654 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. Friday, December 21, 2001 10:51 PM Thank you for your consideration December 21, 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 St. Louis, MO 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 dojN000620.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. Wednesday, January 16, 2002 10:59 AM Compensation Fund My wife was on AA#11 . I find extremely difficult how you can put a price tag for non-economic losses on her life or otheres. I ask you this, if it was your spouse, parent, child.... what type of price tag would you put on them. If you knew that for over 70 minutes they were going to die, had been prayed with mace or other substance.... had watched 3 people get their throats slits... and be murdered in pure terror. I hope you can sleep at night. I know several people who can't Individual Comment 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 dojN001880.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 05, 2001 7:33 PM ALL victims Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs, Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Dear Mr. Zwick: I am writing in response to the Department's request for public comments regarding the forthcoming regulations for implementing and administering the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." I strongly urge the Department to draft regulations that ensure compensation is available to all victims of the attack, including the committed partners and the non-biological children of gay and lesbian victims. It is unquestionable that the devastating grief and economic losses suffered by the families of gay and lesbian victims are no less than that of other families. Just as the terrorists drew no lines in choosing their victims, our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urge the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you would any other. Sincerely, Individual Comment Eureka, CA 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 dojA001018.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. November 14, 2001 Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20530 Re: Response to DOJ Request to Comment Dear Mr. Zwick: On November 2, 2001 the Justice Department requested comment on a number of matters related to implementing regulations for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Trial Lawyers Care, a national pro bono program for September 11th victims, previously submitted recommendations for the regulations for October 26. We now supplement our submissions by directly responding to the Notice of Inquiry. We have also reviewed the draft regulations submitted by Senators Daschle and Leahy and Congressmen Gephardt and Conyers on October 25. In our view, those draft regulations would accomplish the intent and purpose of the Act and allow a speedy, fair and just process to compensation the victims. Those draft regulations contain provisions for managing claims, expediting the presentation of evidence, reaching decisions and allowing an administrative appeal process. In addition, the draft would apply a uniform set of rules to all victims, thus guaranteeing due process and equal treatment. Some have contended that there must also be equal results. That, however, is neither required by due process nor the Act. In fact, by guaranteeing each claimant the right to present evidence and witnesses, the Act infers that the awards will not be equal. All any rule of law has ever guaranteed is that all will be judged by the same standards. Indeed, given the infinitely variable differences between individuals and families, requiring the same result (as through some system of preset values or formula) would be arbitrary and unfair. We understand and share the Department's concerns about deciding claims within the relatively short time allowances provided in the Act. Those limitations can, however, be managed and should not be allowed to dictate arbitrary rules. Trial Lawyers Care has, for example, expressed its willingness to work with the Special Master to settle cases (thereby eliminating the need to a hearing and decision) and to develop ways to manage cases requiring a hearing so as to not overload the process. There are also other ways to manage the process that we are eager to discuss such as different tracks for simpler more expedited hearings that can be completed in not more than a single day versus hearings that might take more than a single day. In addition, claims could have a pre-filing review period which should exceed 14 days after which the claims would be deemed filed. Finally, as we have previously stated, we believe that lawyers from Trial Lawyers Care will represent most victims and we want to do our part to ensure an orderly and workable process. Please be assured that we stand ready to work with the Department and the Special Master to implement ways to achieve that goal. With respect to the matters on which comment was requested, we submit the following. 1. The effective date of the regulations should be no later than December 21, 2001. It is extremely difficult to advise clients without the regulations. Indeed, given that the Fund is required to accept claims beginning on December 21, 2001, it would be extremely beneficial if the regulations were issued before December 21, 2001. If regulations were delayed beyond December 21, victims would be prevented from filing claims and the beginning of the Fund would be effectively delayed which would be contrary to the Act. For those reasons, there is "good cause" under 5 USC 533(d) to waive the 30 day requirement before the regulations can go into effect. I should also note that we have a task force working on developing training materials and educational programs for the Trial Lawyers Care lawyers. We cannot complete that work until the regulations have been issued. That is an additional reason why it would be extremely beneficial if the regulations were issued before December 21. 2. The "interim final" regulations should be comprehensive and cover all matters, not just those items identified in Section 407(l)-(4) of the Act. As the Notice of Inquiry has already noted, victims and attorneys representing those victims need comprehensive regulations to advise and make critical decisions about whether to file a claim in the Fund. Without comprehensive regulations, such as the draft regulations submitted by Senator Daschle et al, victims cannot be fully informed about their choices. Thus, it would be both appropriate and necessary that the regulations cover subjects such as the qualifications and authority of hearing officers, standards for challenging or removing hearing officers, requirements for the contents of decisions, procedures for an administrative appeal, authority to compromise and settle claims, and privacy protection provisions. Trial Lawyers Care also urges that the regulations include provisions for publication of the availability of the Fund, qualifications for attorneys representing claimants, and provisions requiring notification of pro bono programs. Trial Lawyers Care believes that there will not be a large number of lawsuits filed prior to December 21. But, even if only a few lawsuits are filed, litigants have only 90 days within which to elect to file a claim in the Fund. Therefore, even as to those few cases, there is an immediate need to have knowledge about the regulations at least by December 21, 2001. The Department also requested comment as to whether victims who withdraw from litigation can refile a lawsuit if they later elect not to file a claim or are determined not to be eligible to file a claim. a. Election not to file a claim. The Act only "waives" the right to file suit "upon the submission of a claim". Thus, if a victim dismisses a lawsuit and then decides not to file a claim, there should be no legal prohibition to refiling the lawsuit. b. Determined not to be eligible. The Act only applies to eligible individuals. Therefore a claim by a person who is later determined not to be eligible to file a claim should not constitute a waiver of that person's right to file a lawsuit. 3. Topics #1 and 2: Claim Forms. Attached is a proposed claim form. In designing this form, Trial Lawyers Care sought to have a form which provided the basic information required by the Act but which was not so demanding or onerous as to hinder the filing of claims. We believe that these principles are consistent with and indeed required by the Act to implement an expeditious and fair process. Thus, the form should not require the attachment of specific documents or detailed information. While the form should not prevent the filing of supporting information, requiring such a filing could have the effect of preventing many victims from filing claims. Requiring the filing of all supporting documentation or sufficient information "to reach a decision" is also contrary to the Act which guarantees each claimant a right to a hearing at which time they can present evidence and witnesses. Furthermore, many victims have been severely emotionally traumatized by the attacks. In many cases records were destroyed, and, in others, survivors do not have the ability to gather detailed materials. Victims should not be excluded from the process because of such circumstances. Rules or forms that had such effect or that were even perceived to have such an effect would be very detrimental. To the contrary, the rules and forms should be as simple and easy as possible. Trial Lawyers Care has already suggested a review period following receipt of a claim before the claim is deemed filed. We believe the 14-day period contained in the draft regulations Submitted by Senator Daschle et al to be very appropriate. We also believe that in absence of any action during the 14-day review period, the "deemed filed" provision in the Senator Daschle et al draft is an important claimant protection against any abuse of the right of review. Trial Lawyers Care also supports publicizing the Fund, including direct mail and e-mall communications to the victims and potential claimants about the Fund, as well as the use of toll free phone numbers, a web site, and distribution of materials through other victim assistance organizations and facilities. Communications should include information about the availability of pro bono programs. 4. Topic #3 Procedures. Trial Lawyers Care shares the Department's concerns about the limited 120-day time to render decisions on claims. Because we will represent the vast majority of the claimants, we have a direct interest in procedures that, consistent with the Act, will assist in managing this process. We have several suggestions: a The regulations could provide a two-track process - one for simple hearings that can be completed in a single day and the other for more complicated hearings that require multiple days for the hearing. On filing or later, claimants who desire more than a single day hearing could elect track two. Such an election could be conditioned upon the claimant agreeing to extend the 120-day period so that, as to track two claims, decisions would not have to be rendered in that limited period. b. Even as to track one, claimants should have the option, at their election, to extend the 120-day period. Any such election should be in writing and signed by the claimant. We do note, however, that neither the Special Master nor the hearing officers have authority under the Act to unilaterally halt or toll the 120- day period. c. In all cases, claimants should have the right, at their option, to waive a hearing and submit their claims for decision on a written record. d. In all cases, claimants should be given the opportunity to supplement any evidence found to be insufficient, subject to the claimant agreeing to extend the 120-day period. Under the Act, claims are for damages only and therefore should not be dismissed for lack of evidence. Claims should either be decided or reset for hearing when the claimant elects to extend the 120-day period so as to present supplemental evidence. e. Although not a subject for the regulations, Trial Lawyers Care has stated its desire and intent to negotiate settlements of a large number of claims. As a matter of management it would be efficient for the Special Master to designate specific personnel with settlement authority to conduct such negotiations. f. Under the Act, every claimant has a right to a hearing at which witnesses and evidence can be presented. That does not mean that in practice hearings will be required in all cases or that all hearings will necessarily have to be completed in 120 days. Trial Lawyers Care recommends that, in those cases where hearings are necessary. they be conducted by hearing officers who should have the authority to ask questions, request evidence and render decisions. Hearing officers should be qualified, experienced and promote trust in the Fund. Trial Lawyers Care recommends that the hearing officers be retired federal (and if necessary state) judges and that, to the extent possible, they be drawn from the relevant jurisdictions. Decentralizing the initial decision-making process is not only consistent with the civil justice system, but would also allow for an administrative appeal process. g. Claimants should be afforded an appellate review process whereby the decisions of hearing officers could be appealed for review by the Special Master if the claimant elects to extend the 20-day period to authorize payment. By this appeal process, claimants would have a due process right to contest improper or abnormally low awards. In this connection, Trial Lawyers Care endorses the process and standards for review set forth in the Senator Daschle et al draft regulations. Trial Lawyers Care also believes that the period of time for determination of any appeal should be limited to 60 days. That will allow adequate time for review and will not overly delay the process. h. To expedite proceedings, Trial Lawyers Care has previously recommended relaxation of the rules of evidence, proof by affidavit, and rebuttable presumptions for items of future economic damages. i. Trial Lawyers Care has previously recommended that, to the extent possible, hearings should be held in locations convenient to the claimants, that all testimony be under oath and that all proceedings be recorded. The burden of proof should be the preponderance of evidence standard. 5. Topic #4: Procedures to assist claimants. As stated above, Trial Lawyers Care Supports publicizing the Fund, including the use of direct mail, toll-free phone numbers, a web site and e-mail communications to disseminate information about the Fund to victims and potential claimants. We suggest that the office of the Special Master be located in New York City, where it will be convenient to the greatest number of victims. Satellite offices should also be located in Washington, D.C., or adjacent to the Pentagon in Virginia and in Connecticut and New Jersey. The Special Master should utilize all available means to reach out to the victims and Survivors. For example, all FEMA, and other government communications relating to the events of September 11, should include information about the Fund. There should be regular press briefings and releases. Many state and local authorities have established victim assistance programs, and the Special Master should also seek to use those programs for additional Outreach. Finally, charities and existing state and local support agencies are also assisting victims. The Special Master should seek to use those agencies as additional means of victim outreach. We cannot stress too strongly the need for vigorous, constant and repeated outreach. Our experience from having a toll-free number, a web site, e-mail capability and numerous outreach endeavors, convinces us that it is going to be a long and arduous process to reach the victims. While this reflects the depth of the emotional trauma they have suffered, it also underscores the need for such programs. We stand ready to share our experiences and to assist in this process in any way. Trial Lawyers Care is a pro bono program. No lawyer representing a client through Trial Lawyers Care will receive or accept any fee, directly or indirectly, from a victim. We fully expect and are preparing to represent the majority of the claimants in the Fund. On the other hand, we strongly believe that nothing should be done that would in any way interfere with access to the Fund. For that reason, there should be no restrictions on claimants representing themselves; nor should there be any restriction on a claimant retaining an attorney or on the fee the claimant chooses to pay a non-pro bono attorney. That should be a matter solely between the client and attorney. Indeed, we believe that there is no legal authority in the Act or any other law that would permit the Special Master to take such action. Furthermore, public disclosure of the availability of pro bono legal services by the Special Master in the media and directly to the victims, together with requiring all attorneys to also expressly advise their clients of the availability of pro bono legal services should serve as a powerful deterrent to any private fee abuse. Finally, to the extent that there are any such fees, they should be paid by the client and not by the Special Master. Trial Lawyers Care also urges that all materials and communications from the Special Master about the Fund should prominently state the availability of all pro bono services. We stand ready to work with the Special Master in that regard. 6. Topic #5: Claimant eligibility. We believe that the Act clearly describes the three sites of the September 11th attacks. We further believe, as we have previously stated, that the terms "present at," "physical harm" and "immediate aftermath" should be defined in the regulations. In that connection, we repeat our previous suggestions: a. "Physical harm." Physical harm should be an objectively verifiable injury and any resulting condition, disability or loss that directly and in natural sequence is caused by the injury. b. "Present at." Present at should be defined as being in a location described in the Act or in such proximity so that a physical harm was caused by the destruction in or of such location. c. "Immediate aftermath." Immediate aftermath should include all events resulting from the attacks, so as to include all individuals who were injured responding to the events and/or attempting to rescue individuals injured or placed in physical danger as a result of the events. It should also include the period following the attacks during which rescue efforts continued to search for and find victims and during which injuries continued to occur. As far as "latent" injuries are concerned, we believe that the Act expresses the intent that injuries incurred as a result of the September 11 attacks should be compensated. If evidence exists that an injury occurred and that there is reasonable basis to project the likelihood for future manifestations of harm, the hearing officer should take such evidence into account in deciding damages. We do not believe that the regulations should attempt to enumerate the type of evidence that a claimant must present to establish a claim, the claimant's or a decedent's presence at a site, or the identity of a decedent. Inevitably, such efforts will fall short and have the effect of penalizing some legitimate claimants. It is sufficient that proof is required and that it be judged by a preponderance of evidence standard. Thus, if a hearing officer determines that the proof offered is insufficient, he or she should allow additional time (upon the claimant's extension of the time limits) to produce sufficient evidence or, if such evidence is not forthcoming, deny the claim. With respect to the personal representative questions raised, we believe that the expeditious and just way to proceed is to require that all decedent claims be brought by an appropriate personal representative. Such a person would be a person named in a will, or parent or legal guardian of a minor or incompetent decedent, or a court appointed personal representative. Such a requirement would eliminate many of the concerns evident in the questions posed in the Notice of Inquiry because the personal representative would have a fiduciary duty to all beneficiaries of the decedent. Thus, the personal representative would bring the claim on behalf of all beneficiaries and would be legally liable to them for any omissions or dereliction of duty. As we have previously urged, the regulations should clearly spell out who is entitled to recover so that, from the outset, the claim can proceed with a clear understanding of who are beneficiaries, and what are the bases of and standards for the compensation of each beneficiary. In that connection, we have reviewed the Senator Daschle et al draft regulations and believe that they fully and fairly accomplish that purpose. Finally, we do not believe that the Special Master needs to involve himself or herself in any family or other "personal representative" disputes. Local laws and procedures are sufficient to handle such matters, and, if such disputes in any way interfere with claim payments, the Special Master can implead the parties into local Courts, pay the claim into the clerk of that court and allow those processes to resolve the disputes. 7. Topic #6. Nature and amount of compensation. In its October 29th recommendations, Trial Lawyers Care commented on the nature and amount of compensation. We believe that compensation should be compassionate and generous. The Fund was implemented as essentially an alternative remedy. Moreover, by providing speedy and generous compensation to the victims, the United States will show the world how a great nation treats its citizens. This will provide a stark contrast to the actions of the Taliban regime. To accomplish that goal, we urge that there be a uniform set of rules for both economic and non-economic damages, delineated for personal injury and death claims and as between the various beneficiaries. Thus, for personal injury claims the regulations should set forth the standards for economic and non-economic damages for the injured person and for the consortium damages of family members. For death claims, the regulations should set forth the standards for damages recoverable by the decedent's estate, as well as for the economic and non-economic damages recoverable by family members and dependents. We have reviewed the Senator Daschle et al draft regulations and believe that they fairly and justly accomplish those goals. By providing clear and uniform standards, the regulations will ensure that each claimant shall receive equal treatment. We oppose the concept of adopting schedules or hypothetical or presumptive awards in the regulations. The Act guarantees each claimant the right to a hearing at which they can present evidence and witnesses. Preset schedules or presumptive awards would eviscerate that right. Such schedules would also imply an arbitrariness and unfairness that would seriously undermine public confidence in the Fund. On the other hand, decentralization of the initial decision-making process through the use of experienced hearing officers and an active settlement process will result in a body of precedential decisions. For similar reasons, Trial Lawyers Care opposes any prohibition of economic expert evidence or the mandating of particular experts or methodologies. We believe the better course would be to implement rebuttal presumptions such as those we have previously recommended, or those contained in the Senator Daschle et al draft regulations. We believe most claims would be presented by utilizing such presumptions, but those electing otherwise should not be foreclosed. Trial Lawyers Care is concerned about the presentation and costs of expert evidence. We have established task forces to explore ways and means of presenting both future economic and future emotional damages. We are working with experts in the fields and professional organizations and societies to investigate generic evidence and models, computer programs, the development of a data base of experts who would testify on a pro bono basis, and other related matters. A uniform set of rules for both economic and non-economic damages, applied equally to all victims, assures due process. That does not mean, however, that all awards will be precisely the same. Awards will vary among claimants. That is inevitable because there are all infinite number of variables among individuals and families. Thus, while individuals may suffer similar injuries or die under similar circumstances, the damages resulting from those injuries or deaths would not be the same. Any rule that sought to categorize claimants in ways that would result in the same award would therefore necessarily be unfair to some or even all of those claimants. The only fair and just way to proceed is for each claimant to have the right afforded in the Act to all individual hearing and an individual determination, subject to the recommendations set forth above. As far as collateral sources are concerned, we have previously provided detailed recommendations in our October 26 submission. We have also reviewed the definition of collateral sources and the deduction of collateral sources sections of the Senator Daschle et al draft regulations and believe they are consistent with the fair and just administration of this aspect of the program. As we stated earlier, we stand ready to meet with the Special Master or the Department to assist in any way in moving this program forward. Comments by: Trial Lawyers Care Inc Attached Draft Claim Form September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-14 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 dojW000481.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. 2001-11-14 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. Friday, December 28, 2001 6:48 PM equal rights December 28, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment kilauea, HI September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN001139.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 13, 2001 5:41 PM please compensate those who need it most, not those already wealthy 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 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 dojA001616.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. Wednesday, December 18, 2001 11:35 PM Fair crisis relief for surviving Gay and Lesbian Partners December 18, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Fresno, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002550.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 19, 2001 12:32 PM Important Message 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 Owensboro, KY 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 dojA003217.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 13, 2001 8:38 PM Ensure fair treatment 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 Deer Park, TX 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 dojA001645.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. Sunday, December 09, 2001 7:22 AM "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice Dear Mr. Zwick, I understand that the U.S. Department of Justice is now inviting public comments on how the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" should be administered and how funds should be distributed. Because the fund was established for the purpose of providing assistance to persons who were injured as a result of the attacks, and to compensate the relatives of those who were killed, I feel that justice is only served when all families -- and all types of families -- impacted by September 11 are treated with equality. I ask the Justice Department to include among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. I ask the U.S. Government to follow the example already set by New York Governor Pataki in granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day-to-day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." I thank you in advance for taking a stand for justice. Sincerely, Individual Comment Port Charlotte, FL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-09 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001362.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. 2001-12-09 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 07, 2001 8:07 PM Sept 11 Victims Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice Dear Mr. Zwick: I am writing to encourage our government to do what is good and right in the treatment of the families of victims of the vicious attacks on September 11, 2001. Please follow the example of my very own New York Governor Pataki in extending full treatment of gay and lesbian partners as families of those who suffered and died because of that dreadful day. I know what that dread felt like, as my own boyfriend was at work that morning across the street from the Twin Towers that morning, when the planes hit, and I can assure you that my relief on the news of his escape was just as great as my heterosexual counterparts, and I am sure the sorrow and loss (both emotional and financial) for my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters is also just as great. In these most difficult times, they should not be made to feel excluded or ashamed of their lives, and should be comforted and assured that their families are as important in our society as any other. Sincerely, Individual Comment New Haven, CT September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001319.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. 2001-12-07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, March 11, 2002 6:11 AM I am shocked I am shocked that the survivors of gay men and lesbians who died on Sept. 11 will not receive government compensation (based on comments made on Meet the Press). How cruel! Individual Comment Orange, MA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000035.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 10:06 PM Equal access to 911 Benefits 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 Shaftsbury, VT 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 dojA003852.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 10:09 AM 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 Naperville, IL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002931.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. Tuesday, November 06, 2001 5:34 PM my 2 cents To whom it may concern, While the events of Sept. 11 were tragic and the personal losses great, I must question the decision to give money to victims' families in unlimited amounts. Does a 's Executive's family get money? Why? Since he was certainly making millions of dollars a year and is no doubt insured to the hilt. In that particular case it seems unfair to give that family any money, they don't really need it. Are we giving these people money simply because they are tied to this particular event? What about the thousands of people who lose family members to accidents and 'everyday' violence? Are they any less deserving of a helping hand? While I am sad that so many people have to face the rigors of insurance and governmental paperwork, it is, after all, what the rest of us are forced to do. Tragedy and death come to us all, why should a select few be paid for what the rest of us must bear alone? Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-06 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000138.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-06 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, November 28, 2001 11:33 AM Love is stronger than law Dear Attorney General Ashcroft, The deaths on September 11th were the result of an attack on America. Please do not discriminate against the unmarried partners of September 11th victims. All unmarried partners, gay or straight, young and old and their dependents should be eligible for compensation. Your name. Individual Comment 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 dojA000068.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. Monday, March 18, 2002 1:16 PM Discrimination Is Un-American! To whom it may concern: Please reconsider allowing benefits of Gay Partners and Families Benefits from September 11 Disaster. Discrimatining against Gay Individuals is Un-American. Remember Gay individuals lost their lives on this horrific day and their Partners and Families should be compensated for their loss, just like any other individual whose family member was lost on 9/11. Please, I urge you to re-evaluate you decision on not compensating the families of Gay-Amercians who lost their lives on September 11. Gay individuals should be afforded the same rights as any other Americans. We need to come together as true Americans not become divided. Sincerely, (Very Concerned Gay-American) 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 dojR001922.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. Sunday, March 17, 2002 10:23 PM Public comment on Sept 11th fund I've recently learned that the victims fund for September 11th that you are creating would exclude benefits to gay couples. Do you not think that gay couples were effected just as much as anyone else? That they don't grieve just as much or feel the same pain? This exclusion only makes the pain that more unbearable. You've been thoughtful enough to make the eligibility list comprehensive, but leaving homosexuals off is outrageous. As you draw a the "final fund" together, please make sure you grant gay couples the same rights and access as anyone else. 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 dojR001565.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 12:35 PM Sept 11 relief 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 Santa Barbara, 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 dojA003222.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 1:31 PM 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: This is to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on Sept. 11, 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 Eagan, MN September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA003319.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