627 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. Tuesday, March 19, 2002 11:06 AM Re: 9/11 Fund Is the contribution of a gay person worth less that that of a heterosexual? Are the acts of a hero worthless because of his sexual orientation? Is the pain of a child who has lost a parent less because that parent is gay? and other gay heroes of 9/11 deserve to be remembered and recognized along with their fellow Americans who happen to be heterosexual. Families of gay individuals who dies in that tragic attack deserve to be recognized by their country, and compensated for their terrible loss, just as heterosexual victims families are. Please consider this when you determine who will receive compensation, and who will not. "It is now believed that the terrorists on Flight 93 intended to crash the airplane into the United States Capitol where I work, the great house of democracy where I was that day. It is very possible that I would have been in the building, with a great many other people, when that fateful, terrible moment occurred, and a beautiful symbol of our freedom was destroyed along with hundreds if not thousands of lives. I may very well owe my life to and the others who summoned the enormous courage and love necessary to deny those depraved, hateful men their terrible triumph. Such a debt you incur for life." - (Senator John McCain's eulogy for .) In an appearance on the Sunday, March 10 broadcast of NBC's "Meet the Press," Kenneth Feinberg, the head of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (a fund created by Congress and run by the Department of Justice), said that gay partners of the heroes of September 11th will not necessarily be eligible for the same compensation as heterosexual family members who lost their loved ones. So, in the end, pretty much everyone who died - including people who aren't even American citizens and were living in the US illegally - will be honored by the September 11th Fund as deserving of America's special recognition and thanks. The sole exception will be gay and lesbian Americans, because Feinberg and the 911 Fund wouldn't want to do anything contrary to US law. (Unless of course it involves an illegal alien who isn't even American - then apparently it's okay to bend the rules.) "I never knew &nbsp . But I wish I had. I know he was a good son and friend, a good rugby player, a good American, and an extraordinary human being. He supported me, and his support now ranks among the greatest honors of my life. I wish I had known before September 11 just how great an honor his trust in me was. I wish I could have thanked him for it more profusely than time and circumstances allowed. But I know it now. And I thank him with the only means I possess, by being as good an American as he was. "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 &nbsp and all those who died to defend it." - Senator John McCain, Eulogy for &nbsp . Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-19 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 dojR002302.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. 2002-03-19 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 San Francisco, 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 dojA004840.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. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 9:50 PM Re: Equal Benefits for 9/11 survivors 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 Marine on St. Croix , MN 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 dojA003846.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, March 20, 2002 9:26 AM In reference to your decision not to disburse funds to survivor-partners of homosexual victims of the September 11th attack. Please wise-up, shape-up and do the right thing. Now! Don't waste any more time. Change your mind. Cough up the geld. Hand over the money. Reverse your position. Include, don't exclude. Loosen up. THINK!! Lightly strike your forehead with the heel of your right hand and say "DUH"! Remove your noggin from and see the light. Remember where your head has been and stop being one. By the way, where has your head been? Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002327.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, March 18, 2002 10:10 AM Sept. 11 Fund and gays To Whom It May Concern, Am I to understand correctly that the fund created by Congress to offer aid to the famlies of the victims of Sept. 11 will not include those famlies of gay and lesbian victims? This is an outrage and nothing but complete discrimination. If this fund was created for "all Americans" who died that day, then are gay and lesbians not Americans? Are their partners and families not equal when these funds are distributed? I also understand unborn children and illegal aliens are covered under the fund. How can a person who is illegally working or living in this country receive benefits when a gay, LEGAL man whose life-partner died cannot? The head of the fund has said that he's leaving the decision up to state law--well, guess what? Most of the state laws dictate that gay men and lesbian women cannot be domestic partners, and shall not receive federal benefits. How, convenient for you. Wouldn't want to deal with minor details, would we, even if it is blatant discrimination at it's deepest core? You'll overloook someone who was in this country illegally, but you will discriminate against a tax-paying American-born man who lived his life as best as he can and happened to be gay? Gay men and women who were killed either at the Pentegon or in the World Trade Center deserve to have thier memories valued, too. I ask you to please consider offering the Sept. 11 Fund to gay and lesbian AMERICANS, too. To do otherwise brings a dark cloud of shame over this country. Sincerely, Individual Comment New York, NY (living one mile from the World Trade Center) September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001724.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-18 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 19, 2002 8:03 PM Justice for all... January 19, 2002 Dear Mr. Feingold: I have read the interim rule and have much to say about it. However, I will keep my comments brief as my desire is to have my message heard amidst all the others I know you have been receiving. I take issue with the thinking behind any decision to value a woman?s dollar value as lower than that of a man?s because of math that says she ?typically? works fewer years in a lifetime than he does. I also take issue with any math that will value a janitor?s life over that of a CEO. I am sure there is equal misery in the two families, but I would venture to guess that the CEO?s family has some funds to survive, while the janitor?s family might have just found themselves completely destitute. While it may be true ?on average? that women in the workforce may not stay there for as many years as men do, this fact is certainly not an accurate indicator of what a working woman in her lifetime has contributed to the U.S. economy or to her family. I am sure you realize that for the majority of women who ?stay at home?, this choice is based on another choice, namely, that of raising children. I think it is unfortunate that we are not prepared as a nation and a culture to place a high value on that choice, since women who do this are working very hard to build tomorrow?s leaders. I am also sure you are aware that the average number of years women spend in the workforce is increasing over time. This is due to the gains we have made against heavy odds. Even as I type this, women are being paid less than men for doing the same work. Our struggle is not yet over and your present regulations represent a setback to the advances we have made. The Taliban, the political group we hold responsible for the September 11 attacks, regards women as lesser individuals than men. They have carried this dangerous belief system to violent extremes which have shocked the international community. I regret to see our disbursement of funds mirroring that diseased mindset in any way. I would much, much, much prefer to see Americans send a very different message: we value all of our citizens equally, regardless of race, class, or gender. Thank you, Individual Comment Asheville, NC September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-19 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 dojN002088.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. 2002-01-19 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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 6:43 PM be treated equal to Str8's in the U.S?......Hahahahahahahha, yeah right! I am so sick of being treated like a dog by the United States Government! I am stunned that heterosexuals continue to make hateful and hurtful antigay laws in this country. Whites did the same to blacks before. It's called IGNORANCE!!! I am sick of being treated like a second class citizen! Gays are no lesser of human beings so why are so many HETEROSEXUALS continuing to make hateful laws to oppress GAY PEOPLE (35 states have antigay marriage laws) HATE HATE HATE!!! I mean, I am stunned and sick to my stomach that MY country where I was born (supposedly the greatest in the world, maybe for Str8's), treats me like a dog! The United States has one of the worst records as far as treating homosexuals equal to heterosexuals. Gay marriage? Yeah, right. Not for ! I'm moving to Canada soon!!! They love all of their people, unlike the U.S. 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 dojR001177.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. Friday, December 28, 2001 12:08 PM Equal Benefits for Same Sex Partners December 28, 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 Jacksonville, FL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-28 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 dojN001090.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. 2001-12-28 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. Sunday, December 23, 2001 10:19 PM Equal access to Crisis Relief Benefits for surviving gay and lesbian partners December 23, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Individual Comment Providence, RI 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 dojN000801.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, March 17, 2002 1:35 PM Discrimination is UNAMERICAN I shudder to think that a person's sexual orientation if reason to discrminate against them in this time of tragedy. The ENTIRE country suffered not to mention those PERSONALLY touched. It is reprehensible and a tarnish to this administration that would allow such a thing. 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 dojR001426.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, January 09, 2002 11:55 AM Victims Compensation Fund I don't believe awards should be determined by set dollar amounts. Every case is different and should be looked into as the individual life it represents. In my case, I lost my husband on September 11 and we were 5 days shy of celebrating our 3rd month anniversary. We recently were married on June 16th 2001. We were married such a small amount of time that we had no children, it was our first marriage for both of us. So there are no children involved but I am only 28 yrs old. We wanted children and were already trying, I don't see that my case should be looked as a spouse and no children, so we'll give her this amount. No, all the circumstances have to be looked and examined. We were married for less than 3 months, we were both young, we were just getting started and we had many dreams that were cut short because of our government fell asleep. Every case has its own unique twist and as such they should be looked at very closely and individually. Don't make this a numbers game, these were innocent men and women who deserve much more respect and honor, as well as their families! Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-09 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 dojN001465.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. 2002-01-09 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 6:53 PM 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 Emmaus, PA 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 dojA000480.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. Monday, November 26, 2001 6:25 PM September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 Please find attached the comments of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the Federal Bar Association. Attachment 1: November 26, 2001 ORIGINAL VIA E-MAIL To: victimcomp.comments@usdoj.gov Mr. Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Re: September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick: On behalf of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (the "Section") of the Federal Bar Association ("FBA"), we respectfully submit comments on the Proposed Rule to Implement The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001, above referenced (hereafter the "Proposed Rule")(*). The Section consists of attorneys and associated professionals in government service, private practice, and industry. We seek to improve the process of resolving adversarial conflicts that involve legal issues of federal consequence. In that regard the Section has a strong interest in submitting public comments on pending legislation, regulations and other procedures concerning alternative solutions to litigation of federal issues. The Proposed Rule would implement Title IV of the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act of 2001 (Pub. L. No. 107-42 115 Stat. 230 (the "Act"). That Title provides for federal payments of compensation from a Victims Compensation Fund (VCF) to eligible individuals who were physically injured or killed as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes on September 11, 2001. The Section believes that the Act provides an excellent framework for the establishment of a victims claims procedure or process. Moreover, the Department of Justice ("Department") identified in the Notice of Inquiry and Advance Notice of Rulemaking virtually all the issues that should be considered as the Department implements and administers the VCF. All Claims Should Be Deemed "Filed" Only After Review and Certification The Department should create a process that allows the government to review putative claims for completeness before they are deemed "filed" because the Act does not allow hearing examiners enough time to both verify the bone fides of a petitioner's claim and adjudicate the merits of the claim itself. Section 405(b)(3) of the Act states unequivocally that "not later than 120 days after that date on which a claim is filed the Special Master...shall make a determination [on the claim]." The Act does not define the term "claim." We concluded, however, that Congress spoke to making determinations of a claim's merits. This conclusion comes from the guidance provided about the nature of the proceedings. In this regard Congress directed that the Special Master afford claimants an appropriate measure of due process that includes "the right to present evidence, including the presentation of witnesses and documents" (Section 405(b)). We believe that Congress viewed presenting "witnesses" and "documents" as two separate and distinct functions because Congress chose to differentiate one from the other. If Congress wanted to limit presentations of testimony to affidavits, Congress may well have spoke only the presentation of documents. Consequently, it seems that Congress anticipated that the hearing examiners would hold evidentiary hearing of some sort where live testimony could be presented. Although 120 days covers a quarter of year not an insignificant amount of time, we believe that Special Masters may find the period only long enough to permit a careful examination of the merits of a claim. This certainly would be the case where a claimant requested an evidentiary hearing or the hearing examiner found it necessary to convene a hearing or have someone acting on his or her behalf take other steps to verify information presented by a claimant. If a hearing examiner could stay the claim period to gather more data, nothing more would be need. However, because Congress was silent on the matter of stays, we cannot presume such a power was intended. Consequently, the Attorney General should structure the process to enable the government to ensure that a "claim" contains all essential information and materials at the time it is deemed "filed." To this end, we recommend that the Department define the term "claim" to mean the submission of a complete claims package. Under our proposal, the 120-day period would begin after a government official, certified or otherwise determined that a claimant had completely filled out a Claim Form (promulgated pursuant to Section 405(a)(2) of the Act) and supplied such supporting materials as required to make a prima facie showing of entitlement, i.e., a showing of eligibility with enough particularity for submission to a hearing examiner. Having submissions reviewed for eligibility and completeness before they become "claims" would ensure the Department's hearing examiners have enough time to accept evidence, hear testimony, as needed, and verify the merits of claims within the 120-day statutory limit. We propose that people with paralegal training or otherwise qualified administer the intake process the preliminary review of a claimant's submission. These administrative personnel would review documents submitted and identify information that may be missing or additional information needed to resolve the claim. Rather than rejecting submissions lacking data, the reviewers would return submissions to claimants for supplementation with directions for providing the additional required information. With regard to the latter, the intake personnel should be able to provide instructions and assistance to claimants proceeding pro se and those with special needs (non-English speakers, the disabled, etc.) We believe providing a mechanism for assisting claimants in the preparation and submission of their claims is consistent with the Act's emphasis on providing a simple, straightforward and inexpensive procedure. Claims Packages Should Contain Information Sufficient to Establish a Prima Facie Case of Entitlement The Act provides enough guidance about what should be submitted where it places limitations on the bases for the payments from the Fund. The Claim Form should be fashioned so it requires from claimants enough data and with enough specificity to establish a prima facie case regarding: 1. His or her eligibility to file the claim and to receive compensation; 2. The extent of harm suffered, including any economic and noneconomic losses; and 3. The amount of collateral compensation received or to which the claimant is entitled. The claimant should be required to sign the Claim Form and affirm the accuracy of the information presented under penalty of perjury. It is the combined experience of the Task Force that having claims notarized seldom increases the trustworthiness of the information. The directions for affixing a signature should explain the consequences of such an affirmation. The process should require that claimants append to their form all information that supports their claim. The Attorney General should establish and publish rules for the authentication of documentary evidence and for the content of supporting affidavits. If the claimant intends to rely upon witnesses to establish portions of the claim, these witnesses should be identified in an appendix to the Claim Form. The Attorney General may want to stipulate the nature of documentary support the government will consider adequate to make a prima facie claim. The rules might require that a claim submitted for a deceased person be accompanied by a certified copy of a will that names the claimant as the person's executor. Certified copies of tax returns might be required to establish the income stream for a claimant. However, when creating the documentary requirements for claims, the Attorney General should keep them to a minimum in order to minimize the expense and time needed to submit a complete claim. In addition, we believe that the Attorney General should establish and publish rules detailing what forms of documentation the government will accept to establish the key elements of a claim. The notice inviting comments suggested that requirements for a claim may need to vary depending on the type of claim submitted (e.g., claims on behalf of decedents vs. claims by survivors). We suggest that sworn statements or affidavits from unrelated third parties should be permitted where needed to establish facts that cannot otherwise be documented because the necessary records were destroyed in the attacks. Qualifications of Hearing Officers and Scope of Authority The great number of September 11th victims portend the filing of many claims and an attendant need for a great many qualified hearing officers. We suggest that the Department choose as hearing officers lawyers with experience or training in economics and labor economics, and litigation. Also, the hearing officer corps should be limited to attorneys admitted to practice for at least 10 and, possibly, 15 years. We believe that selecting counsel experienced in mediation or arbitration would help further the cause of completing claim determinations within the 120-day period. The ADR Section of the FBA would gladly assist the Attorney General in locating lawyers possessing these qualifications. We feel that Congress intended that hearing officers have the power to compel evidence. This power can be inferred from §404(2)(2), §405(b)(4)(c), and §407. The internal review board, or boards, could include retired federal and state judges, especially retired appellate judges. Review boards should consist of at least two members for each decision ofa hearing officer, or recommended decision of a hearing officer. They would conclude their work on a claim by submitting , in addition to the hearing officer's determination, the review board's written recommendation for submission to the Special Master for a final decision. Insuring The Integrity Of Claims Processing We believe that the Attorney General may wish to augment the claims process having another official help the hearing officers that the Special Master appoints. This official would review all claims, and assist in assessing the nature and weight of the information contained in the claims by verifying the information. Given the tight time frames for adjudication, we believe that an additional official, such as a deputy to the hearing examiner, would enhance the likelihood that claims will be given their due while preserving the fairness of the process and protecting the taxpayer from inadvertent payments of unverified claims. Senator Daschle and Representative Gephardt in comments that they submitted on October 25, 2001 suggested that a representative of the Department perform this function. They suggested that the Department's representative be present to comment on the evidence and ask questions to ensure that a complete evidentiary case (and not one that favored the claimant only) be presented to the Special Master. Whether hired from the Department or elsewhere, the person should have a background in economic, insurance-like claims and a familiarity with the common law rules of evidence. With respect to the latter, the person should be qualified to help the hearing officer decide the degree of trustworthiness to be accorded submitted evidence. We urge that the Department define that individual's role in such a way that the process stays as non-adversarial as possible. Consider As Collateral Funds From All Sources The ADR Section suggests that every payment a claimant may have received or may receive from any source be considered as an off-set in determining how much the claimant should be entitled to under the VCP. This interpretation we believe is consistent with the statute, the generally accepted rules of statutory construction, and the intent of Congress. Moreover, despite the arguably strong policy reasons for excluding charitable contributions from the definition of collateral sources, the Section recommends against such an exclusion. This exclusion is not only contrary to the text of the statute, but may be contrary to the intent of the charitable organization in providing the contribution. Equally important, such an exclusion could have the effect of penalizing those victims who have not been fortunate enough to receive charity. In its request for comments, the Department noted that strong policy reasons exist for excluding charitable contributions from the definition of "collateral sources." Some of those who already submitted comments raised another argument. They say that charitable contributions are legally different in character than the payments authorized by the Act. They say that the specific examples in section 402(4) are contractual or statutory entitlements and that, consequently, charity payments should not be included as offsets. However, we believe that a fair reading of all the language and a consideration of the statutory intent suggests that the term "all" was meat to encompasses or include every collateral source or the totality of collateral sources. Such a statutory reading is consistent with the way the term "all" is generally defined and is thus consistent with the plain meaning of the term. See, Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., Springfield, MA, 1985, at 70 71. Turning to the dictionary is consistent with the well established proposition that when construing and applying statutes one should accord terms their "plain meaning." In this case following the general rule comports with the definition that Congress supplied. Section 402(4) of the Act states that "collateral source" means "all collateral sources including life insurance, pension funds " The plain meaning of "all" does not change, nor should one read into the statute any unique meaning of this term simply because the statute does not specifically include or exclude charitable contributions. We believe that when Congress enumerated certain collateral sources, it intended that those items serve as examples only. Had Congress wished to limit the types of collateral sources to those listed, Congress would have so stated. This interpretation is consistent with the tenor of the statute. Congress stated that "all" collateral sources "shall" be treated as offsets to the amount of compensation set by a Special Master. Many legal commentators regard the term "shall" as the strongest legislative directive. It seems, therefore, that Congress wanted to limit the government's liability. For the foregoing, we believe that VCF funds should serve to supplement other sources of compensation. Furthermore, it would be arbitrary to allow those who receive charity, be it substantial or otherwise, to also receive full-compensation from the VCF while others receive only fund payments because they are without charity. Finally, it might be contrary to the rationale behind charitable giving to interpret the statute in a manner that would allow those victims who receive charity to keep those funds in addition to their VCF payments. Those making charitable contributions usually do so because they perceive that the victims have added economic burdens that might not otherwise be met. Said another way, charitable givers might not have volunteered their aid had they known that the victims would be fully compensated by public monies. Our interpretation would recognize as total compensation all the money received by a claimant from all sources to make the victim, or victim's relatives whole precisely the result Congress intended. The Period Between Filing Comments And The Effective Date of the Regulations. The Attorney General in his Notice of Inquiry and Advance Notice of Rulemaking stated asked for guidance on when the VCF should become effective. The Section suggests that the Attorney General consider pushing the effective date at least 60-days afte December 21, 2001 to allow the Department and the Special Master as much time as possible to create the claims apparatus the Act envisions. Enough time should be set aside to handle the great amount of work that will be required to prepare for entertaining and determining claims. Congress created in the Act a blueprint for an somewhat complex claims process. The Attorney General needs to choose a Special Master. The Department must realign existing staff to administer the claims process or contract for the needed personnel. The Attorney General and the Special Master must identify and hire qualified lawyers to act as hearing examiners. The Claim Form must be designed and printed. The procedure for filing claims must be reduced to writing and published in a manner expected to reach all potentially eligible individuals. The list runs long. In addition, the determination of a claim will be the exclusive remedy for the thousands that elect the procedure. Consequently, we believe it incumbent that the Department take care to create as close to an ideal process as possible. Although some individuals already filed civil actions or have irrevocably committed to doing so soon, truncating the time available to create the process simply to provide those people with an alternative to litigation should not take precedence over the careful creation of the claims process. * * * The Section appreciates this opportunity to comment on the Proposed Rule. If you have questions concerning our comments, please contact Richard Theis at (202) 307-0116. Respectfully submitted, FBA Alternative Dispute Resolution Section by: (*) The Federal Bar Association is an association of attorneys who practice in various areas of law relating to the Federal Government. The Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the Federal Bar Association, which consists of attorneys engaged in the resolution of legal differences without resort to litigation or in conjunction with, and as an alternative to, litigation is authorized by the Constitution of the Federal Bar Association to submit public comments on pending legislation, regulations, and procedures concerning alternative solutions in lieu of the litigation of federal issues. These comments have been prepared by The September 11th Claims Process Task Force of the Alternative Disputes Resolution Section, with the direction and approval of Section leadership. The views expressed in these comments reflect the position of The September 11th Claims Process Task Force. They have not been considered or ratified by the Federal Bar Association as a whole, or by any Federal agency or other organization with which Section members are associated through their employment or otherwise. The comments reflect the views of the Task Force members in their individual capacity and not that of their employers. September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000685.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, November 06, 2001 2:53 PM Victims Compensation Fund I am very confused about the purpose of this fund. Is this in addition to the millions of dollars this country has donated to the families (September 11 Fund, etc)? My heart aches for those who have lost loved ones and those whose livelihoods have been impacted by this tragedy. I have contributed privately to those funds already established but I don't know that I understand or agree with why the government is also going to be compensating the same set of victims. I think it is necessary to know how much each family has or will receive from other sources (other funds, Red Cross, life insurance, etc) before any public money is given. I'm still stuck on the point of why government monies are going to these victims when the private donations have been so generous. We need to be careful with this. Thousands of our innocent neighbors were killed on September 11 but thousands of our neighbors are being impacted everyday by job losses, etc. Are they to be compensated, too? If this program does come to fruition, the following things need to be considered: What financial resources does that family/victim already have? Where else have they applied for assistance? A cap needs to be established so the distribution of money is equitable and, therefore, providing enough to go around. Lawyer fees are not compensable! Money goes to the family for direct needs: food, clothing, shelter, education (within reason) Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-06 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000118.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-06 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, March 18, 2002 12:04 PM September 11 Victim Compensation Fund Another slap in the face of the millions of gay people living in the United States. HELLO, gay people pay taxes like everyone else. HELLO, gay people work like everyone else. HELLO, gay people vote like everyone else. HELLO, gay people contributed to this fund like everyone else. GET IT? Thank you, Individual Comment Los Angeles, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001877.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-18 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 14, 2002 8:42 PM Justice help all terrorist victims Dear Mr. Zwick: The very humane Fund for relatives of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks must include all relatives of all the victims. This importantly should include the partners and children of same sex unions. They suffer just as grievously for their deceased loved ones as do other survivors, and their need for assistance is just as great. Please do not give in to the importuning of callous homophobic groups and individuals who would have the Department of Justice limit compensation to survivors of heterosexual unions. They are interested in a political victory, not humane assistance. This Fund is intended for humane purposes; it is not a political statement, Mr. Zwick. Sincerely, Individual Comment Shelton, CT September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-14 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 dojN001711.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. 2002-01-14 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. 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 Richmond, 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 dojA003928.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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 1:46 PM (no subject) Please include gay and lesbian partners in the compensation fund. I don't understand why you don't. I cannot explain to my children why some American heroes are ok and some are not. Can you? Thank you for your consideration. Individual Comment Wimauma, FL 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 dojR000934.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, November 29, 2001 9:54 AM Support benefits for gays and lesbians and trans people! We all pay taxes around here and gay, lesbians and trans people deserve benefits as citizens of this country. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-29 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 dojA001498.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. 2001-11-29 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, November 26, 2001 11:08 PM Re: September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Dear Attorney General Ashcroft, The deaths on September 11th were the result of an attack on America. Please do not discriminate against the unmarried partners of September 11th victims. All unmarried partners, gay or straight, young and old and their dependents should be eligible for compensation. Yours Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000719.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-26