264 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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 9:59 PM 9/11 fund unfair I am not sure if this will have an impact on the way that things are but being a gay America I feel that it is my duty to at least be open and vocal when I have seen a travesty in action. The fact that the government is willing to "break" the laws for illegal aliens but is not willing to be "open" to its fellow Americans who work and pay taxes to help support those illegal aliens is a slap in the face to what we say we stand for. How can we stand by and watch as we are treated as lessor individuals than those who don't deserve to be here and under other circumstances would be removed instead of being helped. It is funny that sexual orientation doesn't seem to matter when those gay individuals were saving lives on the plane etc. I think that everyone should stand back and think about the choices that are being made. Gay Americans are a large and growing source of revenue in this country and people need to stop looking at us as if we have a disease and realize that we are just as worthy as anyone else. That includes all the Two-faced, backstabbing people in this country that call themselves politicians!!!! thank you for your incompetence. Individual Comment Arkansas 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 dojR001260.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. Tuesday, January 22, 2002 8:37 PM NOT to reward foreign nationals who are in America illegally. Please do not reward to foreign nationals who are in America illegally. They don't care to breaking the law for enter USA and take advange our taxpayer. Please do not give our taxpayer to foriegn nationals or illegal for benefits. Please Please. Please Thank you Individual Comment Los Angeles, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-22 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 dojN002361.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. 2002-01-22 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, December 16, 2001 5:41 AM Protect Traditional Marriage Mr. Kenneth Zwick Office of Management Programs Department of Justice Washington. DC Dear Mr. Zwick: I want to express my opposition to any effort by the federal government to provide 9-11 victim compensation funds to "domestic partners" of unmarried survivors of the terrorist attack upon our nation. Funds disbursed through the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 should only go to the surviving family members of those who died on 9-11. Funds must go to the widows, widowers, orphans, and other blood-related or adopted members of the family--not to unmarried sexual partners of those who died. To provide funds to "domestic partners" is to undermine the traditional definition of marriage and family to include any number of sexual liaisons between same-sex or opposite-sex unmarried couples. Many homosexuals and swinging heterosexuals, for example, engage in sex with multiple partners. Do we provide funds to each of the sexual partners? Where do we draw the line on how many "domestic partners" a person may have?Homosexual activists are exploiting the 9-11 tragedy by asking the federal government to redefine what constitutes a legitimate "family" under the law. In fact, homosexual activist &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp , writing in Out magazine has openly called for the subversion of the concept of marriage between a man and a woman. He has urged homosexuals to fight for the legalization of homosexual marriages and once legalized to "redefine the institution of marriage completely . . . . to debunk a myth and radically alter an archaic institution. . . . The most subversive action lesbians and gays can under take--and one that would perhaps benefit all of society--is to transform the notion of 'family' entirely." If the DOJ provides funds to "domestic partners," it will be helping &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp accomplish his goal: That of redefining marriage and altering what he calls an "archaic institution." We also oppose September 11th Funds going to the estates of the deceased instead of to their surviving family members. No one can know for certain where these funds will end up if they are deposited in the estate of a person who has died. The person may have willed his estate to a terrorist, racial hate group, or even to an organization like the North American Man-Boy Love Association. No one will know unless each person's will is examined by a DOJ lawyer. The money should go to the surviving family members of the deceased, not to the estate or to the surviving "domestic partner." Individual Comment Titusville, FL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-16 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 dojA002052.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. 2001-12-16 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. Tuesday, January 22, 2002 3:00 PM New York City's Comments on Interim Final Rule January 22, 2002 via e-mail: victimcomp.comments@usdoj.gov Kenneth Feinberg, Esq. Special Master September 11th Victim Compensation Fund 780 Third Avenue, 22nd Floor New York, New York 10017 Kenneth L. Zwick, Esq. Director, Office of Management Programs Civil Division, U.S. Dept. of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Special Master Feinberg and Mr. Zwick: I write on behalf of the City of New York to comment upon the Interim Final Rule ("the Rule") promulgated on December 21, 2001 to carry out the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act ("the Act"). The City respectfully submits that the Interim Rule should be modified in a number of respects so that the regulatory scheme conforms more fully with the purposes and language of the legislation and to ensure that the victims of the September 11th attacks are fairly and adequately compensated. The City concurs in large part with the comments about the Rule made by New York Governor Pataki and New York State Attorney General Spitzer in their joint submission. Specifically, and without repeating their contentions at length, we fully agree that: - The Rule's treatment of economic and noneconomic losses is both unfair and inconsistent with the Act. There is no basis in the Act for limiting recovery of lost earnings. The Act requires that economic damages authorized by state law be awarded to a victim; New York law, which is applicable to most claims, provides for full recovery of economic loss, including lost earnings. Any effort to limit the recovery to something less than that amount simply finds no support in the Act or concepts of fundamental fairness. Similarly, while presumptive noneconomic awards will help ensure uniformity in the administration of claims, under the Act claimants who submit evidence of their actual damages should not have to demonstrate extraordinary circumstances in order to obtain a recovery in excess of the presumptive award. - The eligibility provisions of the Rule are also more restrictive than those set forth in the Act. Individuals who suffered physical harm as a result of the crashes should not be made ineligible simply because they did not seek medical attention within 24 hours of the attack or their rescue, or were not hospitalized or rendered disabled. Nor, if they were in fact physically harmed because of the crashes or ensuing collapse, should they be denied a recovery because they are unable to verify their injuries with contemporaneous medical records. These additional requirements in the Rule engraft conditions to recovery that are not found in the Act. The Rule should be modified so that, consistent with the Act, any persons who can show that they suffered physical harm because of the attacks are eligible for an award. - Upon sufficient proof of a relationship of economic dependence or interdependence, domestic partners and other family members lacking formal legal recognition should be considered eligible for an award. - The rule should prohibit disclosure of information or documents about an undocumented alien's immigration status to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. - Only those collateral sources provided as a matter of contractual or statutory right should be offset against an award, and, as under New York law, collateral sources should be offset against an award only to the extent that they correspond to the particular kind of loss that provides the basis for recovery. See Oden v. Chemung County Indus. Dev. Agency, 87 N.Y.2d 81 (1995). Finally, because the Act clearly provides that upon submission of a claim, the claimant waives the right to bring a lawsuit to recover damages resulting from the crashes (and because submission of a claim may jeopardize a claimant's eligibility for workers' compensation benefits or have other legal consequences), it is critical that the claim form devised by the Special Master clearly state the legal consequences, or possible legal consequences, of submitting a claim. The form should also strongly recommend that an individual seek legal advice before submitting a claim. Thank you very much for your consideration of these comments. Very truly yours, Comment By: City of New York September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-22 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 dojN002287.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. 2002-01-22 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 21, 2002 1:25 PM Interim Final Rules Comments January 21, 2002 Mr. Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Dear Special Master Zwick: Thank you for the opportunity to voice my concerns regarding the DOJs proposed Interim Final Rules for the September 11 Victims Compensation Fund (hereinafter referred to as the Fund). worked for on the floor of Tower One (our brother and son respectively). I have read the Interim Final Rules (hereinafter referred to as the Rules) and in so doing have identified five broad areas of concerns regarding the Fund: 1) the recognition of airline liability and the decision to not use airline cases to inform the compensation amount; 2) the potential effect of the Fund on other possible litigation cases; 3) the Special Masters pivotal role in defining public perception of the Fund; 4) the factors involved in computing economic loss; and 5) the non-economic loss provision. Each of these is defined in more detail below. Although I am appreciative of the benefits this fund offers, this legislation was passed to protect both known, namely the airlines, as well as commercial and government entities yet to be identified from legitimate lawsuits. Numerous negligent acts occurred which resulted in this tragedy. One entity is not solely responsible for the events leading to September 11th. Other potentially responsible parties include various factions of the government (e.g., the CIA, INS, FBI); the Port Authority (e.g., the lack of appropriate evacuation procedures for those on the upper floors; the general evacuation procedures; stairwell doors being locked against fire code; etc); the adequacy of fireproofing in the Towers, just to name a few. The Fund precludes families from pursuing other claims yet the Fund does not allow for these potential claims to be taken into consideration when determining the presumed award (hereinafter referred to as compensation amount; as an aside I do find the term award to be uncomfortable). The airlines represent a highly visible negligent party responsible for the multiple tragedies occurring that day. This legislation limited the exposure of the airlines by imposing a cap on liability. The government, recognizing the airlines negligence and the resulting negative impact this would have on the airline industry, passed legislation limiting the airlines liability, among other things, as one remedy in an effort to bail out the airlines. In so doing, the government recognized the airlines liability to the families and as such effectively eliminated legal action on the part of families. The Fund was then established to compensate for the governments actions. However, the Fund goes further than the airline remedy and requires that families applying for compensation from the Fund agree to not pursue claims against the airlines, or any other entity that may be responsible for negligence, except for those found to be responsible for the terrorist acts. Mr. Feinberg has said that the intent of the Fund is to represent an alternative to litigation, and as such past airline cases are not appropriate comparisons for purposes of calculating compensation amounts. I find this logic to be misleading, as there are few alternatives, at least with respect to the airlines, for families to pursue thanks to this legislation. Consequently, the calculations put forth by Mr. Feinberg may become the only recourse for families. As such, when determining the compensation amount, consideration ought to be given to other airline litigation cases, something that Mr. Feinberg has refused to do. Quite frankly I am stunned by Mr. Feinbergs statement that cases of this nature have no relationship to the Fund because the Fund is an alternative to litigation. If this were truly an alternative to litigation then please tell me, what are our litigation alternatives? Mr. Feinberg continuously urges families to accept the compensation amount, and states that we have few choices. If this is true, then how can this be a true alternative to litigation? It cant be both that the government recognizes that the airlines are negligent, therefore the Fund will be established as a remedy for families except that previous airline damage claims have no relationship with this Fund. It cant be both ways. The government cant recognize the negligence on one hand and state that previous airline claims are irrelevant in this case. September 11th affected the entire country yet the Fund does not come close to recognizing the injustice families experienced. In its current form the Fund represents yet another injustice on top of the others we have already suffered. The airlines are the direct beneficiaries of this legislation along with other negligent parties. Mr. Feinberg states repeatedly, both in the Rules as well as in his public appearances, that the only option to families is the Fund. Although his statement is bothersome (and it feels unduly coercive) he is unfortunately right. However, I believe that his statement is true not because families would not be able to recover should they choose to litigate, as he would have us believe, (with the notable exception of the airlines due to the governments cap on their liability); rather it is a consequence of the existence of the Fund and its accompanying table structure for economic and non-economic loss. It is my fear that if families choose not to participate in the Fund we run the risk of being successful in court with the amount awarded by the court being limited to the amount(s) listed in the computational tables. Because the Fund states a presumptive amount this may become a standard that claimants could find difficult to overcome, with the consequent result being that successful court cases may not receive awards in excess of the compensation amount provided by the Fund. Thus, the option of litigation becomes less viable and the Fund becomes even more coercive. The Fund has received quite a bit of publicity and is fairly controversial, both with the families as well as with the general public. Families are obviously concerned with the compensation amounts and how they are being calculated. The public however has a much different perception. Many see family members as "greedy" and "unappreciative" and this seems to be due primarily to the publics lack of understanding as to why the Fund exists. The public is not sure why our taxes are being used to compensate families, and how this situation differs from the Oklahoma bombing, the South Africa Embassy bombing, and so on. In his zest to convince families that the Fund is our only option and is fair and just compensation, Mr. Feinberg inadvertently portrays families as being unappreciative of this offer and have put family members in a very uncomfortable and awkward position in criticizing the amounts proposed. As Special Master I believe that Mr. Feinberg has a responsibility to be an advocate for the families he is serving. In this role he should be defending the Fund, informing the public about the Fund, and advocating for families both in his public speeches and in his development of a fair compensation plan. Unfortunately he has not done any of these three things. What he is doing is trying very hard to convince families that his plan is fair and that he is bound by the legislation. In this role Mr. Feinberg does not come across as compassionate and continuously discounts the families concerns regarding the compensation amounts. He also make frequent mention as to how his hands are tied, and gives the unstated message that this is as good as it gets, and we have no recourse so quit your griping already. In addition, some of his remarks are inflammatory and disrespectful. To paraphrase one such comment, I either heard or read a comment made by Mr. Feinberg that was both of these. He said something to the effect that it was not the intent of Congress that families get rich from the coffers of the American taxpayer. These types of statements add insult to injury to families that are already suffering. Having to prepare comments such as this one has taken an emotional toll on families. There are times when I hesitate to make mention that Im a family member and feel the DOJ fund does not do justice for the great loss our family suffered as the public has bought into the families as greedy stereotype. I suggest Mr. Feinberg consider taking his cue from Congressman Peter King, who has done a great job of defending Congresss intent and in laying the foundation for the rationale underlying the Fund. As a result of the multiple concerns families have with the Rules we now find ourselves organizing our efforts to overcome the obstacles put forth by the Rules instead of grieving our loss. Although we want to begin the healing process we live in the shadow of September 11th, a day in infamy whose images will never go away for us. We relive that fateful day every single day and because the aftermath has been so incredibly overwhelming our everyday lives and routines have been redefined by it. Since September 11th we have experienced an incredible and horrendous loss along with multiple sources of frustration. Because there is no coordinated effort for families to receive information from one source we find ourselves seeking out information and organizing on multiple fronts. To date there are at least five separate web sites families have developed to provide information to other families since the city of NY has not. Each of these web sites provides different information resulting in our having to search out multiple sources for information. Some of the information we have had to seek out ourselves and repeatedly ask for pertains to our lost family members. As you are aware very few people have been positively identified. One of our primary concerns has been obtaining information about recovering and identifying remains both at Ground Zero and at the Fresh Kills landfill. None of this information has been readily available to families. The information we have received is due to the efforts of frustrated families having to organize to receive this information. Just yesterday I learned from other family members that the medical examiners office is not informing families when the DNA samples provided yield no results. Family members have to inquire about this themselves. In addition we have had to seek out information about charities, support groups, and so on. On top of all this we now find ourselves embroiled in this controversy. And it is uncomfortable. However, because of the time constraints and the principles of fairness involved, families have found themselves organizing instead of grieving. We desperately hope the day is near when justice will prevail and we can return to the privacy of our individual loss and grief. Family members have several grave concerns regarding the Economic and Non-economic loss provision put forth in the Rules. Specifically our concerns are focused on four primary areas: 1) Congresss intent in passing this legislation and whether the Rules are consistent with this intent; 2) the economic methodology being used to determine the compensation amounts; 3) the definition of what constitutes a collateral source; and 4) having to show extraordinary circumstances to increase the presumed amount. In offering this legislation Congress appeared to have intended that families be fairly compensated, both for their economic and non-economic loss. With respect to the non-economic amount I do not see a reasonable relationship between using the military "in the line of duty" standard and applying it to a civilian population. Those who worked in the World Trade Center were targeted for terrorism not once, but twice, and they died horrendously because most of them happened to work on the upper floors of the World Trade Center. Our family members were not in the line of duty when they went to work that day. They went to work and were viciously attacked and then prevented from leaving a flaming building due to a variety of different reasons (locked fire doors, lack of an evacuation plan for the upper floors, etc). Mr. Feinberg repeatedly states that Congress has tied his hands and that he has no power to raise the non-economic amount of $250,000. On the one hand he claims that he is developing the plan and on the other says that the non-economic amount was arrived at via negotiations between the DOJ, the White House, and the OMB. Then he states, "if that number is going to be changed, it will have to be by Republicans applying pressure to the administration" (Washington Post, January 17, 2002). Pardon me if Im a little confused at this point. So none of these three branches of government need to follow the intent of Congress or use the guidelines provided in the legislation? As I read and listen to developments relating to this fund one question is asked repeatedly: what was the intent of Congress in making this Fund available? I hear Mr. Feinberg making statements about Congresss intent in justifying his plan, yet members of Congress state that the Rules unduly restrict Congresss intent. I realize that the law is a matter of interpretation but there seems to be opinions on different ends of the spectrum with Mr. Feinberg using a very narrow interpretation. When looking at the broad array of areas covered under the non-economic loss provision I do not see a relationship between Congresss intent and the amount proposed in the Rules. Mr. Feinberg is professor of law and is very knowledgeable about what is, and what is not, allowed by law. As such, comments he makes are very powerful. When he speaks people are listening. Families are listening, lawmakers are listening, and the media is listening, as is the general public. Therefore it is important that he be very specific, clear, and truthful. Mr. Feinberg makes the comment that families should be grateful because under NY law there would be NO non-economic loss. However this is a half-truth. Under NY Wrongful Death law, only economic damages (pecuniary loss) are recoverable. Death cases in NY are handled under two laws, the second one being what is known as a Survival statute. If a person does not die instantly, their estate is entitled to the value of the victim's conscious pain and suffering, which is non-economic damages. How can we trust Mr. Feinberg when we have so many concerns about the way in which the Rules are being developed? Again we find ourselves in the position of having to seek out the truth. What is gained by manipulating the facts to achieve the goal of ensuring that compensation amounts are low? I truly believe that the Special Master has a responsibility to portray the Fund, and the families, in a compassionate and positive way. Neither of these has occurred. With respect to the economic theory underlying the economic loss provision, several economists have identified a number of flaws in the methodology. To summarize, economic experts are concerned that the methodology being used is outdated, and the comparison group is inappropriate, with the subsequent result being that the proposed amounts are substantially undervalued. Others more knowledgeable about this area have provided details of these flaws to Mr. Feinberg, which I will not reiterate here. I sincerely hope that Mr. Feinberg take into consideration the opinions of experts in the field in the Final Rules. It is bothersome to me that the Rules assume early retirement yet at the same time only assumes a yearly increase of 5%. You can't have it both ways - you can't assume early retirement yet not allow for the promotions and subsequent pay increases that would allow for early retirement. I am somewhat fearful that he may be entrenched in his position and will continue to use the standards he has already put forth. His public comments lead me to believe that he stands behind the theory and rationale for both the economic and non-economic loss provisions and that families will need to show "extraordinary circumstances" in order to exceed the presumptive amount. The clause requiring families to show extraordinary circumstances is inappropriate and is not part of the original legislation. In requiring this element Mr. Feinberg asks us to provide proof from our loved ones employer stating what his/her earning would have been or could have been had they followed a particular career path. In so doing, then we "might" be able to prevail. What is the purpose of this? Isnt this the intent of the Fund to begin with? It feels like Mr. Feinberg is asking us to do his job by providing him with this information and then he is free to ignore it if he wishes or if it does not meet his criteria, unspecified as it is. In closing, because the Fund removes viable litigation options as a direct result of the legislation creating the Fund, the Special Master has the responsibility of ensuring that the appropriate sources and comparisons are used to develop the compensation amount. This includes using relevant airline litigation cases, economic and non-economic theories applicable to the private sector, and interpreting legislation as Congress intended. We appreciate your taking the time to read my concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like clarification on any of these points. Sincerely, Individual Comment Omaha, NE Williamsville, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-21 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 dojN002170.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. 2002-01-21 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. Wednesday, January 16, 2002 5:18 PM The Fund is unfair and unjust. How can you put a price of $250,000 on someone's life, on someone's future life? My husband was a NYC Firefighter who also worked two side jobs. Your deductions are also unfair. We are being penalized for having life insurance, which everyone knowledgable should have. That is unfair. We are being penalized for our husband's pensions. UNFAIR! And, as far as the LOD awards and PSOB. EVERY Firefighter's family is awarded these benefits. Not just WTC fallen firefighters. Our husbands were murdered. The weapon was an AIRPLANE! We deserve to be compensated as close to an amount as if we were sueing. Our husbands were war heroes. They were the first to respond to an act of WAR! The monies were allotted. There are less victims than previously thought. Why can't you compensate us with the total amount which was alotted. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-16 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 dojN001905.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. 2002-01-16 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. Tuesday, December 18, 2001 8:18 PM Very Important 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 Oshkosh, WI 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 dojA002258.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, November 28, 2001 3:02 PM Support of including life partners in eligibility plan Dear Mr. Zwick: I write in support of including among the relatives eligible for compensation, those who lost their life partners or de facto parents or children, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. Individual Comment Storrs, CT 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 dojA000111.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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 2:49 PM Gays betrayed again. Your decision to deny benefits to the spouses of gay victims of September 11th is incredibly hurtful. The decision is divisive and uncharitable. Our community is outraged and this is not something we will accept quietly. Did the gay heroes that died as a result of September 11th stop to think that it was mainly heterosexual lives they were saving? Obviously not. They have been betrayed by you. Individual Comment Vancouver, B.C. Canada 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 dojR001012.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. 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 Amherst, MA 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 dojA002059.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. Monday, January 28, 2002 9:16 AM Victim Compensation for September 11th As a taxpayer, mother, wife of an active police patrol officer, a daughter, and a former bodily injury claims insurance adjuster, I believe the current plan for Victim's compensation is overly reasonable. From the standpoint of litigation against the airlines, this is reasonable compensation for the loss of immediate family members, and the US Government goes further to compensate for loss of adult children. This is more than can be hoped for in some accidental loss cases. However, this was no accident. This was an act of war. The civilians, firefighters, police officers, and others lost in this tragedy were casualties of war. What compensation have we given to casualties of war during WWI and WWII? My husband quietly leaves our home at 6a.m. on a work day. He is a police patrol officer. He protects the public. There is always the possiblity that he may not come home. I cannot be sure he will come home, but I am certain that if he should die we have insurance and plans in place to care for our two children. This will not bring him back, but it will ease the financial burden if he should be taken from us. And this will allow us to grieve properly. No amount of money can bring a human being back. No litigious effort can be guarranteed a certain amount. Victim's families can choose to forgo the generous gift the American public is giving them through this fund. They can try there luck in litigation if they must. They will not be guarranteed any compensation in litigation. Will jurors be sympathetic to their needs in court? Again, litigation and compensation will not bring a loved one back. Where are all the counselors and therapists? The victims need help [processing their grief and money will not do it. As a taxpayer, wife, mother, daughter, and wife of a police officer, I believe the current compensation is more than fair. Please do not change a thing. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-28 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 dojP000224.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. 2002-01-28 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. Tuesday, December 04, 2001 9:25 PM Fair Compensation for families of all victims 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 East Hampton, New York September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-04 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 dojA000585.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. 2001-12-04 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, January 23, 2002 1:28 PM Victims of Sept 11 Yes, all American and legal visitors who are victims of the Sept 11 attack deserve compensation. However, there is no reason to compensate people who have entered the country illegally. They are here on their own volition and at their own risk. It is not the duty of the US govt to compensate them. Individual Comment Sacramento, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-23 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 dojP000022.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. 2002-01-23 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, March 11, 2002 8:23 PM A plea for fairness to all our victims' families Dear Mr. President:   The horror visited on our nation on September 11th has, as you have so eloquently stated on many occasions, resulted in a kind of re-awakening of the American spirit.  Partisanship, prejudice, materialism, self-interest and cruelty - the very qualities that, unchecked, threaten the very foundation of the real American Dream - have all been softened, have given way at least for the moment to a greater sense of community, and a commitment to justice -- not just on a global scale, but in our neighborhoods and towns and in our own families.     So it is with genuine concern for our nation's soul, for the founding principal of "justice for all" that I learn of the Administration's apparent inclination to disregard, to compound, even, the suffering of some of the families of September 11ths victims.  A gay pilot, a gay priest, a gay passenger,all showed unprecedented heroism on that terrible day.  Dozens of gay abd lesbian victims perished in New York and Washington.  The terrorists did not care who these victims and heroes loved, or who loved them in return.  The only cared that they were Americans.   I would ask our nation to treat their memories, and the lives of their families, with at least the same lack of prejudice.  I applaud the government's decision to show its compassion in the form of financial relief to the families of undocumented aliens who perished.  I would expect our nation would offer its own citizens this same consideration.  This is not the time for division, not the time to re-victimize those who are already hurting, who already bear the burden of prejudice and hatred in their own country.  This is a time when all of us are challenged to do our best, to rise above popular opinion and politics, in the service of what's good and right.   I truly hope you will find it in your hearts to extend compassion and justice to the partners and children of the innocent gay and lesbian victims of the terrorist attacks.  The world and history will regard this as nothing short of a just act, emblematic of America's commitment to moral strength.   With respect and appreciation,   Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-11 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 dojR000303.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. 2002-03-11 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 21, 2002 Special Master Kenneth Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 Re: 24-hour medical treatment rule - 28 CFR Part 104 [104.2 (c) (1)] Dear Special Master: I am writing to request that you rescind the above-captioned proposed regulation requiring a patient to seek "medical treatment" [presumably in a formal, professionally documented setting] "within 24 hours of the injury having been sustained" to qualify as "physical harm," and, therefore, for compensation by the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund. This proposed regulation is not consistent with commonly known and accepted medical practice and is particularly unrealistic and, therefore, unjust in light of the extraordinary circumstances [and their medical consequences] of the attack of 9/11/01. Although life-, limb-, or organ-threatening injuries sustained during the 9/11/01 attack could reasonably be expected to have resulted in the injured person seeking medical attention within 24 hours (barring the mental incapacitation to do so), many other serious and frequently more chronically crippling injuries do not, in common medical practice, either frequently result in, or even benefit from, formal medical attention within 24 hours. One such class of injuries prevalent amongst victims of the 9/11/01 attack is musuloskeletal injuries involving damage to bone, muscle, and/or joints. Such injuries, especially ones of the spine or other joints, such as of the shoulders or knees, can be chronically disabling and yet frequently do not receive formal medical attention for days, and sometimes weeks, precisely because they are not life-, limb-, or organ-threatening. Another class of injury related to the 9/11/01 attack is lung injury caused by inhalation of microscopic particulate matter and/or of organic fumes and smoke caused by the burning of plastic-based and other materials (such as jet fuel and Special Master Kenneth Feinberg (2) PVC pipes), to which occupants were exposed during the attack and subsequent collapse of the towers. Such injury, which at times can be immediately life- threatening, can also lead to chronic and even insidiously progressive respiratory distress syndromes. These are frequently tolerated for days or weeks before formal medical attention is sought but, nevertheless, can become chronically debilitating. Aside from the delays commonly seen by medical practitioners in seeking medical attention for the aforementioned conditions are the extraordinary circumstances of this attack and the devastating psychological and emotional impact of this particular event, which as not been experienced in most people's lifetimes. The post-traumatic stress disorder and/or depression of many of the survivors is real and profound. Aside from being, at times, incapacitating in and of itself, these psychological conditions, quite understandably, have resulted in further delays in seeking medical attention for physical injuries as survivors contemplated, and to this day relive daily the magnitude of this unspeakably horrific event, which occurred to both themselves and to co-workers who did not survive. The proposed "24-hour regulation" would constitute a gross injustice in fairly administering the "9/11/01 Fund" and, in addition, would result in egregious discrepancies in judging the merit of claims for medical injury. An example of such a discrepancy is a person with a large laceration of the arm or leg (but no other significant injury) having the laceration sutured shortly after the attack qualifying for compensation. On the other hand, a person sustaining injury to their back, which can lead to serious disability but is frequently not considered sufficiently emergent by physicians to require evaluation within 24 hours, would be automatically disqualified. I urge you to rescind the 24-hour regulation since it excludes from consideration people who sustained serious and at times long-lasting injuries, which are commonly accepted as such by the medical profession and which legitimately deserve consideration on an equal footing with those reported within 24 hours. The 24-hour deadline is not consistent with sound medical practice and should not define eligibility for inclusion for benefits from a fund created specifically for victims of the 9/11/01 attack. Sincerely, Individual Comment Trauma Specialist Board Certified in Emergency Medicine New York, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-21 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 dojN002550.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. 2002-01-21 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. Sunday, December 23, 2001 1:23 AM terms of fund To Whom It May Concern: I lost the love of my life-my fiancé &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp on the 11th. As read through the details of this fund, I am so angry to learn that any insurances will be deducted from the final payout. Why should the family be penalized because &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp planned for his future-or because his company automatically assigns it to him as a benefit for joining the company? I'm not greedy, we both worked very hard and saved our money for the future in case of health or job problems that may have arose. Basically what I am trying to say is that we "played by the rules" and made numerous sacrifices by saving every month and making sure that we had proper coverage- yet &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp and I are being punished for this. I lost my future husband, the man that I built a life with,the future father to my children-and you actually think that the payouts are sufficient? By the time you take out all the deductions, it will be a paltry sum! Please reconsider these terms. Regards, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-23 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 dojN000723.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. 2001-12-23 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 5, 2001 Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Dear Sir: Isn't time to quell those, who wear the banner of patriotic Americans who, in fact, act as unAmerican. I speak of those who would deny our generosity from the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" to the surviving partners and children of gay and lesbian victims. It's time to come together not push each other further apart. Left to their devices, these same people would have America be a divisive country, separated between Christians and the rest of us, straight vs gay, and white vs color. Shades of Afghanistan. Let the Department of Justice set aside it's own bias, and foster equality for all. Let's not let the terrorists, the Taliban as well as our own home-grown terrorists, win. Respectfully, Individual Comment Eugene, OR September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-05 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 dojA004535.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. 2001-12-05 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 8:58 PM Please support equal benefits for gays and lesbians 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 White Bear Lake, MN 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 dojA002348.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. 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 Hemet, 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 dojA001835.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. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 7:14 AM Support Equal Access to Relief Fund 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 Raleigh, NC 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 dojA002545.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