620 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. Thursday, December 20, 2001 2:41 AM Equality and Justice to all 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 Atherton, 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 dojA004101.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. Friday, December 21, 2001 6:17 AM 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 Menlo Park, CA 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 dojN000242.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. December 18, 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 Boulder Creek, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA005023.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 05, 2001 11:12 AM FW: Kenneth L. Zwick Office of Management Programs Department of Justice Dear Sir: I am writing in support of many who urge the Department of Justice to distribute funds from the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" in a fair, equal and equitable manner, regardless of the nature of the familial relationships between victims and survivors. As you well know, there are a great variety of unique and unconventional relationships which are nonetheless loving and strong, and these should not be excluded just because they do not conform with some persons' belief system. The victims died together and their survivors should be treated equally, regardless of marital or familial status. I strongly believe that and compensation should be extended equally to include 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. I ask the U.S. Government to follow the example already set by New York Governor Pataki in 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." I am a life-long Republican, and strongly support our Nation's efforts in the war on terrorism. I can only hope that I am supporting a compassionate and far thinking administration. Sincerely, Individual Comment Fort Lauderdale, FL 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 dojA000789.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, March 28, 2002 3:20 PM Compensations for 9/11 Victims Sir, It is unconscienable and beyond belief that your office and its regulations would deny compensation to longtime companions of loving gay and/or lesbian individuals otherwise deserving who perished on 9/11. They should be treated with the same consideration, respect, and compensation as anyone else. In fact, it is simply not acceptable, and I will surely vote my conscience in this matter in every election possible. Further, I will speak out against you -- and any administration which supports such unthinkable and grossly unfair behavior. If you act from love and real human concerns rather than from fear of fundamentalist religious and political bigots, you will provide compensation where it is surely due. Further, I am urging all my friends and colleagues with extensive mailing lists to let you know of their feelings on this important matter. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002798.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. 2002-03-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, January 21, 2002 12:42 AM fixed compensation to all victims - $500K PER VICTIM The only fair way to do it is to FIX compensation for all victims - $500K to EVERY VICTIM. FIREMAN and POLCEMEN SHOULD NOT QUALIFY BECAUSE THE GOVT ALREADY PAYS THEM OTHER BENEFITS. WHat about victims of car accidents, other tragedies? Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002153.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, November 07, 2001 1:25 PM Comments re Rules for Victims Fund I am writing concerning the government's impending distribution of funds to Sept. 11 victims and/or their families. Specifically, I wish to comment on possibly reducing public payments in some proportion to distributions from private charities, like the 9/11 fund, to these same beneficiaries. It is my understanding these funds, whether public or private, aim to compensate 9/11 victims and/or their families, to both: (1) provide immediate assistance with respect to near-term living expenses, financial obligations, memorial arrangements, etc., and (2) to some degree ensure victims' families' future financial security. Between various public and private funds, both (1) and (2) are attainable. But if multiple distributions from various sources pay for the same things each time, i.e., double or triple paying, resulting in huge financial windfalls over what is needed to achieve (1) and (2), with taxpayers footing the bill, then something is seriously amiss. Already, 9/11 has brought sweeping changes to our country, which are just beginning. The financial costs will be prohibitive, between prosecuting a war, intelligence gathering, international aid, homeland security (securing various public and private buildings, improving aviation security, guarding against bioterrorism, etc.), reconstruction, business relocations, business slowdowns and failures due to a faltering economy, etc. The hundreds of billions of dollars needed for these efforts have to come from somewhere. To "waste" some of these dollars, even if they are given to incredibly sympathetic recipients, is wrong. [For the record, a member of my extended family was lost in the WTC attack, and so besides my feelings as a citizen, I have a personal connection to 9/11] It is clear both the private and public sector each has a role to play going forward, and in helping those whose lives were shattered on 9/11. To this end, while the government must lead in assisting victims, various private 9/11 funds must also play a role in this "partnership." I do not suggest the government abrogate its responsibilities, but rather, a sense of teamwork, financial sensibility, and fairness guide "solving the equation." If hypothetically 70% government money and 30% private dollars (which have already been gathered) will make 9/11 survivors "whole", it makes no sense and is grossly unfair for survivors to receive 100% from the government plus 30% from the private sector. Survivors should not be receiving financial windfalls at taxpayers' expense, and it is wrong for the country at large to lose out on the benefits that more sensible use of the money will yield. Finally, as an aside, there are thousands of people each year who perish in horrible circumstances, through no fault of their own, whose families are left in dire straits. In a sense, their deaths and their families' situations are little different than 9/11's victims. The only difference with 9/11 is that its victims met their end in an appalling, high profile situation, which, for good reason, has touched us as a nation and individually in a way most of us have not previously experienced. But as a close parallel, in December 1988, hundreds perished in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, another event to which I had a personal connection. While there was some financial compensation to this tragedy's survivors, there were certainly no financial windfalls. In essence, Pan Am 103's victims were no different than those of 9/11, except that they were attacked outside of the U.S. So, I fail to see why "double or triple paying" is appropriate in the case of 9/11. Again, the government must lead in aiding 9/11's victims, and not shunt the burden off on private charities. But where there is private assistance already planned for and in place, it should not be seen as some kind of "bonus", but should be integrated into the process in a sense of partnership, for the good of all Americans. For all the emotional resonance of 9/11, it is imperative that fairness, good sense, and responsibility still be the overriding forces guiding the rudder going forward. Respectfully, Individual Comment New York, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-07 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 dojW000183.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. 2001-11-07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, March 21, 2002 12:56 AM To Whom It May Concern, I just read that the fund that is being set aside by Congress for the vicitim's of the September 11th is not going to include the family member of the gay/lesbian vicitms or heros. So, are you denying them their loss or their contribution. I thought Congressional funds belonged to all Americans and all Americans contribute to that fund? Does that mean that gay/lesbian are not citizens with equal rights and equal benefits? Then maybe gays/lesbians shouldn't be forced to pay the taxes. Hello, it is high time the Congress does what it should and what is right. If you can't recognize everyone that lost their life on that terrible day then maybe you shouldn't give money to any one. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002460.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, January 10, 2002 11:11 AM To Mr. Feinberg, I am writing to implore you to please revise the guidelines you set forth for the Victim's Compensation Fund. While limiting the liability of the airlines and exonerating the FAA and the federal intelligence community the fund has become the only viable venue of recovery for victim's families. Life insurance, 401-K's and pension plans are tools that our loved ones used to provide for the financial security of our families. The plan should not even consider these sources in any compensation package, The negligence of others should not be diminished because of the financial responsibility that victims exercised prior to this tragedy. No amount of money will bring back those we loved, but we also can not hold those that failed to provide for our loved one's security accountable. Your plan can be renamed Zero for Heroes because the uniformed service members have benefits that will exceed the compensation set in the tables. Victims families have lost not only a loved one, but our future has been altered forever. I would like to share the story of my brother, &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp ,27, and my family. Then you should try to put a price tag on his valor and our grief. &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp worked for the New York Fire Patrol, early that morning he called to let us know a plane had hit the WTC and he was responding. My dad a retired NYC police officer and a volunteer fireman replied that he would meet him there, leaving the security of his home in Staten Island to help those in need. My mom and I sat watching television horrified at both the sight of the second plane and the towers collapse. This is a day I will never be able to forget Our anxiety eased a little when we received a phone call from an FDNY firefighter saying that Fireman &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp was hurt, but okay. We immediately thought of my brother and assumed my father was on his way. A half-hour later we received a phone call from a volunteer firefighter and current NYC police officer that had responded with my father, he frantically told us that he could not find my father and they had been in the tower when it collapsed. It was hours before we learned that my father was in a hospital in Jersey City and that there was no word on my brother. What we have pieced together from that day is that &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp reported into the command center at 9 am with his Sergeant from the Fire Patrol. They were assigned to evacuate the lower level of the tower and as people came down the escalators to direct them out towards Church Street. While he was on the lower level he could hear the screams of a woman who was trapped in the elevator, imagine the suffering of that woman, my brother repeatedly asked to go help, but there was nothing they could do to help save that woman. Imagine the mental anguish my brother experienced as he tried to rescue others but could not help the woman in the elevator. My brother continued to carry the injured from the building making several trips into and out of Tower 1. When the towers collapsed he was separated from his sergeant, his sergeant made it out, my brother never came home. On Christmas Eve my father was at the site assisting in the recovery efforts when several civilians were found in the courtyard, to him this was a success because some family would at least be able to lay their loved one to rest. After returning home and trying to celebrate Christmas Eve my father received a call at 11 informing him that they recovered my brother's body. My father went to the site but there would be no medical examiner to the next morning, so he returned on Christmas day with my mother to the morgue to spend a final Christmas with &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp . The pain is at times unbearable not a day goes by where we do not cry, my daughter will never know her uncle, our lives will never be the same. Still my father returns to the site two to three times a week for there our other families still waiting, people still need to recover everyone possible, because that is our final act of kindness to those we lost. My brother died with a $1.05 in his wallet, surely that does not indicate the value of his life, neither does his 36K salary. The people my brother rescued that day will be forever in his debt. Our nation's ray of light that day came from the everyday men and women that did extraordinary things when faced with a life or death challenge. Throughout that building civilians and uniformed together placed the lives of others before their own. We will forever carry &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp memory alive, but families do not fully know the long term impact this will have on their lives. We are still in mourning, yet we are being called upon to calculate the value of a life. Revisit your formula and your actuarial table tell me where it accounts for valor, honor and compassion for in their hour of need the victims of NY had to rely on the bravery and selflessness of fellow New Yorkers. Individual Comment Bellevue, NE September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-10 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN001497.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. 2002-01-10 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, December 23, 2001 9:00 AM Victims Relief 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. I think that we should bear in mind that many gay couples would avail themselves of the opportunity to marry if possible, but are denied this right by most state laws. 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 Garland, TX 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 dojN000709.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. Sunday, December 30, 2001 9:33 PM Equal access to crisis relief benefits December 30, 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 Jersey City, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-30 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 dojN001244.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. 2001-12-30 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 2:23 PM Provide Equal Access to Crisis Relief Benefits for Surviving Gay and Lesbian Partners 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 Palatine, IL 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 dojA003385.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 7:32 AM Fair and Equal Treatment 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 Delmar, 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 dojA002678.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, November 19, 2001 9:24 PM September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 Darien, CT 17 November 2001 Mr. 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: It is Saturday night. This is the tenth Saturday night I have spent alone as a newly widowed 38-year-old since the 11th of September. My beautiful three-year-old daughter sleeps, unaware of the tears I shed, the arrows that pierce my heart and the constant knot that rips at my guts. While my daughter is comfortable that her Daddy is in heaven and sleeps with the angels, she is blissfully ignorant of the permanence of our situation. Death is quite a new concept for her. She has begun asking whether we will all die-even her-and wants to know when. How does one explain to a three-year-old that, yes, we will all die-even her-but that it won't be for many, many years? How do you explain to a child of this age that it won't be for years to come when she has no concept of five minutes, one week, a month or a year? What is the appropriate reaction when your child lies very still on the floor, closes her eyes and says, "Let's pretend to be dead"? This is what my life has become since Tuesday, September 11th. I have celebrated my child's first week of preschool, my 12-year wedding anniversary and my husband's 37th birthday alone. The makeshift urn containing debris from Ground Zero and the furled American flag, tokens from the city of New York and United States of America, grace my mantelpiece. These items provide a bazaar sort of emotional comfort in lieu of having human remains to bury or my husband's wedding band or wrist watch-the only two items he wore with any regularity-to connect with and caress. Thanksgiving, my husband's favorite food holiday (it took me ten years to finally perfect the art of gravy making), will pass with an empty chair and place setting. Christmas beckons with not a modicum of joy in my heart. The responsibility of providing happy holiday memories for my daughter is a daunting prospect at best. I think constantly about my wonderful, super-intelligent, fiercely ambitious, 36-year-old husband of 12 years. A man of lofty ideals and great pride, it would have troubled him greatly to have died a victim. For me and the rest of my husband's family, this is possibly the most distasteful and disconcerting aspect of this entire tragedy. I can only equate my husband's not wanting to die a victim with Osama Bin Laden's wish to die in Afghanistan and not be arrested and brought to justice in the land of the infidels. My husband certainly would not have wanted to leave his family in our current financial state. We both worked and saved for years-putting off having a child until our economic house was in order. We had recently embarked upon many projects based on our fiscal responsibility, never anticipating that the life of a sole, 36-year-old breadwinner's life could be snuffed out in the matter of one hour at the hands of Islamic terrorists. My beloved husband and I worked diligently. For many years we paid what we considered to be an inordinate amount of taxes. It was our understanding that our tax dollars would guarantee our family's safety at a minimum. Can the U.S. government honestly say that my tax dollars were at work to combat threats to the national security? Where were the CIA and FBI on September 11th? I'll tell you where there were. Judging from the vast amount of media coverage, they were looking for . Did any of our hard-earned tax dollars ever reach the INS? If they did, how could the INS allow the entry of questionable aliens such as Muhammad Atta and his accomplices into the U.S., particularly in light of previous terrorist incidents such as the bombing on the WTC in 1993 (which I might add, WE SURVIVED). I hold U.S. government and its various agencies responsible for my and my daughter's loss. Having read the posts on your web site, it would appear that many Americans are of the assumption that we, survivors of the victims, are all getting rich as a result of the generosity of the amazing American public who so selflessly donated to the many charities affiliated with the tragedy of September 11th. This is simply not the case. While it may be true that many of the WTC victims enjoy lifestyles that are perceived to be extravagant by mainstream America's standards, it is precisely this perception that led the terrorists to target these particular two buildings, rather than a shopping mall or office building in Lincoln, Nebraska or Pensacola, Florida. Pinpointing, applying for and actually obtaining funds from the charitable organizations is time consuming and, I dare say, humiliating for many of us who never dreamed, in our wildest imaginations, that we would be in this position. Furthermore, I'd like to report firsthand that none of is getting rich through the funding provided by these various institutions. I suspect there is but a small faction that has been made whole on a weekly basis. For most, I imagine, the charitable contributions just scratch the surface of enormous weekly or monthly expenses. I am sure that my husband would be aghast that I have had to travel into New York City with copies of my rent, electric and phone bills to obtain sustenance from the kind-hearted souls of this country. If the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund is to succeed-that is, to avoid extraordinary lawsuits against the airlines and salvage the U.S. air transportation system-we, the surviving family members of the victims, request the following parameters be instituted in consideration of our extraordinary loss: - Provide the formula by which awards will be made prior to demanding an acceptance of the terms. Also firmly establish which defendants this settlement will cover-will it simply cover liability of the airline industry and it's security subcontractors, or will the City of New York and its Port Authority be named as additional defendants? - As you are seeking to provide a viable alternative to litigation, the formula should resemble that which would normally take place in a suit of this nature and should reflect the individual nature of each claimant, to wit: taking an average of the victim's past 3-5 years earnings as indicated in past tax return filings, multiplied by actuarial tables of life expectancy, reduced by present value of money. In addition, consideration must also be given to the victim's future earning potential, as well as to benefits lost, including health insurance. - Establish a standard to determine pain and suffering, which will be the same for each claimant. Each victim was loved equally by all of their family, whether married with children or single. To say that any of us has suffered more or less anguish over this event than others is simply unjust. I am also of the mind that the pain and suffering of each individual victim who perished in the WTC needs to be taken into consideration. Because most of us do not know how much time each of our loved ones had to actually contemplate their fate, this will not be an easy task. Again, I would suggest this determination be made on an equal basis. When determining the pain and suffering award, careful consideration must be given to the amount of punitive damages each claimant would receive if litigation were to occur through normal channels. - Do not reduce the amount of any award by charitable contributions received. Charity is charity. The monies received thus far by most of the surviving families are intended to provide a short-term solution to immediate financial difficulties. For many of us, these charitable contributions have enabled us to barely hold the line on our monthly expenses and have provided a necessary stopgap for the maintenance of our lives. The DOJ has been given a mandate of 120 days to implement the plan for the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund. It has been difficult enough to disseminate and collect the charitable contributions that exist. Do the DOJ and the American public think we all have the financial resources necessary to cover 120 days of expenses? Does the average American have the resources to cover 120 days of expenses with no income? I think not. - Given the fact that economic resources for many of the surviving families are dwindling or non-existent, it is of the utmost importance that a settlement payout date be established and adhered to. - Do not reduce the amount of any award by insurance monies received. My husband and I paid for outside life insurance with AFTER TAX DOLLARS. To reduce any award by the amount received through private insurance amounts to nothing more than PUNISHMENT for financial planning, and, in effect, DOUBLE TAXATION. I strongly suspect that victims of run-of-the-mill violent crime are not subject to insurance deductions from the awards made to them by various states' Victim's Crime Boards. - Please do not limit a survivor's right to appeal through use of an approved or designated mediator. Each claimant should retain the right to abandon process up until the time that a settlement is made and accepted. This right would, of course, be granted to us through normal litigation. - Please do not tax us outright on any award obtained through this fund. In most cases, proceeds received from this fund will be reinvested in our economy for the long-term maintenance of our families and children. The U.S. government will receive its share on a yearly basis, for sure. Similarly, claimants need to be informed as to how any potential award settlement will affect other government-sponsored benefits such as Social Security and Workman's Compensation. - I, and all other surviving members of the victims of September 11th, beseech the DOJ to keep the application and documentation process for this fund SIMPLE and forthright. Many of us are at the end of our ropes. To ask us to jump through hoops of fire is insulting and demoralizing in light of our strife. In closing, I would like to echo the sentiments of the many widows, widowers and family members that have commented before me: I would give everything I own and prefer to be penniless in order for my life to be as it was on September 10, 2001. No amount of money will ever restore the laughter, joy, intimacy and love that I shared with my soul mate of 15 years. This failing of the U.S. government, the U.S. airline industry and its security subcontractors, and the Port Authority of New York City has deprived me of the opportunity to prosper and grow old with the man I loved, and has robbed my child of the right to grow and thrive under the watchful eye of a loving and doting father. I keep hoping our family will wake up from this horrific nightmare with our life restored. The days wear on and I know we will not. Respectfully yours, Individual Comment Darien, Connecticut September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-19 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 dojW000415.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. 2001-11-19 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. December 14, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Bolinas, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004448.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, February 03, 2002 6:55 PM Undocumented Immigrants I find it a disgrace that my government would even consider compensating illegals who are victims of September 11. These people are criminals. They have entered my home without my permission and in so doing have broken the law. When so we reward any type of criminal behavior? I came to America from Germany and I entered legally. I am a naturalized citizen because I followed the rules. I obeyed the law. What is wrong with government that does not enforce the laws it legislates? Not only are the people who worked in New York but the employers who hired illegals breaking the law. Not a penny to illegal immigrants. Send them home. Individual Comment Lawrence, Ks September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-03 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 dojP000376.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. 2002-02-03 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, January 26, 2002 2:47 AM GET RICH QUICK AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS. Im sorry but I was reading a news report on this the backlash at the people requesting so much money for compensation. First of all it wasnt the governments fault this happened. Why not take all the money seized from the Taliban and Al Queda and Osama Bin Laden and give it to them. They are responsible. I was appalled by this woman who said she estimated that she should get 1.1 million but since her husbands life insurance and other funds came to 1.4 million that she was AFRAID That she would get no more. How much do you need. Sounds like a get rich quick scheme and they should be ashamed. Take the insurance money and pay off your house and bills and now you will have to work and be the bread winner. That is how it works. When my father died my mother had to go to work and so does every spouse man or woman whose significant other dies. Why do these people think they are more important than any one else. I agree with the man who asked what about THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE OUT DYING FOR US TO MAKE SURE WE ARE FREE. WHAT ABOUT THEM. IF YOU GET IT THEN SO SHOULD THEY. OUT THEIR BLEEDING AND DYING SO YOU CAN SET HERE AND CALL OUR GOVERNMENT AND NATION NAMES AND TAKE THEIR AND OUR MONEY. I THINK MAYBE ABOUT 1 TO 2 YEARS SALERY IS ENOUGH UNTILL YOU CAN GET OUT AND WORK TO BE THE BREAD WINNER BUT IT SHOULDNT COME FROM THE GOVERNMENT. YES I AM GETTING ANGRY..Then you say oh but you dont understand. Yes I do it doesnt sound like you care very much for the government and abusing our rights. Every time someone dies they get the insurance if they have it and then they have to move on and make the money themselves you want everyone else to pay your way through life. If the government gives you guys millions then they should go all back through history and pay everyone else then the country will be broke. Is that what you want.Funds should not go to brothers or sisters or fathers or mothers only spouses. These people lost nothing financially, so why should they receive money. GET RICH QUICK.. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojP000146.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 18, 2001 11:40 PM Human Rights at Home December 18, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Scarsdale, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002555.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 12:19 PM Subject: Divorced parents Just need to know how this works for a victim who was not married and had no children he had parents no siblings. The parents are divorced. Do both parents receive compensation, or what happens here? We are confused and we have three lawyers who cant answer us. Please comment to &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp or call &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp father of &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp at &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp or &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Thanks for what ever help you can give us We are at a loss Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-24 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojP000071.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. 2002-01-24 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, January 17, 2002 5:39 PM comments on Interim Final Rule 17 January 2002 To: The Special Master of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund Re: Interim Final Rule My father, , was killed while working at One World Trade Center September 11, 2001. After reviewing the Interim Final Rule published on the Victim Compensation Fund web site, I am concerned the current state of the Interim Final Rule is inconsistent with the spirit and intent of the fund. Specifically, by including the amount for "pain and suffering" in the total from which "collateral sources" are subtracted, some families may receive nothing for their loss. My parents were financially responsible, securing life insurance for both of them to protect the survivor in case one of them died. Based on my father's age (57) and income, the amount of collateral sources (including life insurance paid for from their earnings) is greater than the award projected by the published charts. As I understand it, the award includes economic loss as well as non-economic loss, also referred to as "pain and suffering." Does the fact that my father provided for his death negate my mother's pain and suffering? It does nothing to ease my loss that will not even be considered since I am an adult child. Moreover, why should she sign away her right to sue if she receives nothing from the Fund? I believe the people most likely to sue are those who do not require immediate monies from the Fund. Those are the same people who are apt to have had life insurance, and most likely have high collateral sources. Life insurance covers projected economic loss, so it is not surprising that the economic loss portion of the award would approximate life insurance proceeds. However, insurance generally does not address non-economic loss, unlike the Fund. At a time when our government aims to make families more self-sufficient (e.g. through welfare reform), I find it disturbing that my mother should be punished for preparing for the unexpected. It is absurd that my parents' financial prudence should result in exclusion from a supposedly equitable Fund. I strongly believe the Fund should provide the minimum "pain and suffering" award for ALL victims. Furthermore, I believe life insurance should not offset the award. The rule as stated rewards those who failed to plan ahead, and provides no incentive to waive legal action to those most capable of suing. In essence, by minimizing this award, you force my mother and those like her into court to receive an equitable settlement. Sincerely, Individual Comment Tucson, AZ 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 dojN001953.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