300 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, January 26, 2002 9:22 PM read astory about &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp that her husband was killed in the 9-11 and was making $96,000 per year before taxes and that she fears that she will get nothing from the Government in compenstation as she will get 1.4 million tax free from life ins. and from his company i sure fell sorry for her loss but she should get real and think about all the people that lost all money in the stock market last year or the persons that had there money in the bank and rates went down from 7.0% to 2.0% and that is what they have to live and no Gov. help. i just hope that after all is said and done that greedy crybabies donot rip off the rest of us tax payers. thank you Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojP000187.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. 2002-01-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, December 18, 2001 7:56 PM Re: Equal Access to Crisis Relief 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 Pottstown, PA 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 dojA002218.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. Friday, November 16, 2001 8:04 PM Victim Compensation Fund for Sept. 11 Dear Mr. Zwick- I am writing on behalf of my dear friend, , and her three children, 2 year old , and twins and , born 2001. I have spent countless hours at home, watching her young children while she wrestled with agencies in an endless, continuing quagmire of beaurocracy trying to obtain funds. While she tries to nurse newborn twins, a phone is often attached to her ear. While some benefits have arrived, she has the daunting task of providing for these three children and herself for the rest of their lives. She is only 34 years old; her husband was 32. I implore you to expedite in the swiftest manner possible monies in the Sept. 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Further, I beg you to minimize the beaurocracy and forms that will be required of her and the thousands of others in the same position. Their heartache is enormous. Please don't cause them any more unnecessary distress. Please do everything possible to see that proceedings go favorably for her and the others. God Bless You, and thank you. Individual Comment Randolph, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-16 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 dojW000366.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. 2001-11-16 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, March 22, 2002 10:57 AM Discrimination against gay and lesbian families It was wonderful to know once again that US tax paying and voting citizens are being discriminated against by the Bush administration. Gays and lesbian families are discriminated against financially in every possible way in this country, not being allowed the benefits that "married" people have. Thanks for your discriminatory policies in the victim's compensation fund, completely ignoring the fact that many US gay citizens died bravely serving their country. I guess it's ok to give your life in the country's service, even to be a hero as was, but "God forbid" these gay citizens should be given equal rights to "married" people. Yours sincerely, Individual Comment (not married, but living together as a couple with my partner for 36 years) September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-22 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 dojR002632.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. 2002-03-22 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. Thursday, March 21, 2002 12:15 PM Unfair treatment of homosexual partners I feel outraged that gay and lesbian partners of those who died on September 11 are not automatically going to receive the same benefits as heterosexual spouses will. If September 11 has taught us anything, it's that our patriotism and love of country transcends our differences and unites us all. We were told that September 11 was the day that "hyphenated-Americans" were no more, and rather than being Italian-Americans, African-Americans or gay-Americans, we were now simply Americans, all of us together as one American family. Apparently, that family just got a divorce. The hyphens seem not to matter when our government wants to use our heroism to inspire others, but when it comes time to actually aid the families of those heroes, the hyphens come back with a vengeance, and it seems that some American heroes are now unequal with others. Even fetuses and illegal aliens will be receiving benefits, they've even promised to overlook federal law and NOT arrest and kick out the families of illegal aliens, nor will they punish American companies that hired illegals in violation of federal labor laws. But when it comes to gay and lesbian heroes of the day - who helped bring down the flight in Pennsylvania, who died in the line of duty when the first tower fell, and who was of the plane that crashed into the (there are many more) - we are told the law is the law and no exceptions can be made. This is not right and I strongly urge you to correct this unfair treatment of my fellow Americans. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-21 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 dojR002509.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. 2002-03-21 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, March 20, 2002 10:11 AM To whom it may concern; I write today to express my deep disagreement with the stated policy of September 11th Victim's Compensation Fund of not providing gay and lesbian partners of attack victims with the same compensation as heterosexual spouses. The Fund should use the same honesty and concern for the well-being of all people that was used to decide that all families of illegal immigrant victims deserved the same respect and compensation as families of Americans who died.  The fierce and remorseless wave of destruction that took so many people from us did not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation. In compensating those effected, the US government should not discriminate either. 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 dojR002332.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. Wednesday, March 20, 2002 11:18 PM READ THIS hi my name is and although i am not an adult i do know when people aren't treated equal. this victims program from 9/11 was supposed to show our patriotism in helping these families get through this hard time. from what i have heard, gay and lesbian partners who died in this tragedy are not getting these benefits. now i don't see this equality that is stated in the constitution for ALL people to be equal. gays and lesbians are definitely people. these people were effected just as much as the spouses and families of others. the government cannot deny helping gays and lesbians for they have suffered and need that help just as much. please now that many other Americans also support me that ALL family which includes these gay and lesbian partners need these benefits. don't separate the nation again. we need to keep this union of the nation as long as we can to stay as strong as i can A hopeful American, Individual Comment CT September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002452.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. Wednesday, December 05, 2001 11:20 PM WTC survivor benefits In fairness, gay and lesbian relationships must be treated equally with all others. They are families too. Individual Comment 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 dojA001079.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. Friday, January 18, 2002 12:01 PM comments Payment for victims pain and suffering should be uniform and limited as proposed by Mr. Feinberg. There is no adequate compensation for pain and suffering, and no way to measure these damages. The only fair and workable method of compensation is a set sum, which in no case will be adequate compensation to the physically injured and deceased. This category of payment should not be an award to survivors. Similarly, payment for economic losses should be appropriately offset by collateral sources. Individuals who were prudent and had life insurance, or fortunate to have other forms of compensation, are in a better position that those who did not. It is not a penalty to offset federal victims' compensation by those resources. The fund should assist those who have need, not serve as a bonus for those who do not. While recognizing the heroism of firefighters, police officers, EMS personnel, and others similarly employed, the fact remains that they chose hazardous professions. To the extent they are compensated by professional funds, employee benefits, life insurance policies, and other victims funds, their economic losses should not be doubly compensated. It takes nothing away from our appreciation for their sacrifices to provide compensation for others who lack these resources. As a taxpayer, I favor providing compensation for economic loss to those who have an actual need. My sympathy for the victims is boundless, but common sense and a recognition of fiscal constraints and equity must be used to determine what payments will be made. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-18 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 dojN001987.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. 2002-01-18 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. Thursday, December 20, 2001 6:43 PM Subject: Crisis Relief Benefits December 20, 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 San Rafael, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-20 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 dojN000078.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. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, March 16, 2002 3:45 PM Be a good American role Model - don't discriminate Im writing to encourage fairness in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Discrimination is un-American. It didnt used to be and then, after September 11, our government told us, loudly and clearly, that discrimination actually was un-American. I have always believed that. However, in recent interviews, the head of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund stated the partners of gay and lesbian heroes of September 11 will not necessarily receive the same benefits as the spouses of heterosexual. That is discrimination and that it is un-American. I am saddened and outraged that gay and lesbian partners of those who died on September 11 are not automatically going to receive the same benefits as heterosexual spouses. Please be fair. A Human being is a human being. The human families of those human beings who died in the tragedy deserved to be treated equally. If the fund will be used to compensate fetuses, illegal aliens, and heterosexuals then it must also be used to compensate homosexuals and other unmarried partners in exactly the same way. Please be good American role models and do not discriminate. Compensate all of the humans affected by the tragedy equally. 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 dojR001057.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. Thursday, December 20, 2001 2:09 PM Crisis Relief Benefits for Surviving Gay and Lesbian partners December 20, 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. 2001-12-20 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 dojA004521.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. 2001-12-20 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. 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, 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 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 Mount Airy, MD September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-20 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 dojA002021.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. 2001-12-20 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. Monday, December 24, 2001 10:40 AM LESBIAN/GAY RIGHTS 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. Individual Comment TUBAC, AZ 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 dojN000851.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-24 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 3:56 PM Equal Access 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 Groton, MA 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 dojA003487.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. STATE OF CONNECTICUT JOHN G. ROWLAND GOVERNOR January 18, 2002 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 Re: Response to DOJ Request to Comment Dear Mr. Zwick: The creation by Congress of the Victim Compensation Fund (Fund) stands as a fundamentally important, compassionate and timely response to those individuals and families directly affected by the terrorist attacks on this country on September 11th. I sincerely commend you, Congress, and the President on this enormous and unprecedented undertaking. I also appreciate that the process and climate for regulation review and comment has sincerely invited public input and been receptive to making adjustments. It is in the spirit of our mutual and heartfelt desire to help affected individuals and families rebuild their lives in the wake of the events of September 11th that I provide the following comments on the Interim Final Rules. As I know you will agree, in the minutes, hours, weeks and months following the terrorist attacks, government at all levels purposefully, but with some uncertainty and humility, attempted to address the many challenges associated with these unanticipated and horrific acts of violence and destruction. In most instances, and in most places, government has risen to the occasion, whether it is on safety and security measures, related health and human service initiatives, or in other activities aimed directly at victims and their families. Still, there have been many lessons learned since September 11th, and new experiences will serve as valuable guideposts for future planning and activity. These findings should also apply to the Fund, and be the core source of influence in the rule-making process and in the implementation of the compensation program. Chief among these lessons is the indispensable need for cultivating communication and cooperation between and among federal, state and municipal government entities, volunteer organizations and charities. As you proceed to implement the Victim Compensation Fund, to best assure that the needs and interests of the affected individuals and families are well served, I urge you to coordinate your work with all state and local efforts that directly involve victims' families. Rule-making communication and initial direct family contact should allow and invite maximum participation by state government officials also engaged in supporting families. Another valuable lesson guiding me as Connecticut continues to unfold its services to families, is that the application and appeal process for this Fund, or any other of a similar nature, should be simple and well communicated. Family members have intimately shared with me their feelings of being overwhelmed by disjointed and random compensation opportunities. And, although some funds have been received, they have by and large not flowed in significant amounts or in any systematic way. These circumstances have easily translated into frustration and despair for families, and are retrograding to their healing process. Also, based on experiences shared by families, the criteria for awards and the process by which they are determined, needs to be flexible enough to reflect and accommodate the varied individual circumstances that exist. They also need to be grounded in the basic assumption that pain and suffering, along with financial worries, know no economic or class boundaries. If guidelines are to be flexible, as press accounts indicate your willingness to do so, then the regulations should be explicit about the terms of the flexibility, and unambiguously allow for claimants to be heard as individuals. Consistent with this, the level of compensation then should enable individuals and families to experience minimal disruption in their lives. Retaining homes and assuring a certain amount of environmental stability, especially for children, is a just and fair premise to the Fund. But more than that, leaving unattended a sense of arbitrariness about awards, and a disallowance in addressing individual circumstances, diminishes the promise of the Fund and the spirit of those it intends to serve. Finally, an important lesson for Connecticut and this Fund, is that often the web of relationships associated with victims, and all their attending needs, are complex and varied. Any restrictive definition of who should be recognized in the process will inevitably lead to inadequate protections of groups of victims. The documentation supporting a relationship with a victim, or lack thereof, should be weighed carefully against the presenting needs of individuals and the victim's pre-death financial and emotional commitments. More specifically in applying these lessons and experiences, provided below are four particular issues and inequities with the Fund that have been widely identified, and for which I make clear my position on. After careful review, I join some very important voices in urging you to address these concerns to the full extent of your authority through the Interim Final Rules. They are as follows: 1. I strongly encourage that the loss of earnings table reflects regional differences, and when available, occupational specific differences. 2. To the full extent allowed by regulation, I believe that maximum discretion should be allowed to assure that individuals are not penalized unfairly by the provision of collateral resources, in particular life insurance policies. Though Congress insisted that the awards bear some relationship with need, the wholesale blunting of responsible future planning is discouraging. 3. I implore that the cap on 'pain and suffering' awards be revisited and revised upward. In part as an effort to assure the solvency of the Airline industry, and the concomitant harmful affects on our economy, if this institutional diversion from lawsuits is to be effective, then it must offer a reasonable and adequate alternative. 4. The Fund must assure that individuals appealing their awards have sufficient opportunity and time at their hearing to fully represent their circumstances. The limitations currently proposed in this regard are disconnected with reality, and this purported efficiency, unless changed, will prove to be detrimental to the Fund's stated goal of "maximizing the dollar awards". Again, I appreciate this opportunity to comment on the final rules for the Fund, and am confident that ultimately this will be a process that will support the recovery and healing of victims and their families. This is an extraordinary effort, under extraordinary circumstances, and it is my hope that it will result in an extraordinary expression on the part of government as it attempts to bring a modest measure of comfort to those whose lives have been so closely and profoundly touched by the events of September 11th. Sincerely, Comment by: JOHN G. ROWLAND Governor of Connecticut Hartford, CT September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-18 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 dojN002650.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. 2002-01-18 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. Monday, November 26, 2001 6:52 PM Compensation for victims Dear Attorney General Ashcroft, The deaths on September 11th were the result of an attack on America. Please do not discriminate against the unmarried partners of September 11th victims. All unmarried partners, gay or straight, young and old and their dependents should be eligible for compensation. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000684.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 14, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Oakland, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004600.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. November 16, 2001 September 11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 The Empire State Pride Agenda is New York's statewide, non partisan gay and lesbian civil rights and political advocacy organization, representing over 25,000 members. In response to the numerous calls we have received from lesbian and gay New Yorkers touched by the brutal attacks of September 11, we are submitting comments on the Victim Compensation fund in a solemn effort to ensure that all victims receive fair treatment by our government. We urge that the Fund be administered in a way that ensures that all family members who have lost the support of a loved one are entitled to full and fair compensation for their losses, without regard to the sexual orientation of the victim of this tragedy. Just as those who died in the World Trade Center spanned all races, creeds, and colors, the tragedy touched lesbian and gay families as well as heterosexual families. Indeed, one of the heroes of September 11 on board United flight , , was a gay man. Inevitably, with over 92,000 people in New York alone identifying on the U.S. census as members of same sex households, many of the lesbian and gay victims of September 11 are survived by longtime partners. lost his partner of 17 years, , a project analyst at with whom he shared a Yonkers home. lost her partner , an assistant Vice President for accounting at on the 92nd floor of One World Trade. became separated from his 18-year companion, , as the two fled the falling debris side-by-side; did not learn until two days later that , had been killed as the towers tumbled around them. The need for support and recompense is no less real for these lesbian and gay survivors than it is for the countless other relatives who lost loved ones. America has reached out with enormous generosity to all of the victims because our common humanity recognizes that grief and loss are not reserved to any single culture or group-they are borne by each and every one of us, whatever our race, religion, or sexual orientation. The laudable purpose of the September 11th Fund is set forth clearly in the legislation that created it; to provide compensation for the losses of relatives of those who died, and those who were injured. See Title IV of the Air Transportation and System Stabilization Act, sec. 403. It is crucial for the many deserving relatives, including the committed partners of gay and lesbian victims of the terror attacks and their non-biological children who though not legally adopted were nonetheless raised by the victims as their own. Because these families are based on relationships that do not meet strict, traditional legal definitions, the enormity of the loss of a beloved companion or parent could be compounded by the prospect of ineligibility for compensation intended for their protection. The Fund should not operate under such an inequity, but should include among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners or non-biological parents, regardless of sexual orientation and marital status. The potential for unfairness is particularly high in the issues surrounding the "personal representative" of an eligible decedent's claim. The questions of who is eligible to be a "personal presentative" on behalf of a qualified decedent, whether a domestic partner will be considered a "survivor" who must be notified by a "personal representative," who among multiple claimants will be designated the appropriate "personal representative," and whether state law should be applied to determine the identity of a "personal representative" all involve whether the interdependent relationship between two persons of the same sex is to be given legal standing in this context. Our assertion, based both on the law that would be applied in the vast majority of legal claims resulting from the events of September 11th, and on the equitable concept of fundamental fairness, is that surviving domestic partners of victims should be recognized as legitimate beneficiaries of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. In many areas, New York State law already recognizes that an array of people come together to form families that are emotionally and financially interdependent, and the law has been taking affirmative steps to protect those who face peril when a family member perishes. These court rulings, laws, and executive orders deserve special consideration and carry special weight if the Fund is to live up to its purpose as a viable alternative to litigation, since the vast majority of the victims of the September 11 attacks were killed in New York, and New York law will apply in compensation litigation for those victims. Just a few weeks ago, Governor Pataki issued an Executive Order granting surviving partners of the World Trade Center attacks comparable benefits to those received by surviving spouses from the state's Crime Victim Board. (The board receives a large proportion of its compensation funds from the Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime.) Under the order, the Crime Victims Board will use criteria similar to those used in granting health benefits to the domestic partners of state employees, discussed below. That Executive Order follows the example set as early as 1989 by New York's highest court, which has defined "family" to embrace the diverse family structures that play vital roles in the state and to protect life partners of rent-controlled tenants. In Braschi v. Stahl Associates, 74 N.Y.2d 201 (1989), the Court of Appeals held that government protection when a loved on dies "should not rest on fictitious legal distinctions or genetic history, but instead should find its foundation in the reality of family life." Id. at 211. Braschi held that in addition to the traditional definitions of family, "a more realistic and certainly equally valid, view of family includes two adult lifetime partners whose relationship is long term and characterized by an emotional and financial commitment and interdependence." Id. The definition of family the Court formulated is now codified in New York administrative regulations at 9 N.Y.C.R.R. 2104.6(d)(3). By incorporating factors like longevity of the relationship, formalization of responsibilities toward one another, and mutual, day-to-day care for one another as well as extended family, it offers a workable standard for ensuring that only genuine family members in need of relief are eligible beneficiaries. In 1995, New York State extended domestic partner health benefits to state employees, and established criteria that follow the sprit of Braschi to judge when two unmarried individuals are involved in a committed and interdependent relationship. The judicial and legislative branches have since followed suit so that all New York State public employees are now eligible for domestic partner benefits. New York City also has a long history of fair treatment for all families, beginning in 1989 when city employees with domestic partners were granted bereavement leave benefits, Several additional measures followed, culminating in a 1998 law introduced by Mayor Giuliani granting partners equal rights and responsibilities to spouses in all areas under City jurisdiction. Those who died here in an attack on our nation deserve no less from their federal government, and clearly the survivors will settle for no less. Because New York has in so many contexts taken a realistic, expansive view of family, survivors are likely to choose New York litigation as a means for compensation over a federal fund that uses a more restrictive approach. Whatever the final outcome, the issue of whether a domestic partner and non-biological children are eligible for damages in a wrongful death suit brought under New York law will certainly not be dismissed out of hand. Therefore, if the Victim Compensation Fund is to serve one of its purposes of protecting airlines from costly litigation, it must reflect New York's inclusive definition of family. Our nation has come together in this time of tragedy to lend its unqualified support to all the innocent victims of the attacks. We must stand united to fulfill our moral obligation to all those harmed by this tragedy,. We therefore believe that the following principles should guide the implementation of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund: 1. A partner who lived with a victim in a committed and mutually interdependent relationship, and any non-biological children dependent upon the victim, both as defined according to time-tested criteria followed in New York, should be eligible for compensation, be considered survivors and qualified to serve as "personal representatives: on behalf of victims. 2. The Victim Compensation Fund should compensate the losses of such family members who might otherwise be left without avenues for relief under the restrictive approach of traditional intestate succession and wrongful death principles. Ensuring that same-sex partners and the non-biological children of victims receive compensation will permit the Fund to be distributed with basic equality and fairness to all those in need. Fairness also dictates that since lesbian and gay Americans have contributed their tax dollars to the Fund on the same basis as their neighbors, they should not be denied equal access to its benefits. Equally important, administering the fund in a manner that qualifies all American families for relief upholds the fundamental values of liberty and quality cherished by all Americans that we are currently fighting to defend. Empire State Pride Agenda New York, New York September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-16 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 dojW000431.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. 2001-11-16 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. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 12:01 PM equal rights 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 Albuquerque, NM 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 dojA003159.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