642
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.
Sunday, December 30, 2001 1:21 PM
concern for equality
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
Westlake, OH
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
dojN001225.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.
Sunday, December 16, 2001 10:27 PM
Protect Traditional Marriage
Mr.
Kenneth Zwick
Office
of Management Programs
Department
of Justice
Washington,
DC
Dear
Mr. Zwick:
I
want to express my opposition to any effort by the federal government to provide
9-11 victim compensation funds to "domestic partners" of unmarried
survivors of the terrorist attack upon our nation.
Funds
disbursed through the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 should
only go to the surviving family members of those who died on 9-11. Funds must go
to the widows, widowers, orphans, and other blood-related or adopted members of
the family--not to unmarried sexual partners of those who died.
To
provide funds to "domestic partners" is to undermine the traditional
definition of marriage and family to include any number of sexual liaisons
between same-sex or opposite-sex unmarried couples. Many homosexuals and
swinging heterosexuals, for example, engage in sex with multiple partners. Do we
provide funds to each of the sexual partners? Where do we draw the line on how
many "domestic partners" a person may have? Homosexual
activists are exploiting the 9-11 tragedy by asking the federal government to
redefine what constitutes a legitimate "family" under the law. In
fact, homosexual activist , writing in Out magazine
has openly called for the subversion of the concept of marriage between a man
and a woman. He has urged homosexuals to fight for the legalization of
homosexual marriages and once legalized to "redefine the institution of
marriage completely . . . . to debunk a myth and radically alter an archaic
institution. . . . The most subversive action lesbians and gays can under
take--and one that would perhaps benefit all of society--is to transform the
notion of 'family' entirely."
If
the DOJ provides funds to "domestic partners," it will be helping
accomplish his goal: That of redefining marriage and altering what he
calls an "archaic institution."
We
also oppose September 11th Funds going to the estates of the deceased instead of
to their surviving family members. No one can know for certain where these funds
will end up if they are deposited in the estate of a person who has died. The
person may have willed his estate to a terrorist, racial hate group, or even to
an organization like the North American Man-Boy Love Association. No one will
know unless each person's will is examined by a DOJ lawyer.
The
money should go to the surviving family members of the deceased, not to the
estate or to the surviving "domestic partner."
Individual Comment
Halifax, MA
September 11 Email: Date
The local time and date when the message was written.
2001-12-16
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
dojA002087.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.
2001-12-16
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Department of Justice Emails
Description
An account of the resource
The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date.
September 11 Email
September 11 Email: Body
The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end.
Thursday, December 15, 2001 10:35 PM
Protect Traditional Marriage
Mr. Kenneth Zwick
Office of Management Programs Department of Justice
Washington. DC
Dear Mr. Zwick:
I
want to express my opposition to any effort by the federal government to provide
9-11 victim compensation funds to "domestic partners" of unmarried
survivors of the terrorist attack upon our nation.
Funds
disbursed through the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 should
only go to the surviving family members of those who died on 9-11. Funds must go
to the widows, widowers, orphans, and other blood-related or adopted members of
the family--not to unmarried sexual partners of those who died.
To
provide funds to "domestic partners" is to undermine the traditional
definition of marriage and family to include any number of sexual liaisons
between same-sex or opposite-sex unmarried couples. Many homosexuals and
swinging heterosexuals, for example, engage in sex with multiple partners. Do we
provide funds to each of the sexual partners? Where do we draw the line on how
many "domestic partners" a person may have?Homosexual
activists are exploiting the 9-11 tragedy by asking the federal government to
redefine what constitutes a legitimate "family" under the law. In
fact, homosexual activist      , writing in Out magazine
has openly called for the subversion of the concept of marriage between a man
and a woman. He has urged homosexuals to fight for the legalization of
homosexual marriages and once legalized to "redefine the institution of
marriage completely . . . . to debunk a myth and radically alter an archaic
institution. . . . The most subversive action lesbians and gays can under
take--and one that would perhaps benefit all of society--is to transform the
notion of 'family' entirely."
If
the DOJ provides funds to "domestic partners," it will be helping
     accomplish his goal: That of redefining marriage and altering what he
calls an "archaic institution."
We
also oppose September 11th Funds going to the estates of the deceased instead of
to their surviving family members. No one can know for certain where these funds
will end up if they are deposited in the estate of a person who has died. The
person may have willed his estate to a terrorist, racial hate group, or even to
an organization like the North American Man-Boy Love Association. No one will
know unless each person's will is examined by a DOJ lawyer.
The
money should go to the surviving family members of the deceased, not to the
estate or to the surviving "domestic partner."
Individual Comment
Lutz, FL
September 11 Email: Date
The local time and date when the message was written.
2001-12-15
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
dojA002004.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.
2001-12-15
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Department of Justice Emails
Description
An account of the resource
The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date.
September 11 Email
September 11 Email: Body
The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end.
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 thosewho 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
Sullivan, NH
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
dojA005404.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.
Monday, December 17, 2001 10:39 PM
Protect Traditional Marriage
Mr.
Kenneth Zwick
Office
of Management Programs
Department
of Justice
Washington,
DC
Dear
Mr. Zwick:
I
want to express my opposition to any effort by the federal government to provide
9-11 victim compensation funds to "domestic partners" of unmarried
survivors of the terrorist attack upon our nation.
Funds
disbursed through the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 should
only go to the surviving family members of those who died on 9-11. Funds must go
to the widows, widowers, orphans, and other blood-related or adopted members of
the family--not to unmarried sexual partners of those who died.
To
provide funds to "domestic partners" is to undermine the traditional
definition of marriage and family to include any number of sexual liaisons
between same-sex or opposite-sex unmarried couples. Many homosexuals and
swinging heterosexuals, for example, engage in sex with multiple partners. Do we
provide funds to each of the sexual partners? Where do we draw the line on how
many "domestic partners" a person may have? Homosexual
activists are exploiting the 9-11 tragedy by asking the federal government to
redefine what constitutes a legitimate "family" under the law. In
fact, homosexual activist , writing in Out magazine
has openly called for the subversion of the concept of marriage between a man
and a woman. He has urged homosexuals to fight for the legalization of
homosexual marriages and once legalized to "redefine the institution of
marriage completely . . . . to debunk a myth and radically alter an archaic
institution. . . . The most subversive action lesbians and gays can under
take--and one that would perhaps benefit all of society--is to transform the
notion of 'family' entirely."
If
the DOJ provides funds to "domestic partners," it will be helping
accomplish his goal: That of redefining marriage and altering what he
calls an "archaic institution."
We
also oppose September 11th Funds going to the estates of the deceased instead of
to their surviving family members. No one can know for certain where these funds
will end up if they are deposited in the estate of a person who has died. The
person may have willed his estate to a terrorist, racial hate group, or even to
an organization like the North American Man-Boy Love Association. No one will
know unless each person's will is examined by a DOJ lawyer.
The
money should go to the surviving family members of the deceased, not to the
estate or to the surviving "domestic partner."
Individual Comment
WEST FARGO, ND
September 11 Email: Date
The local time and date when the message was written.
2001-12-17
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
dojA002149.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
email
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2001-12-17
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Department of Justice Emails
Description
An account of the resource
The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date.
September 11 Email
September 11 Email: Body
The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end.
Sunday, January 20, 2002 9:50 PM
Input to Federal Victims Compensation Program
This is to summarize my objections to the interim regulations proposed in the
Federal Victims Compensation Program. We lost our 24 year old son      in
the 9/11 tragedy. My concerns fall into both the economic and non-economic
areas.
Economic
- the use of national earnings averages greatly distorts an equitable
projection over our son's anticipated 38 year work life. As an equity
trader,      was off to a remarkable compensation start as an equity trader
and based on his superiors - could expect sizeable economic gains through his
performance. In fact the data used in the draft proposed appears to be in
line with 1979 statistics.
- the $230K cap on earnings also should be removed.      would easily pass
this bar in the early stages of his career. His estate is being penalized
with such an arbitrary ceiling.
- such an arbitrary low model will drive far lower settlements that are
resonable.
non-economic
- proposing $250K as the settlement amount for pain and suffering is
inexcusable. Airline settlements give an indication of the amounts arrived
at through trials. The anguish we continue to feel through our loss
continues today. So far we have had two incidences where pieces of our son
were identified.....and were told this could go on again and again.......for
upwards of anywhere from 2-10 years!
- The suffering of our family will continue forever. A jet aircraft
overhead, reading the sensationalism in the news, seeing our other children
relive this horror through ongoing experiences that trigger recalling the
horror. Knowing that history will keep pointing to this monumental
day.........all equates to permanent suffering.
- $250K is simply a non starter - likely 1/10th of what it should be.
- Such a disparity only adds to our pain.....we are now becoming victims
ourselves. Our government let us down as citizens and it is only fair that
it shows compassion to innocent citizens who were left unprotected.
Finally, to agree to forgo suing parties who we feel are culpable - without
knowing what our resolution to be is unfair. If we are uncomfortable going
into the process - how will it get better? It is wrong to not know what to
expect up front.......or to go to trial if we are unhappy after understanding
the government's position.
Individual Comment
September 11 Email: Date
The local time and date when the message was written.
2002-01-20
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
dojN002143.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.
2002-01-20
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Department of Justice Emails
Description
An account of the resource
The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date.
September 11 Email
September 11 Email: Body
The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end.
Wednesday, December 19, 2001 6:31 AM
All men are greated equal
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
Redlands, CA
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
dojA002528.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 13, 2002 1:00 PM
gay and lesbian recognition
I am deeply offended that the 911 fund is not considering granting
financial benefits for gay and lesbian partners of loved ones who
perished on September 11, 2001.
\nI live in the state of Vermont, a state which recognizes gay and
lesbian partners. I have never felt more fortuante to live here in all
of my life. If the Fund discriminates against love, it is
discriminating against every human being. It's not just about gays and
lesbians. It's about taking care of each other as people.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment
Burlington, VT
September 11 Email: Date
The local time and date when the message was written.
2002-03-13
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
dojR000646.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
email
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2002-03-13
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Department of Justice Emails
Description
An account of the resource
The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date.
September 11 Email
September 11 Email: Body
The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end.
Thursday, December 27, 2001 4:21 PM
Protect Traditional Marriage
Mr.
Kenneth Zwick
Office
of Management Programs
Department
of Justice
Washington,
DC
Dear
Mr. Zwick:
I
want to express my opposition to any effort by the federal government to provide
9-11 victim compensation funds to "domestic partners" of unmarried
survivors of the terrorist attack upon our nation.
Funds
disbursed through the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 should
only go to the surviving family members of those who died on 9-11. Funds must go
to the widows, widowers, orphans, and other blood-related or adopted members of
the family--not to unmarried sexual partners of those who died.
To
provide funds to "domestic partners" is to undermine the traditional
definition of marriage and family to include any number of sexual liaisons
between same-sex or opposite-sex unmarried couples. Many homosexuals and
swinging heterosexuals, for example, engage in sex with multiple partners. Do we
provide funds to each of the sexual partners? Where do we draw the line on how
many "domestic partners" a person may have? Homosexual
activists are exploiting the 9-11 tragedy by asking the federal government to
redefine what constitutes a legitimate "family" under the law. In
fact, homosexual activist, writing in Out magazine
has openly called for the subversion of the concept of marriage between a man
and a woman. He has urged homosexuals to fight for the legalization of
homosexual marriages and once legalized to "redefine the institution of
marriage completely . . . . to debunk a myth and radically alter an archaic
institution. . . . The most subversive action lesbians and gays can under
take--and one that would perhaps benefit all of society--is to transform the
notion of 'family' entirely."
If
the DOJ provides funds to "domestic partners," it will be helping
accomplish his goal: That of redefining marriage and altering what he
calls an "archaic institution."
We
also oppose September 11th Funds going to the estates of the deceased instead of
to their surviving family members. No one can know for certain where these funds
will end up if they are deposited in the estate of a person who has died. The
person may have willed his estate to a terrorist, racial hate group, or even to
an organization like the North American Man-Boy Love Association. No one will
know unless each person's will is examined by a DOJ lawyer.
The
money should go to the surviving family members of the deceased, not to the
estate or to the surviving "domestic partner."
Individual Comment
Georgetown, TX
September 11 Email: Date
The local time and date when the message was written.
2001-12-27
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
dojN001017.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.
2001-12-27
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Department of Justice Emails
Description
An account of the resource
The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date.
September 11 Email
September 11 Email: Body
The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end.
Wednesday, March 13, 2002 1:33 PM
FW: 9-11 Funds
Dear Sirs...
If this is true...then this is an outrage... I would hope that you could do
something about this situation, or you will have a huge scandal on your
hands...
I would appreciate some intervention on behalf of all Americans who believe
in doing what's right.
Thank you.
Individual Comment
Houston, TX
September 11 Email: Date
The local time and date when the message was written.
2002-03-13
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
dojR000623.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
email
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2002-03-13
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Department of Justice Emails
Description
An account of the resource
The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date.
September 11 Email
September 11 Email: Body
The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end.
Tuesday, December 04, 2001 2:34 PM
Help ALL THE VICTIMS of 9/11
Please consider all the children and partners of victims of 9/11.
One's sexual orientation does not make one more or less affected by
terror, financial stress, grief, pain, etc. Do not let fear,
ignorance or hate cloud the judgement. Take a stand to show that
America is truly United.
We are all Americans. Let us care for and provide for everyone we
can.
Sincerely -
Individual Comment
Canton, GA
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
dojA000292.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.
Tuesday, December 18, 2001 9:37 AM
Fair Treatment for Sept. 11th Victim's Familys
Sample letter:
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
Weehawken, NJ
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
dojA002167.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 5:29 AM
September 11 Victim Compensation Fund
Kenneth L. Zwick, Director
Office of Management Programs, Civil Division
U.S. Department of Justice
FAX -- (301) 519-5956
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,
Indiviudal Comment
Gadsden, Alabama
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
dojA000681.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.
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
Menlo Park,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
dojA005165.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.
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
Media, PA
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
dojA004950.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
The process status of this item.
approved
Consent
Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item.
full
Posting
Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.
yes
Copyright
Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.
yes
Source
The source of this item.
born-digital
Media Type
The media type of this item.
email
Created by Author
Whether the author created this item.
yes
Described by Author
Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.
no
Date Entered
The date this item was entered into the archive.
2001-12-13
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Department of Justice Emails
Description
An account of the resource
The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date.
September 11 Email
September 11 Email: Body
The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end.
Monday, March 18, 2002 2:38 PM
some americans are more equal than others...
I'm writing to express my outrage that gay and lesbian
partners of the victims of the Sept. 11 attack will not
automatically be eligible for compensation, while everybody
else will, including fetuses and illegal aliens.
If the September 11 has taught us anything, it's that our
patriotism and love of country transcend our differences and
unite us all. We were told that September 11 was the day
that "hyphenated-Americans" were no more, and rather than
being Italian-Americans, African-Americans or gay-Americans,
we were now simply Americans, all of us together as one
American family. Apparently, that family just got a
divorce.
The hyphens seem not to matter when our government wants to
use our heroism to inspire others, but when it comes time to
actually aid the families of those heroes, the hyphens come
back with a vengeance, and it seems that some American
heroes are now more equal than others.
Individual Comment
Honolulu, HI
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
dojR001958.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, March 18, 2002 1:03 PM
treat everyone fairly
Please treat everyone fairly.
Separating funds, and not allowing families of gay
couples to recieve the same benefits as any other
victims is unfair.
September 11th was a tragedy.
Please dont add to it.
Thank you
Individual Comment
September 11 Email: Date
The local time and date when the message was written.
2002-03-18
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
dojR001916.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.
Tuesday, March 26, 2002 5:18 PM
Compensate gay partners!
Attachment 1:
I am outraged that the partners of gay victims of the September 11th tragedy will not receive any compensation or recognition in any way. These people were hurt in the same ways as anyone else who lost a friend or family member in the horrible events. Why can't they be recognized? Some of the most heroic and brave people who died were gay and they can't be ignored just because they love someone of the same sex as them. Gays are still people...who are loved...and are missed...and were AMERICANS!!! America should take care of it's people...all of them!
Please, help and treat everyone equally!
Thank you,
Individual Comment
September 11 Email: Date
The local time and date when the message was written.
2002-03-26
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
dojR002740.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.
2002-03-26
-
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.
Sunday, March 17, 2002 3:37 PM
9/11 victims compensation
I wish to join thousands of other tax paying U.S. citizens who believe
all domestic partners of 9/11 victims should receive benefits. Being
gay in this country should not cancel gays as deserving human beings who
share real lives and feelings with their partners.
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
dojR001664.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.
November 26, 2001
Kenneth L. Zwick, Director
Office of Management Programs
Civil Division
United States Department of Justice
Main Building Room 3140
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20530
Re: September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
RIN: 1105-AA79
Structured Settlement Annuitites
Dear Sir:
The following discussion is submitted as "Comments" pursuant to the Department's Notice of
Inquiry and Advance Notice of Rulemaking published on November 5, 2001 regarding the
September 11th Victim Compensation Fund(the "Fund"). These Comments are provided on
behalf of John Hancock Life Insurance Company, of which I am a Vice President of Risk
Management with responsibilities for certain annuity product lines. These include the
Company's annuity products customarily used to fund structured settlements.
We believe that it is highly desirable to permit the Fund to offer benefits in the form of periodic
payments, and to have the government provide for those payments through the purchase of
annuitites form life insurance companies. Although our Comments may be considered as
responding to "Topic#6" as they certainly relate to the "Nature and Amount of Compensation", providing for appropriately funded structured settlement should also be considered a general comment on the administration of the Fund.
Many of the claimants seeking compensation from the Fund will be the dependents of those
individuals who died on September 11th. These people will need the benefits from their claims for many years to come. Parents with young children, the children themselves, the elderly who lost working adult children -- all of these people will be relying on the payments from the Fund to replace the financial support of those loved ones who died.
Unfortunately, the experience is that individuals who received cash settlements have had the
misfortune of watching the money dissipate due to poor judgement, bad advice, expensive
hobbies, needy family and friends or just plain bad luck. Historically, a vast majority of all large settlements for personal physical injury damages are gone after five short years. In many cases, with their means of support gone, these individuals must then rely on public assistance.
Structured settlements, backed with annuities issued by financially sound life insurance
companies are designed to assure that the money is there when it is needed. Periodic payments cannot easily be assigned or advanced by financially unsophisticated beneficiaries. Payment schedules can be set to provide larger sums when timely(e.g. for college tuition) and the cost to the purchaser comes at a discounted value when the settlement is funded. Moreover, we believe that the purchaser, in the instant case the United States government, will have the lowest cost, and the payments will be most secure when the structured settlements are funded through competitive bidding among life insurance companies meeting the highest financial standards.
In the present situation, there will thousands of children as beneficiaries fo the Fund and the deferral of a portion of their benefits will be desirable. There is ample precedent for the use of structure settlement annuities in programs not dissimilar from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Such annuities are routinely utilized in the Department's administration of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. It is not yet known whether the procedures established by the Department will require the application of any part of the various state Payment to Minors Acts. However, it should be noted that many of these statutes specifically authorize the use of structured settlement annuities from approved insurance companies [see New York Civil Practice Law and Rules Article 12, Section 1206(c)].
The John Hancock Life Insurance Company, has been issuing annuities for over 60 years and is a provider of structured settlement annuities. The Company is pleased to offer the expertise and experience of its staff in aiding the Department in establishing the procedures for the Fund, either directly or by participation with other members of the insurance industry.
We thank you for your attention to our discussion above, All acknowledgments and inquiries
regarding our comments should be directed to .
Sincerely,
Comment by:
John Hancock Life Insurance Company
Boston, MA
September 11 Email: Date
The local time and date when the message was written.
2001-11-26
Dublin Core
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Title
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dojA005488.xml
911DA Item
Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item.
Status
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approved
Consent
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full
Posting
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yes
Copyright
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yes
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born-digital
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email
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yes
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no
Date Entered
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2001-11-26