653 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, December 04, 2001 11:45 PM Regarding September 11 Victim Compensation Fund Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice Dear Sir, I am writing to express my concern that victim relief funds be made available to all who were life partners of victims of the Sept 11 attacks, including de facto parents or children, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. I sincerely wish the U.S. Government to follow the example already set by the governor of New York in granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day-to-day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." I truly believe that this is just. So many are suffering who lost loved ones; please make sure that all the Americans who are in grief are helped, and don't have to suffer even more by being excluded for 'who they are'. Thank you. Respectfully, Individual Comment Huntsville, AL 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 dojA000643.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, March 16, 2002 10:25 PM gays Let the survivors of gays receive the same as illegal aliens. Knock off this crap. 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 dojR001636.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, January 14, 2002 11:46 PM wife of 9/11 victim January 13, 2002 Mr. Kenneth Feinberg, Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 In Care of Mr. Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20530 Re: Comments on the Interim Rule of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 Dear Mr. Feinberg: My husband died September 11, 2001 in the Pentagon terrorist attack. He was 40 years old. To the Department of Defense, was a rising star, a with an Ivy-League education and an MBA. To me and our two children, (age 10) and (age 7) was the center of our vibrant family life. Because and I valued our family life, I was a stay-at-home mom. On September 11th I not only lost my husband, my best friend, my soul mate, and the loving the father of my children, but also the sole income source for our family. The intensity of the pain that we have been experiencing cannot be put into words. We are devastated and uncertain about our future. On top of the emotional anguish we are enduring, we are also faced with the reality of trying to figure out our financial future, including participation in the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. In theory, the Funds goal of providing streamlined compensation to victims without the delay and burden of a lawsuit is appealing. In reality, however, two inequities in the Department of Justices Interim Final Rule implementing the Fund create a scenario where there is no incentive for me to join. I project that my children and I literally will receive no compensation from the Fund because (1) the projected economic and non-economic loss figures are unrealistically low; and (2) the Fund deducts any money my family receives from a "collateral source." I am writing to ask for your help to correct these two inequities in the Department of Justices Interim Final Rule for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. When Congress passed the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act on September 22, 2001, it severely restricted September 11 victims right to sue the airlines, which bear ultimate responsibility for the tragedy because of lax security procedures. In exchange for denying victims the right to sue, Congress provided the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. The Fund is supposed to compensate the victims families for the types of losses that would have been recoverable in a lawsuit, but without the burden and delay of litigation. The Interim Rule/Regulation also describes the intention of the law: The Fund is designed to provide a no-fault alternative to tort litigation for individuals who were physically injured or killed as a result of the aircraft hijackings and crashes on September 11, 2001 {Interim Rule/Regulation, Summary Paragraph A.1.}. The attached regulations have two objectives: (1) To provide fair, predictable and consistent compensation to the victims of September 11 and their families throughout the life of the program; and (2) to do so in an expedited, efficient manner without unnecessary bureaucracy and needless demands on the victims. {Interim Rule/Regulation, Supplementary Information.}. The Interim Final Rule fails to meet the intent of Congress, however, because many victims families will net nothing after collateral source funds are subtracted from the already undervalued economic and non-economic loss projections. The Interim Final Rule understates economic loss by underestimating the lifetime earning potential of victims at all income levels. Noted economists at the National Association of Forensic Economists showed that the Interim Final Rule uses outdated statistics and inappropriate methods to arrive at low estimates of our loved ones future earnings. An analysis done by one of these economists showed that the actual earnings growth for firefighters is 27% higher than the DOJ estimate, the actual earnings growth of all college educated workers is 30% higher than DOJ indicates, and actual earnings growth for financial professionals is more than 100% higher than the DOJ estimate. In my case, s future earnings would be more than double the amount the DOJ has set forth in its projections. My husband had an Ivy League education with an MBA and had recently been accepted into the Defense Leadership and Management Program, a program to groom the Defense Departments top executives. He was only 40 years old so was certainly expected to receive many future promotions. The Interim Final Rule also falls short of Congresss goals for non-economic loss. The figure for presumed non-economic loss compensation of $250,000 plus an additional $50,000 for the spouse and each dependent is rationalized as being roughly equivalent to the amounts received by public safety officers who were killed while on duty, or members of the military who are killed in the line of duty while serving our nation. With all due respect to such public safety officers and military personnel, they chose to go into harms way and their loss is not the result of corporate negligence. On the other hand, the September 11 victims are victims of negligent airline security. Perhaps more realistic guidance as to the value of non-economic loss can be found in other air crash disaster awards. For example, I understand that non-economic losses recovered in other air crash and terrorism cases commonly result in awards of between $2 million and $5 million. While I am not suggesting these amounts for non-economic loss values for the Victim Compensation Fund, a more reasonable amount somewhere between the current proposal and the litigation result is warranted. The Interim Final Rule reduces any compensation awards by the amount of funds received from collateral sources, including life insurance. I understand that the Interim Final Rule does this because Congress included such a provision in the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act. That does not make it fair; that does not make it right. In many states, including my state of Virginia, the law on the collateral source rule has been well settled for over one hundred years. Under that rule, damages recoverable for personal injury or death, caused by the negligence of another, cannot be reduced because of compensation received by proceeds of an insurance policy. This is because the wrongdoer owes full compensation for the injuries inflicted by them and any payment by a collateral source in no way relieves the wrongdoer of their obligation. In this instance, the airlines and others at fault owe full compensation for the injuries resulting from their negligence. Any payment by a collateral source in no way relieves the airlines and others at fault of their obligation. This collateral source rule, which has been a fundamental part of tort victim compensation for over a hundred years, needs to be incorporated into the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Otherwise, merely because my husband was prudent and had life insurance, the loss suffered by my family will not be compensated. The Interim Final Rule needs to be adjusted to provide fair, balanced and acceptable economic and non-economic loss projections. The economic loss charts need to be increased and expanded depending upon the deceaseds job field. The non-economic loss amounts also need to be increased into a range that accounts for the tragic way in which these innocent victims died and the shattered lives they left behind. Collateral source recoveries need to be excluded from consideration by the Fund. Without these changes, the intent of Congress will not be fulfilled because there will be no reason for many of the September 11 victim families to participate in the Fund. Without these changes, it will be better for many victim families to take a chance at litigation rather than sign on to a Fund through which they will receive nothing but a waiver of their right to sue. To compound the unfairness, my family would have little real opportunity to appeal the determination of the Fund Master. A familys award may be increased above the presumptive award only by showing extraordinary circumstances beyond those suffered by other victims or victims families. This makes the hearing or appeal to the Special Master extremely arbitrary, unclear and unfair. Please rectify these inequities. Give other similarly situated families and me a reason to participate in this Fund. Please adjust the Interim Final Rule to provide economic and non-economic amounts at fair, balanced and acceptable levels. Please do not offset Fund awards by collateral source recoveries. Please establish a fair appeal process. Finally, please include the specific calculation formulas, statistics and assumptions within the rule or the explanatory materials. I would gladly give up all compensation to have my loved one back. However, since that is not possible, I ask only for fairness so that I may piece together the shattered lives of my children and myself. I am not trying to become wealthy; all I want is for the Victim Compensation Fund to provide me with fair compensation so I can continue to be at home with my children. Given the tragic circumstances, my children need me now more than ever. Sincerely, Individual Comment Wife of , killed Sept 11, 2001 in the Pentagon Manassas, VA 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 dojN001598.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. Wednesday, November 28, 2001 4:35 PM equality Dear Director Zwick, Although I would write a formal letter, since time is of the essence I am choosing to send an email. I am aware the Deparment of Justice is inviting public comment regarding the rules governing the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. I urge the Department to be inclusive of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people and their families who suffered from the attacks. As many individuals in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community have eloquently addressed -- the attack on September 11th did not discriminate according to sexual orientation. The sexual orientation of the American Airlines pilot, the man who helped foil the last hijacking, or the countless others killed -- did not matter during those moments and their aftermath. However, it does matter now because those who lost their life partners or de facto parents or children might be further victimized by current legal discrimination based on sexual orientation (e.g., marriage, adoption). I strongly urge you to be inclusive of all victims of September 11th and their families - and equitably distribute much needed funds. Sincerely, Individual Comment Santa Cruz, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-28 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 dojA000121.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. 2001-11-28 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, March 17, 2002 4:54 AM 9/11 glbt families Dear people: It seems to me incredible, that you would grant benefits to illegal alien family members of the victims of the 9/11 horror, yet deny those same benefits to gay and lesbian family members. "Do we not bleed?".Shakespeare had the Jews in mind penning those words, but in the modern age one can substitute gay/lesbian to the same effect. Please treat all American victims of this evil crime equally. To do less would be a disgrace upon the founding principles of this country: Liberty and Justice for ALL. Thank-you. 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 dojR001335.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. January 16, 2002 Via Facsimile Kenneth R. Feinberg, Esq. Special Master September 11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 C/o The Feinberg Group, LLP 1120 20th Street, N.W., 740 South Washington, D.C. 20036-3437 Dear Mr. Feinberg: I am writing in my capacity as a director of and pro bono legal counsel to the Robin Hood Foundation ("Robin Hood") and the Robin Hood Relief Fund (the "Relief Fund"). Robin Hood established the Relief Fund to help victims of the World Trade Center attack and their families. The Relief Fund specifically benefits families of the missing or injured; the firefighters, police officers, and rescue workers; and others who have been affected by the economic consequences of the attack and its aftermath. In particular, the Relief Fund is working to ensure that the needs of lower-income victims are met in both the immediate and long term, and that no needy victim falls through the cracks of the relief effort. The Relief Fund's understanding, from working with charitable organizations that provide direct relief to low-income relatives of victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks, is that many of the victims of those attacks died intestate. Our further understanding is that the intestate status of these victims complicates the process for filing a claim and receiving an award under the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 (the "VCF"). Therefore, we would like to bring to your attention the following points, which are representative of many, regarding the VCF, and certain issues that low-income relatives of victims of the September 11th attacks facing in following the procedures set forth in the interim final rule issued by the Department of Justice on December 21, 2001(the "Interim Rule"): 1. The scope of the personal liability of the "Personal Representative," as that term is defined in Section 104.4 of the Interim Rule, needs to be more clearly-defined. Under New York intestacy law, it can be difficult for immigrant relatives to qualify an administrator who can then serve as the relatives' Personal Representative for purposes of the VCF. This is because the SCPA requires that the administrator of an intestate estate be either a citizen of the United States or a domiciliary of New York State. We are aware of some relatives who cannot qualify under New York law as well as other individuals who may qualify but who lack the language, literacy or other skills necessary to undertake the task of serving as Personal Representative. Responsible persons have expressed willingness to consider serving as the "Personal Representatives" for relatives that have no one else available to serve in that capacity under the New York Surrogate's Court Procedure Act (the "SPCA") and the New York Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (the "EPTL"). However, these persons are properly concerned with issues of personal liability and would want reassurance that if specific procedures were followed in good faith and court approvals obtained, they would not be subject to personal liability for breach of fiduciary duty in their capacity as administrators, absent fraud. Therefore, we would recommend that the Interim Rule be amended to state that, in the absence of fraud, the Personal Representative will not be personally liable for any breach of fiduciary duty provided that (a) the Personal Representative obtains the consent of a state court of competent jurisdiction prior to (i) giving the notice required by Section 104.4(b) of the Interim Rule and (ii) filing a plan with the Special Master for distribution of any award received from the VCF (the "Plan of Distribution") under Section 104.52 of the Interim Rule, and (b) the Personal Representative obtains the consent of the Special Master for the Plan of Distribution. 2. The relationship between the procedures set forth in the Interim Rule (and upon adoption, the Final Rule) and state-law principles (e.g., the SCPA and the EPTL in New York as well as relevant state case law) needs to be clarified as well. For example, the New York Surrogate's Court generally authorizes, through letters of administration, an intestate administrator to prosecute legal claims involving wrongful death and/or pain and suffering and requires that the administrator obtain court approval of the allocation and distribution of damages upon compromise or settlement of these claims. The question arises as to whether this requirement would continue to apply in the face of the VCF and the Interim Rule or whether the VCF and the Interim Rule would supersede state procedure. In addition, clarification should be given regarding the characterization of any awards received from the VCF. For example, under the EPTL, if award funds are characterized as being received as a recovery for wrongful death, the distribution of such award funds would fall outside of the decedent's estate (e.g., not constitute an asset of the estate) and would be distributed based upon pecuniary loss. However, if the award funds are characterized as being received as a recovery for pain and suffering, the award funds would be distributed as a part of the decedent's estate, either under the terms of the decedent's will or under the laws of intestacy. Stated differently, clarification should be given as to whether award funds from the VCF are to be distributed according to applicable state-law distribution principles or instead whether award funds are to be distributed outside of the decedent's estate using such principles as guidance in identifying the takers and amounts payable pursuant to a Plan of Distribution. 3. The procedures for appointing an administrator of an estate of an intestate needs to be streamlined. The procedures for appointing an administrator of an estate of an intestate can be complicated and lengthy under the SCPA and the ETPL. For example, these procedures typically require the giving of notice to any person with a prior or equal right to act as intestate administrator and may not involve proceedings to establish kinship. These kinship proceedings could involve costly investigations to identify relatives living abroad, including nonmarital children. We request that a simplified and expedited procedure for appointing the administrator of the estate of an intestate be put into place by the New York Surrogate's Court working with the Special Master and the New York State Attorney General, along the same lines as the expedited procedures for obtaining a death certificate in New York State adopted last year. * * * We thank you in advance for your consideration of these issues. Very truly yours, Comment by Robin Hood Foundation September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-16 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 dojN002385.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. 2002-01-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 12:47 PM Equal Access to the Victims Relief Fund December 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Berkeley, 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 dojA003264.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. Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2002 8:12 PM Subject: New Vote.com votes as of 08:11 PM EST on January 24th, 2002 Dear September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Vote.com is the Internet's most popular voting site. Millions of people regularly express their opinions and - in just one click - automatically send their views to important decision makers like you. Here are the latest votes on the question, SHOULD FAMILIES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO DIED ON 9-11 GET MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL VICTIMS' FUND?: YES: 98 votes NO: 1353 votes Group Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-24 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojP000101.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-24 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, December 22, 2001 6:09 PM Relatives eligible for compensation Dear Sirs, my name is . I am an Italian citizen and member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring that the basic human rights of people are respected without discrimination. International human rights standards including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prohibit arbitrary discrimination and the US government is obligated to respect these rights. This is why I respectfully ask you to do all in your power in order that the Justice Department, consistent with such international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, include among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. I also ask the Justice Department to follow the positive example of New York state in granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." I am sure you understand that real justice is only served when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. While thankng you for your kind attention, I remain, Sincerely yours Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000741.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. 2001-12-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 21, 2001 12:59 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 Marnia CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000462.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, December 04, 2001 3:21 PM (no subject) 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. Individual Comment Fairfax, Ca. *** 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 dojA000313.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, March 19, 2002 3:12 PM Discriminatory practices in 9/11 fund I read on one of the list servers I belong to that the victim-compensation fund does not "necessarily" include the partners of gay and lesbian people who were killed or injured in the September 11 tragedy. How many could be affected by this is unknown but there were some gay and lesbian heroes and heroines of that day. This is grossly unfair and should be changed immediately. Please do not allow this total miscarriage of justice to continue. Sign me, Individual Comment Des Moines, IA USA 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 dojR002213.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. November 28, 2001 Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20530 Re: Comments on the Department of Justice's Rulemaking Regarding the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick: The outpouring of support from both public and private organizations to help the victims of the September 11 attacks and their families has been incredible. But these efforts have also underscored the vulnerabilities that gay and lesbian couples face because their relationships are not legally recognized. Gay and lesbian partners and families have the same love and commitment that other families have and they have experienced the same horrendous grief and loss. Please follow the example of the American Red Cross, Governor Pateki and Mayor Giulliani and do all you can to make federal relief efforts available to gay and lesbian partners and families. Sincerely, Individual Marathon, WI September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-28 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 dojA000244.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. 2001-11-28 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, January 13, 2002 11:14 PM (no subject) our family and friends have reflected further on the proposed settlement and see it rewards those that have been remiss in handling their financial affairs--if you took out insurance you were penalized--if you were a high income earner, and that income is lost to the family, too bad, there is insufficient compensation. The limits on income are so low as to leave out any reasonable compensation to high income earners no matter how young they are. How can $300- $500,000 possibly be called reasonable compensation to a 32 year old high earner, who truly had the potential of earning even more than that in a month a few years down the road. While my daughter had the benefit of a large insurance policy, she needs a stream of income and that policy at today's "safe" investment rates simply will not provide it. If you are going to come close to a fair "arbitrage" settlement,limits must be raised--otherwise you will be inviting a messy ending to an already tortured situation. Respectfully submitted Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-13 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 dojN001559.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. 2002-01-13 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, December 10, 2001 12:01 PM Dear Kenneth Zwick, Dear Kenneth Zwick, I am wanting to lend my voice to those who believe that the WTO victim compensation funds should be distributed equitably and without discrimination. Specifically, gay and lesbian people should receive equal compensation for the loss of their family members. We gay people really do fall in love and share our lives and join ourselves together emotionally and economically. In this, we are like most everyone else. Please be fair and constitutional in carrying out your duties. Thanks. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-10 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001424.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. 2001-12-10 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 20, 2001 4:13 PM Hello December 20, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Concordai, KS September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000021.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, December 04, 2001 10:59 PM September 11th, 2001 Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs, Civil Division U.S Department Of Justice Dear Mr Zwick: I am writing in response to the Department's request for public comments regarding the forthcoming regulations for implementing and administering the "September 11th Victim Fund." I strongly reccommend the Department 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 compensation those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. Failure to do this, breeds not only insecurity for the victims but also indifference and hate of a goverment which has said, protects them. It undermines trust in the goverment in GBLT voters and also seeks to reinforce the idea American officials don't care about GBLT citizens. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urged the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you would any others. Sincerely Individual Comment Portland, Maine 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 dojA000632.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. Thursday, December 20, 2001 12:15 PM equal treatment December 20, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Maplewood, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004295.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, December 18, 2001 4:21 PM Fw: September 11 Victim Compensation Fund I agree, it would be discriminatory to withhold relief to these partners and children especially! ----- Original Message ----- Thursday, December 13, 2001 1:24 PM FW: September 11 Victim Compensation Fund As info, I found out about the Compensation Fund for the victims of September 11. Below is the email I sent to voice my own opinion. If you'd like to write your own email (or just copy this one), please do so. > -----Original Message----- > Thursday, December 13, 2001 1:16 PM > September 11 Victim Compensation Fund > > Fort Worth, Texas > December 13, 2001 > > Kenneth L. Zwick, Director > Office of Management Programs, Civil Division > U.S. Department of Justice > e-mail: victimcomp.comments@usdoj.gov > > In late September, President Bush and Congress did a wonderful thing and > authorized the creation of the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" to > provide assistance to the surviving victims of the attacks and the > "relatives" of those who died. > > I was recently made aware that the Department of Justice is in the process > of writing the regulations that will govern implementation of the Fund and > has invited public comments to guide this process. > > Unfortunately, it seems, there are factions who are mounting a campaign to > request that the surviving partners and children of gay and lesbian > victims be excluded from the benefits of the Fund. I find these views to > be unpatriotic, cruel and reprehensible. How could anyone believe that > the emotional, financial and psychological pain of the September 11th > attacks and the loss of loved ones should be addressed based only on life > style choices? Clearly, such a determination would have to be considered > a blatant exercise in discrimination. > > As The Justice Department considers the regulations governing the > "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" I urge you to ensure that > compensation is available to all surviving families of those killed, > including the committed partners and non-biological children of gay and > lesbian victims. > > Thank you for your consideration. > > Individual Comment > Grapevine, TX 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 dojA002200.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, March 20, 2002 4:53 PM dismay at discrimination against gay Americans Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: I am writing to express my concern and disappointment that gay Americans have been excluded from the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Considering that at least two of the heroic victims of the terrorist attacks, and , were gay, this exclusion seems particularly unfair. Discrimination is un-American. In a time when the country should be coming together, it is terrible to stigmatize and ignore a large segment of America. Considering that 49 Members of the House of Representatives, Governor Pataki of New York, former Mayor Giuliani of New York, Attorney General Elliot Spitzer of New York, and many others urged the Justice Department to treat all survivors equally, I cannot comprehend how gay partners could be so egregiously overlooked. People who have lost loved ones should not have their tragedy compounded by being insensitively ignored or treated as less worthy than others in the same situation. In such a time of grief, the government should not be treating gay Americans as second-class citizens. I sincerely hope you will work to rectify this terrible, callous error. Sincerely, Individual Comment Collingswood, NJ 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 dojR002404.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