607 20 70359 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 3:28 PM survivor benefits appeal My name is . I am a resident of Sioux Falls, SD. I have read that for domestic partners of gay men and women who have died in the September 11 tragedy, compensation may not be available. As a sister of a lesbian with a life partner, I am writing to register my dismay at such discrimination. While states may not recognize partners in unmarried domestic relationships, the fund can. I encourage you to follow the spirit, not the letter, of the law. Brave men and women died for our country in a moment of tragedy. If we can include unborn children and alien residents in our compensation, we can include in that compensation the loving partners of gay men and women who have sacrificed their lives in this time of national crisis. I urge you to make this change a reality. A hero is a hero. Please honor the memories of all these brave individuals by refusing to discriminate against a few of them. Respectfully, Individual Comment Sioux Falls, 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 dojR000225.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. Thursday, December 20, 2001 10:12 PM Support Crisis Relief for Surviving G/L 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 Los Angeles, 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 dojN000148.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 7:12 PM FETUSES AND ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE COVERED - but I am not You have really done it. I promise to make every attempt to discredit the 911 fund. I pay taxes. I work hard. My grandparents walked across Europe and came here in a cattle boat because this country offered freedom and a chance to make a decent life. It was all a lie. You are cowards. My life means less than a lousy piece of tissue. My life means less than someone breaking the law. One of every 10 US citizens is gay. Whatever I can do to discredit the 911 fund and war efforts I will do. And I will not forget. Individual Comment Berkeley, CA 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 dojR001189.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. Sunday, March 17, 2002 11:40 AM 9/11 fund i think it is an outrage that the partners of gay and lesbian people who perished on 9/11 are being excluded from receiving survivor benefits. when is this country going to start treating all men equally? at times like this- sad to be an american, 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 dojR001396.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. Tuesday, January 22, 2002 8:01 PM Comment Re: Proposal in the Final VCF Rules Dear Sirs: Enclosed is a proposal from two former Presidents of the leading forensic vocational expert associations requesting careful consideration of expected earnings in the case of young professionals who perished on 9/11. Specifically, numerous vocational experts are willing to offer pro bono services for a proper vocational appraisal of expected earning capacity for those under 35 years of age and whom were highly educated, e.g., post baccelaurate education. Bel Air, CA Attachment 1 January 21, 2002 To: Kenneth Feinberg Deborah E. Greenspan Office of the Special Master RE: Comments on the Interim Rules of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund From: Certified Vocational Economist and Vocational Expert Los Angeles, CA Certified Vocational Economist and Vocational Expert Hastings, NE We have closely followed the legal and forensic economic debate regarding the special rules generated by your office for the compensation of victims families in the wake of September 11. Dr. and I attempt to offer unique insight into the proper, credible and equitable compensation of the victims families as dually certified vocational rehabilitation and forensic economic experts. I attach my 17 page CV to this letter reflecting my significant experience, certifications, peer review and formal education in both disciplines. These speak most directly to expected earnings and pecuniary loss from the vocational perspective. Moreover, we are willing to meet in a group meeting setting with you and your experts along with the current Presidents of the American Board of Vocational Experts (ABVE) and the American Board of Rehabilitation Economics Association (AREA). Much of the debate thus far has been focused on issues of lost household services (HHS), and work life expectancy. While senior members of the National Association of Forensic Economics have focused heavily on these issues in relation to the VCF in both the print and television media, these are relatively minor issues compared to expected earnings. It should nonetheless be stated that the male hourly data emanating from the "Dollar Value of a Day" study is inconsistent with eight previous HHS time use studies. These figures appear plaintiff oriented in our experience In the case of HHS, the great majority of the decedents logically were full time workers rather than home makers. They otherwise would not have been at work at the Pentagon or WTC when the tragic events of September 11 took place. Consequently, the way the rules read these victims families are not entitled to this element of pecuniary loss. It is almost a moot issue. Secondly, the total differences among the three primary work life expectancy tables are minor in the case of males. These include the 1986 BLS study, the 1996 Hunt, Pickersgill & Rutemiller Study, and the two studies by James Ciecka published in the 90s. Conversely, in the case of females, use of the aged BLS studies (1980 data) reflect a significant difference from the three more recent studies delineated above. Using the BLS studies in the case of female decedents would thus be inequitable as they do not reflect positive changes over the last 20 years. It was our understanding that the VCF had recently decided to use the most recent 1998 study by Ciecka as a result of this forensic economic input. Nonetheless, both and are suggesting as of today that this in fact has not been accomplished and the inappropriate BLS (in the case of females) is still being advertised by the VCF. Most importantly and irrespective of the preceding, the earnings issue brought up in the New York Times article, "The Damaged Spirit of the 9/11 Fund," by Fred Price and Mitch Kleinman dated January 16, 2002 suggests with great face validity that many of the WTC victims were young professionals in their 20s and 30s. In these cases, the decedents demonstrated earnings may not accurately reflect their long term expected earnings even with robust age earnings adjustments. Vocational issues to be addressed in this context are the individual specific human capital factors of formal education and work experience in addition to the potential for further career advancement. While we understand that the VCF has provided for a generous age earnings wage growth factor, especially in the case of these younger workers, it still may not capture the earnings potential of the young professional decedents given the following assumptions: 1) these decedents were among the brightest and best educated Americans; 2) they were working for Fortune 500 companies in early career; and 3) their human capital educational expenditures were not nearly fully realized and would not have been until at least mid career when significant promotional opportunities would have arisen. Vocationally, without additional formal education in most cases, ones earnings are unlikely to increase beyond the age earnings cycle and/or standard wage growth after the age of 35 or 40. There is a methodology that can assist the VCF in determining expected earnings. Specifically, the input of a vocational expert or vocational economist can establish ones promotability based on age, education, and work experience. Wage rate data from Economic Research Institute (ERI) can then peg the expected earnings based on occupation and experience should these differ from the actual earnings as depicted in previous W-2 statements. Perhaps a particular age cut off period could be implemented wherein those under the age of 35 would be entitled to an independent vocational assessment of expected earnings (earning capacity). ERI is a Redmond, WA. based research company that provides executive compensation and salary wage data. It is primarily an instrument used by human resource professionals. An increasing number of vocational experts and forensic economists are utilizing this statistically validated wage data. It covers most occupations in cities exceeding populations of 50,000. and I are currently completing a closely related paper for a special Spring 2002 employment law edition of the Journal of Legal Economics in addition to presenting this paper at the 76th annual meeting of the Western Economics Association this summer at Seattle. The three of us would also be pleased to discuss this proposed methodology with the VCF, and any other interested parties. Many members of the professional vocational community certified by ABVE and/or AREA have extended reliable offers to us to perform pro bono work on behalf of the VCF. These commitments have transpired just in the last two days following our spreading the news of the dire need for vocational appraisals in many of these cases your office has been charged to evaluate for pecuniary damages. Scores more will follow this preliminary listing should you concur that the need arises. If you do not concur, many of these experts will undoubtedly be called to represent the decedents families in civil trials bypassing the fund. These include the following colleagues: We fear that failure to professionally address this far more critical issue of pecuniary loss will result in seriously under-funding in the case of young professionals just starting their careers. These men and women did not have the opportunity to advance their careers due to the tragedy of September 11th. A second injustice would befall the victims surviving family if this essential factor remains a secondary issue and unresolved. We remain, Sincerely Yours Individual Comment Los Angeles, CA Individual Comment Hastings, NE September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002527.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, December 23, 2001 1:15 PM EQUAL RIGHTS December 23, 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 Denver, CO September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-23 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000783.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-23 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 17, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Atlanta, GA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA005363.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 1:18 AM Equal rights for gays and lesbians 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 New Hyde Park, 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 dojA002455.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. Monday, December 17, 2001 3:59 PM compensation for all victims of September 11, 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 have recently heard that there may be a move to deny compensation to homosexual partners and children of homosexual couples. I am against this type of discrimination and 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 Seattle, WA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002123.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 9:15 AM Please support equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims 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 Snowmass, CO 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 dojA002831.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 13, 2001 11:59 PM Fair Treatment for September 11th Victims' Families 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 Spearfish, SD 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 dojA001677.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, November 08, 2001 8:01 AM BPC residents Dear Sir; I am writing on behalf of my family We were all within 200 yards of the WTC at the time of the attack in different locations. My son's school (PS 89), my work (WFC 2), and our home were all in Battery Park City. We all survived the attack, but our lives will never be the same because of this event which will haunt us forever. I want the Victim's Compensation Fund to realize and prepare for the fact that damages suffered might not readily be apparent so soon after the attack. We have suffered from many short-term inconveniences that I will not list. I am more concerned about the long-term physical and psychological problems we face. My two sons spent the night of September 11th in the lobby of a downtown hotel. I am extremely worried about the exposure they got to harmful substances in the air. They got additional exposure when the mayor of New York city had us move back home on 09/23/01, a date many now consider to have been to early. As a parent, I will have to worry about this each day of my life. It is too early to tell how my children will remember this event. I would like you to consider that they are among the very few children to have witnessed this disaster and that their childhood memories will be of a place that was destroyed in a highly publicized way. My son and his classmates were evacuated from elementary school as the buildings with parents in them fell behind them. I did not find my son until 4pm that afternoon. No one knows the ramifications of living with this reality, and I want to make sure that the kids of PS 89 are remembered and given some consideration. Because we fled the area after learning about air quality issues, my son is in his second first grade class this year. His is with his brother and mother in California while I stay in a motel in New Jersey close to a temporary work building. When I locate a new home, he will have to change classes yet again. It is hard for me to describe all the things my family has gone through in the last weeks, but I will say that all of the residents of Battery Park city have similar stories. Once we have attended the needs of the dead, we hope that you watch out for the needs of the living victims with long-term issues yet to surface. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-08 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 dojW000248.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. 2001-11-08 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, March 12, 2002 10:34 PM September 11 compensation fund fiasco I was outraged by Kenneth Feinbergs statements made last Sunday on Meet the Press regarding your administration's plan to discriminate against gay and lesbian victims of the September 11 attacks and their survivors. Attorney General Ashcroft is willing to disregard the law by awarding compensation to illegal aliens, but for gay and lesbian Americans, be they firefighters, police, or the passenger on the United Airlines flight who averted the destruction of the nation's house of Congress, they are denied equal treatment under your governments compensation plan. (passenger/hero on the United flight in Pennsylvania) died so that you and the capitol might live on, the least you can do is treat him and his memory as good as an illegal alien. In the words of Sen. John McCain, "America will overcome these atrocities. We will prevail over our enemies. We will right this terrible injustice. And when we do, let us claim it as a tribute to our liberty, and to and all those who died to defend it." Sincerely, U. S. Citizen Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-12 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 dojR000537.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. 2002-03-12 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 10:22 PM compensation for survivors of 9/11 Whom it May Concern I am deeply outraged and saddened that you are not compensating homosexual couples and their survivors in the same way that you are compensating heterosexual couples and their survivors. Homosexuals and their partners need to be recognized by each and every state. Until that happens, we are allowing discrimation to happen against people in the United States. Whether a person who died in the 9/11 tragedy was straight or gay, they left people behind who loved them with their whole heart. Love is love. It does not see race, gender, how rich or poor someone is...love is love and it needs to be recognized whether it is a homosexual or heterosexual couple that is in love. Whether survivors lost a straight or gay partner/family member on 9/11, their pain is the same, and is shared and recognized by all people who have taken a stand against terrorism. It is a horrible injustification to say that gay people and their survivors should not reeive the same compensations as heterosexuals and illegal aliens (who are not even recognized by this country!!!) This is an outrage, and I am asking you to take the first step in lifting this dark veil of discrimation by offering the same compensation to all people who lost a partner/family member on that tragic day. Think about the gay heroes that we all recognize from 9/11. There was the priest who was in the WTC, the brave man who helped bring down the plane that was heading towards our Capitol, and the &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp of the man in the plane who crashed into the Pentagon. A great way you can give thanks to these heroes is to change your policy on compensating people based on their sexual oreintation! People are people regardless of who they love, and so many people experienced a loss and a grief that should have never happened. It is only fair and humane to compensate all people for the tragedy that happened on 9/11. I am very upset over this ruling. I am a lesbian and my feelings are deep and real for the woman that I love. No one can tell me that my feelings are not true or do not deserve to be recognized. I am fortunate to have not experienced such a personal loss on 9/11, but my heart goes out to all of those who are crying in the shadows, in the closets, and in the arms of their very small community who understand and respect them. It is difficult enough to be discriminated against every day based on sexual orientation, but this is absurd. It is time that all people who lost someone on 9/11 be recognized and compensated fairly by this country. The USA is supposed to stand above and beyond other countries in being the best place to live. Why don't you help make that true for all people, and not just people who are lucky enough to fit into society as straight people? Please take a stand against discrimnation as well as terrorism by compensating all people, regardless of their sexual oreintation, and how each state recognizes the partners! Thank you for your time and consideration in this serious manner, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000323.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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 6:57 PM Please stop the discrimination Please, in the spirit of love and tolerance (something in very short supply in Osama's world), extend benefits to gay/lesbian partners of folks lost on 9/11. These people suffer their losses no less than anyone else. They deserve to have full equality - their losses were fully equal. Love is love and loss is loss. Intolerance is Osama's way, not ours. Shalom and blesings. Individual Comment Columbus, OH 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 dojR001185.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. Monday, February 11, 2002 5:12 PM educate calimants February 11, 2002 Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: There has been much discussion of how to calculate awards from the Victim Compensation Fund, but very little of whether the claimants are prepared to manage whatever money they do end up receiving, a question which could influence their future standard of living as much as the size of the awards. As I suspect that many of the claimants do not have experience handling large sums of money, the Fund should help prepare them to make the important financial and legal decisions that will come with the awards. Many of the bond brokers, investment managers, and insurance executives killed at the World Trade Center earned large salaries and six- or seven-figure annual bonuses. And although the deceased may have controlled the family finances, his or her spouse will usually have some familiarity with investing and estate planning, as well as relationships with financial advisors, accountants, and/or lawyers. While a certain number of these affluent families may still be taken advantage of or commit their own financial mistakes, most will incorporate the Fund's award into their pre-existing investment accounts and estate plan. Many more claimants, however, have never handled sums close to even the minimum award. While still mourning their spouses and comforting their children the claimants of firemen, secretaries, clerks, and dishwashers will have to decide what to do with at least $300,000 or $500,000 from all sources (I assume that at least some of the payments will be in a lump sum). The current volatility in financial markets, partly a result of the events of September 11, makes this job even more difficult. Many, especially those with young children, will also need legal advice on trusts and estate planning. Without good financial and legal help, it is unfortunate but inevitable that in these circumstances many of these claimants will make decisions that will harm their families' financial future. More than a few will fall prey to outright fraud. Many more will dissipate funds through speculation directed by themselves, a well-meaning relative, or a commission-seeking broker. Others may invest too much in a risky family business. Some may flee from risk altogether, keeping their funds in bank deposits that offer safety of principal but also inadequate returns for their families' long-term needs. Most of those who avoid these pitfalls will still pay traditional brokers and actively managed mutual funds far too much in fees while their investments do less well than market indexes. I do not mean to be condescending with these predictions, only realistic, for both academic research and the business section of the newspaper provide ample evidence that even those considered sophisticated investors rarely beat market indexes and sometimes are taken advantage of by even the most respected securities firms. To improve the odds of better outcomes for the Fund's beneficiaries I suggest that you organize two educational seminars, one on investments and one on estate planning. Though the less affluent claimants would need them more, they should be made available to all. Introductory pamphlets could be distributed before the seminars and materials for further study handed out afterward. While there are many people who could conduct a good investment seminar, I will suggest some candidates: , founder and former chairman of the Vanguard Mutual Fund Group (the most honest and lowest-cost mutual fund company; its web site offers excellent free educational materials). , Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and author of books on investing. , author of a personal finance column in the Wall Street Journal. While I do not know any of them, I think they all would be happy to help the Fund, whether by talking to the beneficiaries themselves or by recommending good substitutes. Alternatively, you could contact the finance department of a few leading business schools for suggestions. Any competent trusts and estates department of a law firm could prepare the legal seminar, perhaps using Nolo press's excellent self-help materials as an introduction. Two meetings are not going to make the beneficiaries financial or legal experts, but they could familiarize them with the essential concepts of investments and estate planning-the relationships between investment risk and return and real and nominal returns, the benefits of diversification, and estate-tax exemptions, to name a few. Without some exposure to these ideas, they will be more vulnerable to unscrupulous or incompetent "experts" and less able to benefit from the advice of honest professionals. The beneficiaries will also need individualized advice. While the federal government probably cannot recommend specific securities firms or law firms it might solicit investment and estate-planning proposals for several hypothetical beneficiaries-say three levels of affluence, with or without minor children. The responses, except those from firms with poor regulatory records, could be combined in a booklet and distributed to beneficiaries. Many of these financial and legal firms would be willing to provide free planning services to the victims' families. Even with these precautions, some of the claimants' will lack the education or maturity to husband their awards. Perhaps for these beneficiaries the Fund could offer a variable annuity as an alternative to a lump sum payment. The Fund could solicit proposals from insurers with high credit ratings and present the results to the beneficiaries. Again, it seems likely that the insurers would offer their most-favorable terms to the Funds' beneficiaries. You may well have already considered these ideas, in which case I apologize for taking your time. If you would like to discuss any of these issues, please contact me. Sincerely, Individual Comment Scarsdale, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-11 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 dojP000493.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. 2002-02-11 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. December 13, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment San Francisco, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004157.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, December 04, 2001 8:57 PM Victims 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, Individual Comment Emporia KS 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 dojA000573.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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 7:55 PM Compensation? Some 300 + gay men and women were killed because of 9/11 including the celebrated priest attending the firemen. These gay men and women were among the firefighters, the police, the office workers and the staff of the twin towers, yet your group considers them not human. Is that correct? I would like to know how you can eliminate anyone in that dastardly act. Please reply. 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 dojR001211.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. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 7:05 PM Stop all discrimination 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 Eugene, OR 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 dojA003738.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