303 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. Wednesday, December 05, 2001 8:53 PM Comment on Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund 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 yours, Individual Comment New York, NY 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 dojA001037.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. Thursday, January 17, 2002 12:48 PM To: Attachment 1: To: From: Subject: Procedural Rules Dear Mr. Feinberg: Thank you so much for undertaking this project on behalf of all the survivors, as I understand this is pro bono. I sincerely hope that the gratitude of all those you will have helped will be enough when you consider all that you have gone through. It is an immense project. My name is and I lost my son-in-law, , in the WTC attack on 9-11-01. I have mixed emotions as to whether the government should be involved in making payments to survivors of this tragedy. It isnt hard to place blame on the airlines and government if your tendency is to sue, but that isnt my nature. Fortunately, it has become a moot point as congress has passed the law and now it must be implemented. First, let me start by telling you a little about and his family as I feel it will paint a picture to why I do not think your present rules on Collateral Sources are fair, reasonable or just. was the 7th of 10 children. He won an Athletic Scholarship to college and through working and Student Loans paid for 100% of his education. He met my daughter, , at in 1992. One week after their 1st date, they both told their parents they had met the person they were going to marry. They survived the 1993 bombing of the WTC. told us she didnt think she would have made it down the 105 floors in the dark and soot without . They married in June 1995. They bought a house in May of 1996 based on his income only. They had both saved money for their down payment. Their 1st child (daughter, ) was born . They bought Life Insurance policies on each other to make sure the family would survive in the event of a tragedy. stopped working in June 1998 to become a stay-at-home mother. She was a broker making in excess of $100,00 annually. Their 2nd child (son, ) was born . Their 3rd child is due . They lived within their means! All his Student Loans have been paid. Credit cards are paid in full each month. The only debt they have is the home mortgage and car payment (2-3 year old minivan). If they couldnt pay for something….they didnt need it! He was a great father (great with all kids) and a wonderful husband. He was the son I never had and I loved him dearly. His income was approximately $150,000 annually from salary and bonus. He was 35 years old. It would appear from reading the offsets under Collateral Sources that the Social Security, Workmens Compensation and Life Insurance would be deducted from the VCF payments. If this is the case, I do not believe family would receive any payment. Social Security is paid for 100% by the employee and the employer (no government funds). A self-employed individual would pay 100% (15.3%). How do you justify offsetting this payment when the government contributed nothing? Workmens Compensation is paid for entirely by the employer and is a State program. How do you justify offsetting this payment when the government contributed nothing? Individual Life Insurance (not company or group) is paid 100% by the individual and is paid with after tax dollars. How do you justify offsetting this payment when the government contributed nothing? In addition, I dont know how you would deduct the Social Security & Workmens Compensation benefit. The Social Security stops for the spouse upon remarriage and when the children reach 16. It stops for the children when reach 18 or no longer a student. The Workmens Compensation can be recovered in total by New York and varies by state. Those who chose not to provide for their families through Life Insurance and some high-income people will benefit. The lower/medium income people who cared enough to purchase Life Insurance are the families to be penalized. Many of the Charities received negative press concerning their distribution of funds. Victims were issued money gifts based on their expenses. Those who chose a higher standard of living and/or chose high debt levels were rewarded with greater payments. The responsible individuals who lived within their means and did not create excess debt were penalized. The VCF proposes to do the same thing! The people of this country have been overwhelming in their generosity, thoughtfulness and kindness. I could write pages about the card, letters, gifts, etc which my daughter has received. The Life Insurance Industry has paid claims in a matter of days with no death certificate. The Social Security Administration and the Workmens Compensation Board has processed and paid in less than 2 weeks without death certificates. Do we have a wonderful country or what? The American people, through the Congress, have seen fit to provide the surviving families with economic and non-economic benefits. I do not believe their intent was to penalize those individuals who were responsible enough to provide for their families. They sacrificed the current for the future…they took care of themselves…they did it the American Way! Are you going to reward the individuals who chose not to buy Life Insurance and penalize those with far less income who did? Please revise/interpret the rules with regard to Collateral Sources and not penalize those who cared enough to provide for their families. They sacrificed now while others just spent! Sincerely, Individual Comment West Chester, Ohio September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002512.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 11:11 AM Equal Access Benefits 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 Philadelphia, PA 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 dojA003071.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. Tuesday, December 04, 2001 9:39 PM Victim Compensation Fund December 4, 2001 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 Monsey, NY 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 dojA000592.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. 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 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. The Department should use this law as an opportunity to send aid across the board to the surviving loved ones of the victims of September 11, and not to be caught up in the snares of a political crossfire. 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 Decatur, GA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA005506.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-02-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. 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 Warwick, NY 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 dojA004909.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 11:39 AM Re: September 11 Victims 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 St. James, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA003123.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. Thursday, December 20, 2001 5:17 PM Subject: September 11th Victim Compensation Fund 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 Plainsboro, NJ 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 dojN000046.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. 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 El Sobrante, 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 dojA003958.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, January 15, 2002 8:19 PM Justice help all terrorist victims Dear Mr. Zwick: The very humane Fund for relatives of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks must include all relatives of all the victims. This importantly should include the partners and children of same sex unions. They suffer just as grievously for their deceased loved ones as do other survivors, and their need for assistance is just as great. Please do not give in to the importuning of callous homophobic groups and individuals who would have the Department of Justice limit compensation to survivors of heterosexual unions. They are interested in a political victory, not humane assistance. This Fund is intended for humane purposes; it is not a political statement, Mr. Zwick. Sincerely, Individual Comment Seattle, WA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-15 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN001845.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. 2002-01-15 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, March 20, 2002 2:02 PM I hope you feel good about yourselves To whom it may concern: It has recently come to my attention that in your eyes, my natural-born citizenship in this country means less to you than that of a fetus or an illegal alien. Your blatant and horrendous discrimination of the LGBT community in regards to your fund benefits both outrage and appall me. It's nice to know you're perfectly willing to overlook federal law and provide benefits to families of illegal aliens without punishing them, nor fining their employers for illegally employing them, yet you refuse to compensate the families and partners of gay and lesbian victims, people who were damaged emotionally and economically every bit as much as the many other victims of the tragedy. Above all, lesbians and gays are humans, something you're very quick to forget. It is clear you have not considered all of the heroes of the terrible 9-11 attacks. For example, consider &nbsp , a gay man who was among the small group to bring down United Flight 93 over Pennsylvania. Without this group and this man who happened to be gay, that plane would have crashed somewhere even more devastating, thought to be the US Capitol building, killing countless more innocent people. Also, consider &nbsp , also a gay man. While others fled, &nbsp donned his helmet and raced towards the burning towers to give last rites to already-downed firemen. &nbsp , killed by a piece of falling debris, also gave his life to aid others. Perhaps you might also take into account the countless other gay victims of the attacks, such as the &nbsp of the plane that crashed into the &nbsp . However, you have obviously not taken these heroes and victims into consideration, as your staunch anti-gay bias prevails. You remain unwilling to acknowledge lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other such minority Americans. You deny the existence of the pain these victims families are feeling by refusing to compensate their partners, lowering them to less than human status. Kenneth Feinberg implied on NBC that it's really a legal issue, stating, "I can't get into that local battle." This, however, is an obvious lie. Kenneth Feinberg and Attorney General John Ashcroft have already made it clear law does not matter regarding this fund, whether federal or state, by providing benefits to families of illegal aliens and not fining their employers. While I applaud this generous decision, I lambaste and condemn your bigotry, hypocrisy, and lies. How can you in good conscience be so prejudiced in light of such a terrible disaster? Your narrow-mindedness absolutely astounds me. Hasn't this country already seen what poor treatment of others leads to? Hasn't this country had enough hatred already, even from September 11th alone? Why must you continue promoting hatred and bigotry while ironically trying to heal the wounds opened by the very same? It is times like this and people like you that are prone to making me ashamed to be an American. Congratulations on being ignorant, bigoted hatemongers. I hope you feel good about yourselves and the intolerance you spread, not even having the decency to halt your prejudice for the victims of a national tragedy. I am disgusted and revolted by your attitude and your actions. Sincerely, Individual Comment Rochester, NY 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 dojR002478.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. Tuesday, November 06, 2001 5:23 PM September 11 Victim Compensation Fund Dear Attorney General Ashcroft and DOJ Staff, Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments on the rules for the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. I am very concerned that this fund does not seem to have any caps for the maximum dollar amount per victim or for the total fund. I believe that such caps are necessary to keep the fund within reasonable limits. Most Americans support offering some help to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. However, these victims do not deserve a blank checkbook! We do not offer unlimited compensation to victims of natural disasters, or even to the families of our dead veterans or to families of winners of the Congressional Medal of Honor. I also believe that the fund should not compensate victims for expenses that have already been covered by insurance or by private charities. This kind of policy discourages people from buying insurance or giving to charity. Regards, Individual Comment Dearborn, MI September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-06 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000137.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. 2001-11-06 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 21, 2001 10:44 AM Complaint from Victim's Family As the brother-in-law of a WTC victim who had the forsight to purchase additional life insurance out of his own pocket to protect his family, I see it as the ultimate insult that his wife and two surviving children will now be penalized by his actions, as their government award will be reduced by about 80% due to the fact that he was insured. Never mind the fact that his total insurance benefit only represents what he was on track to earn himself within the next 5-10 years, and now it must last his family for 30 or more years. Needless to say, those victims from high wage earning families with the most robust insurance coverage are the ones who will be most penalized by the "collateral offset" policy, and, no surprise, they are the ones most able to initiate and sustain aggressive, high profile class action lawsuits against those parties, among others, who instructed them to "return to your desks, Tower 2 is secure, there is no need to evacuate". I am amazed and crestfallen that the US government made the conscious decision to open the floodgates to this type of long-term litigation. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000406.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, March 13, 2002 8:49 AM Victim Compensation for Gays and Lesbians I wish to voice my complaint about the comments from Meet the Press this past Sunday that I have been reading about. For the head of the fund to say that violations of our own immigration laws will be overlooked to provide for compensation to victims and families of victims and then to say that the hands of the funds will be tied by state law as far as compensation to families and domestic partners of gays and lesbians goes is outrageous and clearly demonstrates the discrimatory intent of the compensation plan. This needs to be addressed and changed. One of the victims from the restaurant located at the top of the world trade center was a gay man with a domestic partner. He and his partner had lived together for many years. He worked that job so that he could support his domestic partner in a new business. Because of his death, his partner has lost his home and has had to declare bankruptcy, forfeiting his business. If this were a married straight couple, or even an engaged straight couple, I am sure that compensation would be provided for. This discrimination is outrageous and wrong. I know that I am far from alone in this view. It is a shame that you have marred such good intentions with prejudice and hatred. Stating that benefits will only be provided in accordance with state law is ridiculous, as only one state, Vermont, legally recognizes homosexual domestic partners. Surely this is known to the Fund and is a lame excuse to promote discrimination. Especially when federal immigration laws are being overlooked in the exact same circumstances. The story I read is located at: http://uspolitics.about.com/library/weekly/aa031102a.htm Individual Comment Haddon Heights, NJ cc: Congressman Rob Andrews Senator John Corzine Senator Rob Toricelli September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000570.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. February 13, 2002 Kenneth R. Feinberg, Special Master September 11 Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 Dear Mr. Feinberg, My comments regarding the formation of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund ("Fund") were acknowledged previously as being incorporated in the official record. I expressed a deep concern that the U.S. Department of Justice has acted illegally in a broad range of areas regarding structured settlements, including the exclusion of brokers introduced to a claim settlement process by the claimant, in violation of the whole body of procurement law. In that context, I had deep reservations that the U.S. Department of Justice would be able to administer the distribution of assets from this fund in a manner that is fair to settlement brokers who do not seem to have special influence with Justice Department personnel. I understand that the preamble to the proposed regulations to distribute the Fund, 66 Fed. Reg at 66280, gives discretion to the Special Master "to provide claimants with information regarding annuities or other financial planning devices or to offer structured awards with periodic payments." I trust that you will not be bound by the illegal tactics and practices of the Torts Branch, as detailed in my grievance of March 12, 2001, to Attorney General Ashcroft (part of the commend record described above), to which I have not received even the courtesy of an acknowledgment. What is your current procedure for involving structured settlement brokers? Are you or your staff making the selections and if so, on what basis? In the event a structured settlement broker is invited by a claimant or claimant's attorney to handle a structured settlement transaction involving the Fund, would your office accept that person as the broker of record? I am a structured settlement broker who has been routinely excluded from participation in structured settlements handled through the Department of Justice under the Federal Tort Claims Act, in favor of other brokers anointed by the government attorney handling the claim. (This is all documented in my March 12, 2001, grievance that is part of the record.) How are structured settlements being handled? It is my understanding that the Fund was created either as a Designated Settlement Fund under I.R.C. 468B or a Qualified Settlement Fund under Treasury Regulations 1.468B. If so, under Revenue Procedure 93-94 the fund can create the future payment obligation to the claimant then make a "qualified assignment" under I.R.C. 130. Is that the procedure adopted, or are you following the traditional Torts Branch approach of having the United States own the annuity with the claimant agreeing to look only to the issuing life insurance company for future payments? There seems to be no authority for a claimant to receive the exclusion under I.R.C. 104(a)(2) if the latter method is used, placing the claimant at risk for an adverse tax ruling. I would appreciate very much your response to these questions. Sincerely, Individual Comment Tulsa, OK September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-13 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 dojP000617.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-02-13 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, March 11, 2002 9:59 PM Thanks a lot Thanks a lot for being a discriminatory organization. It is so unfair that rules can be bent to give aliens compensation while our own citizens are discriminated against. Your homophobic prejudices are very apparent. It is too bad you do not honor everyone. The real heros are now the partners of those who are left out. So what if a heterosexual lost a husband or wife. Others did to and didn't get compensation. The only way you can right this is to get off your prejudicial pedestal and do what is right. Individual Comment Spearfish, SD 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 dojR000321.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. Sunday, March 17, 2002 9:25 PM Exclusion of Gays from 9/11 Fund I was distressed to learn that Kenneth Feinberg, the head of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, said that gay partners of the victims of September 11th will not necessarily be eligible for the same compensation as heterosexual family members who lost their loved ones. I'm not sure that there's a way to handle distributions from the 9/11 fund without making some people feel like they've gotten sort shrift, but I think it is an outrage that our government is bending over backwards to give 9/11 benefits to illegal aliens, but attempting to deny benefits to U.S. citizens who are the Gay life partners of victims. I recognize that there are some tough issues involved. In places where Gay couples are not allowed to register as life partners, how do you distinguish a bona fide life partner from someone who was in less-committed relationship with one of the victims or, worse, from some low-life who may or may not actually even be Gay who invents a relationship with one of the victims in order to cash in? If you allow benefits for Gay life partners who are not registered, do you open yourselves up to litigation for not affording the same benefits to non-Gays who were living with (but not married to) the victims? But then, I imagine there are similar issues regarding the illegal aliens. If you're not from here and weren't married here and we have no record of your marriage, how do we know you were actually married? How do we know that those who claim to be children of illegal aliens killed on 9/11 really are those people's children, when we have no birth records to validate the claims? I'm glad I'm not the one who has to make the decision about who gets 9/11 money and who doesn't. It's a quagmire, and I admit I don't have all the answers on how to navigate through it. But I do know that it's outrageously discriminatory and totally un-American to ignore U.S. federal laws and provide benefits for illegal aliens, while hiding behind the letter of discriminatory state laws to deny benefits to Gays who lost their life partners in the 9/11 attacks. Just so you don't think I am being self-serving, let me assure you that I am not Gay. I spent 25 years in the military service of the United States, supporting and defending the U.S. Constitution and the rights it guarantees to all Americans. Among the most fundamental of those rights are the rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and those rights clearly encompass the right to be free to choose one's own lifestyle and to fall in love with whomever one will. It pains me to see our Constitution undermined by government actions that reveal a Judeo-Christian agenda and a moral judgment that all men are created equal, but only so long as they happen to be heterosexual. Looking at it from that perspective, perhaps I am being self-serving. By advocating for the rights of Gays today, I am also acting in defense of my own rights, which might be threatened tomorrow if the government suddenly decides that my lifestyle lacks the proper moral center required to be considered a full-fledged U.S. citizen with entitlement to all the rights and benefits thereof. I urge you not to allow the discriminatory policy stated by Mr. Feinberg to stand. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001680.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. 2002-03-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, March 13, 2002 6:20 PM 9/11 Benefits to Survivors As an American tax paying citizen I find it absolutely deplorable that you would give benefits to illegal aliens in the WTC disaster yet find no problem denying gays and lesbians, who were just as much victims and in this country legally, any benefits. While I support giving benefits to all people victimized by this act of terrorism I can not support your decision to dishonor the memories of many gay & lesbian victims, not to mention the gay & lesbian heros that have emerged from this tragedy, which there are many. Shame on you. Individual Comment Henderson, NV September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000682.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. 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 Oakland, 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 dojA003930.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, March 18, 2002 4:13 PM September 11 Victim Compensation Fund To whom it may concern: It is with great sadness that the United States government cannot stop discriminating during such a time of need among my fellow Americans. Discrimination based on sexual orientation or any other status is wrong. Whether a person is gay or lesbian should have no difference on the fact that they have lost someone very important and financially dependent. I am outraged that money is not being spent impartially to compensate for groups of people seriously affected by the tragic events of September 11. Please allow the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund to give money toward gay and lesbian partners and/or families as well as the heterosexual ones that have lost loved ones. Thank you, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-18 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 dojR002012.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. 2002-03-18