir I am just writing to say how unbelievably shocked and saddened I am to hear that lesbian and gay partners of those killed on September 11th will not automatically receive the same benefits as other heterosexual families.  I understand that you are leaving it up to each individual state to decide but this seems to be a bit baffling.  The government has made an exception for illegal aliens and companies who hired them and yet it is unwilling to make an exception for lesbian and gay partners.  Mr Feinberg said that "Gays and lesbians are left out of my program to the extent that their own state doesn't include them". Well, as I understand it, each state also has laws against illegal aliens and yet Mr Feinberg is willing to overlook and overide this law because of the nature of this event.  Why is Mr Feinberg unwilling to do the same for lesbians and gays who are US citizens?  In this day and age, I find the homophobia of our government most disturbing.  Considering how many gay heroes there were in the September 11th tragedy, the government should be ashamed of excluding the partners of these hereos and the partners of other ordiary citizens who were killed in this tragedy. I hope you will reconsider your views for the sake of all Amercians. Sincerely yours 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 dojR002044.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. I believe that all families of victims should receive an equal amount of 1.6 million dollars. The pain and suffering undergone by survivors who will have to constantly watch snapshots of the fiery and tumbling buildings for the rest of our lives would be worth such an award in any tort case. Individual Comment Norfolk, VA Brother of Victim &nbsp WTC South Tower 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 dojN002547.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. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 3:54 AM Crisis Relief Benefits 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 Constable, NY 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 dojA002498.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. Wednesday, March 13, 2002 4:24 PM fair treatment for surviving partners of LGB victims Dear madam or sir: I am writing to encourage your department in the strongest possible terms to REQUIRE FAIR AND EQUAL TREATMENT FOR THE SURVIVING PARTNERS OF LESBIAN, GAY, AND BISEXUAL VICTIMS OF THE 9/11 TRAGEDY. How can the Department of Justice call itself by that name if the victim compensation rules promote injustice by discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation. Is the grief of these surviving partners any less than that of heterosexual spouses? Please do all you can to ensure that the policies require fair and equal treatment for ALL surviving partners. Thank you, Individual Comment San Francisco CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-13 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 dojR000662.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. 2002-03-13 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. Friday, March 15, 2002 8:19 PM I beg you to be fair. I was just reading that the fund my not compensate domestic partners of gay people killed in the attack on Sept. 11th. What a disgrace that would be. We hear the President saying that our troops (many who are gay) are overseas protecting the ideals of American freedom; yet you are willing to condone discriminating policies against people freely choosing who to love and commit to. That is shameful. People like and are heroes, how dare you demean their memories. Treating them differently than anyone else based on their sexuality is small-minded intolerance at its worst, very un-American I might say. I'd recommend you re-think this policy. Sincerely, Individual Comment Los Angeles, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-15 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 dojR000879.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. 2002-03-15 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 11:52 AM Victims Relief Fund December 24, 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 Forest Knolls, CA 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 dojN000853.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. 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 Seattle, WA 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 dojA004190.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. Sunday, March 10, 2002 1:09 PM New Vote.com votes as of 01:08 PM EST on March 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, SHOULD FAMILIES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO DIED ON 9-11 GET MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL VICTIMS' FUND?: YES: 3 votes NO: 9 votes Group Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-10 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 dojR000019.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. 2002-03-10 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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 2:51 PM 9/11 Discrimination I understand that partners of gays and lesbians are being treated differently from partners of heterosexuals affected by the 9/11 disaster. This discrimination is unfair and anti-American. Step up to your job and get this policy changed. Now! Individual Comment 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 dojR001016.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 28, 2001 8:51 PM survier just wondering what happens to the people that work with cantor and was laid off because of what happen the red cross helps but not that much i was there in the bldg. i witness everything, i know it was sad about what happen, i lost a lot of very good friends and i will never be the same, now are we going to be taken care just like the people that lost love ones because we have to deal with this everyday for the rest of our lives we are mentally effected by this but nothing really is being done for us that has to live with this if there is any thing that can help me financially that will be great, thanks Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-28 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 dojN001145.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. 2001-12-28 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. Saturday, December 29, 2001 6:20 PM Important December 29, 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 Pittsburgh, PA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-29 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 dojN001207.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. 2001-12-29 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, February 28, 2002 6:40 PM A breif assessment Victim's Fund Comment Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Let me be brief. Is there any opportunity that you did not take to shaft the widows and orphans of the World Trade Center Holocaust? Individual Comment Newton MA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-28 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 dojP000575.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. 2002-02-28 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. Wednesday, March 20, 2002 8:34 PM Fwd: ALERT-Protest 9/11 Fund Exclusion of Gays To Whom It May Concern, How could this be possible? Why would illegal aliens have any more rights than people that worked and fought to save other lives, possibly even saved the life or lives of someone you love or possibly even the lives of some unborn fetuses simply because they are not heterosexual. Are the heroes that gave their life to save a heterosexual,- no they gave their life to save a heterosexual, a black person, an a Asian person, a child, a homosexual, a bigot, whatever,--they did not question who they were saving. They just did it. They did not stop and say I am a homosexual, if you like me I'll save your life if not you die. Is it right to not honor these heroes and protect the ones that they loved and cherished. Do we have to make these people suffer yet once again. Why not prove what America is about and do justice to all the victims and their loved ones. It is unfortunate that we have to request this instead of it being done without question. I think it is shameful and that the least that could be done is to reverse the decision and keep our Country united in all races and diversities. Sincerely, Individual Comment 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 dojR002432.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. Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim's Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice Tenth Street and Constitutional Ave NW Washington, D.C. 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/domestic partnership 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/domestic partnership 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 forwward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Minneapolis, MN September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-29 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 dojA005554.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. 2002-03-29 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, January 14, 2002 6:14 PM WTC Victim TO: KENNETH R. FEINBERG, SPECIAL MASTER FROM: Individual Comment RE: , WORLD TRADE CENTER VICTIM SUBJECT: COMMENTS OF THE INTERIM RULES PLEASE DOUBLE-CLICK ON ICON BELOW TO OPEN DOCUMENT. > Attachment 1: To: Mr. Kenneth R. Feinberg, Special Master. From: Dear Mr. Feinberg, I was born in Greece in a small village of 166 people fifteen days before the Prime Minister of Greece John Metaxas marked the entrance of Greece into W.W.II. As a small child, I was often hungry. At thirteen years old, I walked over three hours a day to and from school in the midst of heat, rain, snow, ice and sleet, crossing rivers without bridges, usually barefoot. My parents loved their five children very much and tried their best to educate us. They believed that with education, honesty, and hard work, a person can improve his social and financial status, and in doing so, benefit not only himself, but his community as well. My parents were very proud of me when in 1961 the then-King of Greece Paul handed me the graduation diploma from the Maritime College. When I arrived in New York in 1967, I took a job with , located at in New York City, and my starting salary was $80.00. I chose to become a citizen of the United States of America because I believed in the country, I had faith in the U.S. government, and I thought the protection of its citizens and the justice provided to its people was far superior to that of any other country. While working full-time, I attended at night to further my education. In , I received my Masters in Business Administration Degree. While earning my MBA, my wife and I were raising three beautiful daughters. The youngest, , was born on . is in the middle of the trio in the photograph below; she pursued her love of dance to the age of twenty. and I are extremely proud of our girls. We've watched them grow into responsible adults who didnt indulge in the negative influences or vices that others sometimes give into. My girls are all known to their family, friends, co-workers, and community as kind, polite women who are ready to help others around them. They were devoted to their schoolwork and are all disciplined young ladies. was an outstanding student. Her school teachers consistently noted that She is a delightful child and an excellent student...she is an outstanding student and a delight in my classroom. grades were also outstandingher grades in the fifth grade, for example, were all E's for Excellent. A copy of fifth grade report card has been faxed to your attention at for incorporation as an attachment into this report. In High School, always enrolled in Honor Classes. She went on to graduate from in , where in addition to her studies, she spent time volunteering in a local community shelter. I can clearly recall how proud we were of her on graduation day. During the ceremony, I reflected upon my own roots, upon my own childhood and struggles, and realized that my belief in the great opportunities offered by this country was reinforced by the knowledge that my graduated from an Ivy League School. After graduation, started working at . She was a goal-setter and believed that anything was possible with continuous education, honesty, hard work, respect for others and determination. developed into and aspired to be an executive who was liked and admired, as opposed to feared by her colleagues and subordinates. generated love and compliments, but studiously avoided becoming self-important. spirit is best described in a fax which she transmitted on February 12, 2001 to , "This is intended for the few, the determined, the spirited who have the guts to follow their dreams! Good luck , I have full faith and confidence in you, ." People who knew , even for a short period of time, couldnt help but notice her spirit, warmth and generosity. In the midst of our grieving, my family received a letter from a stranger from Dallas, Texas named , that demonstrates the profound effect she had on people. wrote, "You don't know me, but I know your sister Jennifer...whom I can say I personally admired...she was a client of mine...from our first contact, was a dream to know. She was smart, professional, courteous and very kind...this is a business where allot of people don't give you the time of day, was the polar opposite...I was immediately impressed with her courteous attitude and generosity of showing me around...I truly believe is a type of person that God blesses us humans with the acquaintance of only so often and I consider myself one of the blessed. Even though I know only five short months, her special qualities touched me and I will always be eternally grateful." Copies of 2/12/01 fax to and the letter from have been faxed to your attention at 301-519-5956 for incorporation as an attachment to this report. worked and thrived in a business that can be dehumanizing at times. Despite that, she never forgot who she was, she always had a huge heart, and was always willing to extend a helping hand. always made the time to counsel a distressed friend; in fact, it seemed that her spirit guided her to those in need of assistance, especially when it came to lending support to her two older sisters. also loved to celebrate and would never forget the birthdays of the young children that she befriended. Despite her hectic career, was just entering a very special future with her future fiancé . She also found the time to make memories: with friends at baseball games and snowboarding, fishing with her father, venturing onto the Peconic Bay in a kayak, attending operas at the Met with her mother, taking golf lessons with her fiancé, hiking with her cousins, and enjoying the New York nightlife with her sisters and friends. She was a lover of friendship, family and good times. After becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) in June of 2001, life for Jennifer had become more enjoyable, sweet and somewhat predictable. Her voice developed great confidence when speaking about the futureshe looked toward it with great optimism and with a belief that it lacked limitation. After graduating from , continued her educationshe knew that increased economic remuneration required an edge over ones peers, and she believed education would provide her with that edge. She knew about the financial industry because I have been working for since as a financial advisor, and when she started working at , she found that the securities industry was a sector of the economy that she wanted to be a part of. So, decided to become a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). The CFA certification process requires passing three individual examsone can take only one exam per year. Also, one must pass each part before taking the next level exam, or wait a year to retake the failed exam. With much diligence, passed all three exams within three consecutive years. In '99, the reward for passing Part One was a doubling in her regular salary, to . In June of 2000, she passed Part Two, and again saw a significant increase in salary. In June of 2001, passed the third and final exam and was certified as a Chartered Financial Analyst. At that time, her regular annual salary was increased to . A copy of last paycheck received on September 15, 2001, has been faxed to your attention at for incorporation as an attachment to this report. In addition to increasing her base salary, her employer, , promoted to the position of . They gave her a private windowed office on the floor of the North Tower of the WTC. As additional compensation, gives each analyst like the sum of to be invested as each analyst saw fit. All the capital gains, all profits, and income from this account are for the benefit of the analyst, while the employer absorbs any losses. In addition, each analyst competes for a quarterly bonus of if the group of stocks he or she recommends performs best. About one year earlier, (then an Associate Analyst) received bonus when the energy group of stocks her team followed performed the best for the quarter. Finally, each analyst participates in the firms bonus distribution at years end. It is widely known the financial industry pays experienced Chartered Financial Analysts millions of dollars in salary each year. plans were much more grandiose than anything she had accomplished to date. You see, I am a with with twenty-four years of experience. My eldest daughter is also a Financial Advisor with . was a CFA, and her fiancé is also an analyst with Value Line for over five years. Our dream was to establish our own investment firm and work together after marriage. We believed we had the ability to establish a successful money management firm. and I lived in the same house and worked 200 feet apart from one another (she in the World Trade Center, and I in the World Financial Center), and we usually commuted to work together. During our commute, we planned our future company, its structural organization, what position each of us would hold, when would be the appropriate time to launch our company, and the quality of research and investments we would offer. September 11, 2001, started out just like any other workday. My wife drove and me to the train/bus station at Great Kills. That day, I decided to take the train instead of the bus with . When the South Tower of the World Financial Center, where I was working, was ordered to evacuate, my daughter and I ran down 40 flights of stairs and onto the West Side Highway. We stepped outside directly across the street from the World Trade Center. We faced the North Tower's intense fire and smoke. Our hearts broke. Instinctively, I wanted to rush across the street towards the burning tower--I knew was engulfed in flames or suffocating from smoke, and I wanted to be there to help her, to bandage her head or her broken body, or free her from whatever debris had fallen on her. I wanted to carry her out of that place called Hell. Our disbelieving eyes were weeping. Debris fell from the sky and landed all around us. Police and security people pushed and directed us and the crowd away from the buildings toward the West Side River, towards what they thought was safety. My personal safety did not cross my mind at that moment. I was worried more about , who was crying for fear of her sister's whereabouts. We were consumed with thoughts of her being trapped in her office, or burning alivewhat if she was stuck in an elevator on the 90th floor? I was paralyzed, not knowing what to do or think. kept calling her sister's cell phone, hoping she would pick it up. Nothing worked. In a mummified state we sat around watching the tragedy unfold, only to witness another airplane crash into the second tower right before our eyes. People were clinging to the outside of the tower, jumping from 100 floors above into nothing in an effort to escape the intense heat and asphyxiation. Our paralysis overrode our desire to walk away from the disasterwe stayed for almost an hour, desperately searching the masses of people around us for face. We refused to believe that our beautiful could vanish in front of our eyes, and that we would witness such evil. We refused to go away from this crime scenewe only left when we heard loud voices scream "Run away, run away, and then heard the thunder of what sounded like an avalanche. and I tried to run towards the South Ferry, but we were overrun and engulfed in darkness and the falling debris of the collapsing South Tower. We shared my handkerchief in a vain effort to filter the air and facilitate our breathing. When we reached the Museum of Jewish Heritage, I dipped my handkerchief in a pool of stagnant water to wash it a bit and refresh it for the continued use. The stench of the water was unbearable. There was nowhere to run, you couldn't see directly in front of you. The soot from the collapsed building covered our heads, our clothes, our bodies in an inch of ash, and I wondered if somewhere in that ash was part of my Jennifer. While running, I also thought of how the people of Japan felt when the atomic bomb fellI wondered if they felt the same desperation, agony, helplessness, and lack of desire to live as I felt, as I sometimes feel now. Eventually, we made our way towards the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and went into a building on State Street. The people were kind and were trying their best to help us clean off the soot. When we left four hours later (the ferry couldnt run because of the lack of visibility caused by the buildings collapse), I watched desperate eyes searching the crowd for her sister. Even now, it is almost impossible to believe what happened actually happened, to realize that the sacrifices and I made for our children were in vain, to know that was snatched from our arms. There is a gut wrenching pain lodged inside of me that cannot find an outlet. I live each day with a paralyzing numbness. I know the empty days that come and will continue to come for the rest of my life, especially on birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Anniversaries and other birthdays. I know the grief that only a parent understands, the pain that makes life seem worthless. I know the blessing of momentary relief that sometimes comes with sleep, if I can manage to sleep. I also know nightmares, and see images of buildings burning with my daughter calling me for helpin those dreams, I am unable to extend my hand. My feet are paralyzed, and I cant step towards her direction to offer her help. I often awake to change my sleeping cloths because they are drenched with sweat from my nightmares. I know what it means to wake and immediately think of , and remember what has happened, even though I'm trying hard to steer away from all the unpleasant memories. I question why the government that I admired so much neglected to protect my daughter and so many others, why it failed its most important duty: to protect the safety and well-being of its citizens. On Friday, January 4, 2002, the Staten Island Advance published an article (page A23) entitled, "An early Al-Qaida Plot Unraveledthe article claims that the CIA and the FBI were aware of Operation Bojinka since 1995, and yet our Federal Government failed to protect so many innocent people. In addition, our government gave $20 billion dollars from our taxes to the airline industry and created a compensation system that reduces the liability of the airlines and others, while it simultaneously limits its citizens right to recover damages in court. I never imagined a day when I would receive an ultimatum from the United States Government to blindly accept or reject a settlement offer, the material terms of which have not been explained or disclosed to me in advance. Adding to my disbelief is the fact that I do not have the right to later reject the settlement if the amount, when it is eventually disclosed, is inadequate. How can I make such a decision? I never thought that the Constitutional due process requirements would permit these types of procedures, let alone that they would be practiced by the Department of Justice of the United States of America, the department whose primary responsibility is to protect all the rights of all of its citizens. I cannot fathom how any person can tell me and that $250,000 covers the extraordinary ordeal that we went through on September 11, or our pain, agony, fear, helplessness, suffering, that accompanies the loss of such an extraordinary child and sister. It is equally difficult for me to comprehend how it is possible for an individual to estimate the economic loss of my without having knowledge of all the aforementioned information about her. How can anyone tell that, while she was only 26 years old and saw that the fruits of her work efforts quintupled her base annual salary (from $40,000 to $200,000) in a three-year period, she would only get a 6.6% annual salary raise from the age of 26 to 70. Realistically, how many people in position would accept such a ridiculous proposition/assumption from their employer? Mr. Kenneth Feinberg, Special Master, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to describe to you my missing daughter; I hope you now have a more complete picture of her and of the great loss we suffer. , born on She was a person with a Golden Heart who possessed great character and moral values. She was a Graduate She was a Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA She was a , Analyst with She took charge of her life and had big dreams for a bright future. My daughter would have been engaged on October 30, 2001, her . She fulfilled my dreams to escape poverty and would have been in a responsible position in the future to influence events and benefit people. I also appreciate the opportunity to share with you what and I witnessed and went through on September 11th , and the feelings and fears we experienced on that horrific day, and what now my entire family goes through every single day. Our family is peaceful and believes in self-respect, and having respect for others. We believe that reasonable people form better societies. We know that courts should always be the last resort. On November of 2001, I stepped into a courthouse for the first time in my life to be appointed as co-administrator of my dead daughter's estate. We do not wish to go to court. However, I ask that you put yourself in my position: as one father to another, tell me what settlement is fair and just, and should keep me from seeking justice for the death of my beautiful in a court of law. I patiently await your answer. Until then, I remain, Sincerely yours, A grieving father. September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-14 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 dojN002508.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. 2002-01-14 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. January 17, 2002 Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 RE: Comment on Interim Final Rule implementing Public Law 107-42 Dear Mr. Zwick: I have read the interim final regulations, published on December 21, 2001, to implement the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. I think they are comprehensive and fair, and I applaud the efforts of the Department of Justice. I have just one brief comment to make, and it pertains to Subpart E ~ payment of Claims. In § 104.52 (Distribution of award to decedent's beneficiaries), the Personal Representative is required "before payment is authorized" to "provide the Special Master a plan for distribution of any award received from the Fund." (Emphasis added.) But there is no requirement in the present text that the Personal Representative also inform the Special Master that any award he or she receives has actually been distributed. Suggestion: I think it would be prudent in the final rule to require the Personal Representative to provide the Special Master with documentary proof of (a) the actual distribution of any award received to the rightful beneficiary or beneficiaries and (b) the amount(s) of such payment(s), within seven calendar days of the date(s) of payment(s). Respectfully yours, Individual Comment Washington, DC September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-17 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 dojN002398.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. 2002-01-17 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. 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. Individual Comment Arvada, CO 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 dojA003649.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. 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 San Diego, 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 dojA005255.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. Thursday, December 06, 2001 1:36 PM Sept 11 Victim Compensation Fund Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs, Civil DIvision U.S. Department of Justice December 6, 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick, Please follow a completely inclusive policy in distributing compensation to the victims of the Sept 11 tragedies. I understand that there is a movement to exclude members of non-traditional families such as lesbians and gays and non- biological children of victims. These individuals are suffering in similar ways regardless of the legal/civil defination of their family relationship. This is not the time to be divisive and discriminatory with judgments. Please take a strong stand for inclusiveness and non-discrimination in this matter. The whole world is watching. Sincerely, Individual Comment Traverse City, MI 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 dojA001178.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