678 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, November 06, 2001 10:49 AM please respect my intentions This October, I asked for all my birthday presents to be donations to a victim's fund. If these donations are deducted from the victim's families total compensation, I will feel duped, humiliated, and outraged. It will be as if I gladly handed over all my birthday presents to the US government. Please respect my obvious intentions - my donation was a gift to firemen's widows and children, with no strings attached. Individual Comment New York, New York 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 dojW000066.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, December 19, 2001 10:18 AM Equal Access to Crisis Relief 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 Allen, TX 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 dojA002963.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, December 04, 2001 3:24 PM Attention: Mr. Zwick 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 Tucson, AZ 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 dojA000315.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. Wednesday, March 20, 2002 1:20 AM Disgusting Outrage in appropriation of funds I am disgusted that not ALL 9/11 victims are being included equally in the distribution of the funds. I think it's proper that illegal immigrants are included without threat of deportation and that companies that hired them won't be in trouble either. It's correct that the law be overlooked in this case. But somehow, the fund administrators don't seem to be willing to do the same for partners of gay and lesbian people killed in 9/11. The justification for this has been stated as fear of law suits from states that don't legally recognize same-sex couples, so stepping outside the bounds of law was not an option to take. Why is this any different from immigration laws? Hasn't 9/11 tought us anything about coming together as a nation of ALL people to protect eachother and our freedom? This is a disgusting and sinful outrage and amounts to nothing but prejudice and discrimination. As an American Citizen, I officially protest this exclusion of Americans who are gay and lesbian, and make my protest a matter of public record. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002292.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, January 22, 2002 11:10 AM New Vote.com votes as of 11:09 AM EST on January 22nd, 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, DOES THE GOVERNMENT'S AID PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES OF SEPT. 11 VICTIMS GO FAR ENOUGH?: YES: 20 votes NO: 2 votes Group Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-22 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 dojN002240.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. 2002-01-22 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 28, 2001 8:48 AM Please ensure equal access to benefits 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 Bronx, NY 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 dojN001059.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. December 13, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Eldred,PA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004694.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. Thursday, November 29, 2001 11:25 AM Equal Justice for Same Sex Partners Dear Attorney General Ashcroft, The deaths on September 11th were the result of a vicious 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. Sincerely, Individual Comment Tucson, Arizona September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-29 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA000206.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-29 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 14, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Portland, OR September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004843.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 13, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Minneapolis, MN 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 dojA003926.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 14, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Las Vegas, NV September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004445.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 20, 2001 11:45 PM equal access to relief funds 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 Gainesville, Fl 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 dojN000342.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. Wednesday, November 21, 2001 2:50 PM September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 I'm forwarding the comments of the National Center for Victims of Crime. I have also embedded the letter in the e-mail message below. November 21, 2001 Via electronic mail, facsimile and U.S. mail Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Re: Notice of Inquiry and Advance Notice of Rulemaking, September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick: We are pleased to submit the following comments which we hope will guide the Department of Justice as it works to fashion regulations implementing the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. This program represents a tremendous benefit to victims of the recent terrorism, and we are eager to provide any assistance we can as you work to implement it. Before offering specific comments, we wish to summarize some of the principles that guided our response to the Notice of Inquiry and Advance Notice of Rulemaking. First, we believe the program should be victim-friendly. It should provide for a streamlined application process, opportunity for individual hearings, and access to victim support professionals. As with other victims of crime, these victims deserve to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect as part of this process. In addition, because those who participate in this program will be asked to forego their opportunity for civil recovery from third parties, whenever possible their awards should mirror what would be available in a civil action. The National Center's specific comments follow: I. NATURE & AMOUNT OF AWARDS A. The regulations regarding "collateral sources" should be drafted to reflect the following points: 1. The regulations should specifically state what types of payments constitute collateral sources. Currently, the Act gives a general definition of collateral source (i.e., "all collateral sources") and then gives specific examples. The general definition fails to define what a collateral source is. To be clear, and allow for consistency, the regulations should avoid the general definition, and only list those specific types of payments that are included as collateral sources. 2. Collateral benefits should not include payments from charities. It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to track all charitable contributions. To count some charitable contributions, but not others, would result in unequal treatment for victims. Moreover, it may reduce the availability of other charitable contributions to meet immediate, emergency needs. Charities may decide not to undertake efforts that later may be covered by the compensation program. Deducting charitable payments may also defeat the intent of many donors who intended their donations as general gifts, rather than payments for specific expenses. In addition, many of the charitable payments in the immediate wake of the attacks were for items which might not be compensable under the Act. Finally, the Act permits charitable payments to be excluded from the definition of collateral source because the Act makes no mention of charitable contributions. 3. Payments from outside sources should only be used to reduce an award if such payments were "compensation" for losses suffered on September 11. While §402(4) of the Act provides a general definition and some examples of collateral sources, §405(b)(6) greatly narrows the category of collateral source payments that actually can be used to reduce an award. Pursuant to this latter section, a collateral payment can only be used to reduce an award if it was "compensation the claimant has received or is entitled to receive as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001." (Emphasis added.) Thus, under §405(b)(6), pension funds should not be used to reduce an award because pensions are not compensation for a loss. Rather, a pension is a financial asset, much like a savings account or mutual fund investment. It is an asset of guaranteed retirement earnings. The only way it would be equitable to deduct pensions from an award is if the regulations stipulate that future lost earnings are calculated to include retirement earnings. At a minimum, if assets, such as pensions, life insurance policies, and death benefit programs are included as collateral source compensation that serves to reduce an award, then claimants should be given credit for money (e.g., policy premiums) that either a victim paid, or which was paid on a victim's behalf, in order to secure the benefit. To do otherwise would be to penalize people for sound financial planning, and it would improperly take account of assets which are not "compensation" for a loss. 4. Future collateral sources should only be used to reduce the award if the victim is certain to receive a specific payment at a specific future date. Even then, such a future payment should be reduced to current value. To reduce awards because of potential future payments will result in confusion and a lack of consistency among awards. 5. Collateral sources should not include "in kind" or material contributions. In a program with extremely tight, statutorily imposed deadlines, it would be difficult and expensive to come to come up with accurate, consistent valuations of the wide variety of "in kind" and material contributions that have been given to victims. In the spirit of fairness and not frustrating the donor's intent, such contributions should not be deemed a collateral source. B. The regulations should set forth uniform rules on how damages will be awarded. To ensure that victims from different states will not be evaluated under different legal standards (and to ensure that no conflict-of-law problems will arise), there should be uniform rules for awarding damages. C. The Special Master should not use schedules or matrices in order to determine an individual claimant's award. By pursuing a claim under the Fund, September 11 victims give up their right to file a civil lawsuit. Therefore, the regulations should strive to afford claimants as many as possible of the same remedies that are available to them in the civil justice system. The right to have one's individual circumstances considered is fundamental. D. Like state crime victim compensation awards and personal injury damages awards in the civil justice system, awards from the Fund should not be subject to federal or state income taxation. II. ELIGIBILITY TO MAKE A CLAIM A. The regulations should make very clear who can recover under the Act. The statute limits claimants to persons injured in the attacks (and the personal representatives of those killed), but when enumerating the non-economic damages for which an award can be made, the statute lists claims that are typically for a surviving spouse or family member rather than the estate (e.g., loss of society and companionship). The regulations should clearly state that surviving family members have their own, derivative claims for things like "loss of society and companionship" and "loss of consortium." The regulations should also create uniform rules addressing which family members are entitled to share in an award (and how they will share in the award), and the regulations should make provisions for dealing with families that have experienced divorce, re-marriage, children born out of wedlock, adoption, or other events that impact upon the traditional family structure. Consideration should also be given to the rights of established domestic partners. B. Victims who previously filed a lawsuit, but then withdrew it, should be able to re-file their lawsuit if they ultimately opt to not file a compensation claim, or they are determined to be not eligible to file a claim. The waiver of the right to sue comes into play only "upon the submission of a claim." It would be re-writing the Act to say that the waiver applies to those who chose not to file a claim. Similarly, the entire Act applies only to "eligible" individuals. To deny non-eligible individuals the right to sue would not serve the stated compensatory purpose of the Act. See § 403. C. Victims who have suffered latent, but not evident harm, should be allowed to make claims. There is no rational basis for distinguishing these victims from victims with more immediate, obvious injuries. Similarly, otherwise eligible victims who have suffered emotional and psychological harm that has resulted in physical manifestations should be eligible to make a claim. D. The Act makes no attempt to distinguish victims who were undocumented or non-U.S. citizens, and neither should the regulations. Such individuals were just as victimized as everyone else who was harmed by the attacks. It is basic to our national character to treat these victims the same. III. PROCEDURES FOR FILING CLAIMS A. The regulations should create a procedure by which there can be an administrative appeal of the award. Such an appeal would be an appropriate and necessary "due process right" as allowed in §405 (b)(4)(C). Once a hearing officer makes an award, a claimant should have the right to appeal that award to the Special Master. By pursuing a claim under the Fund, September 11 victims give up their right to file a civil lawsuit. The regulations should strive to afford claimants as many as possible of the same due process rights that are available to them in the civil justice system. B. The Act's two-year statute of limitations should contain an extension-for-good-cause exception. There are many legitimate reasons why victims or their surviving family members might not be able to submit a claim within two years. For example, there is a strong possibility that there will be victims who suffered latent but not yet evident harm. There is no justifiable reason why such victims should not be allowed to submit a claim. C. The claim forms should not be so complex as to discourage victims from filing claims, and under no circumstances should individuals who have submitted claims lose their ultimate right to pursue a claim because the Special Master determines that there is insufficient information on the initial claim form. While we believe that all victims should consult an attorney before submitting a claim, the claim process should be simple enough that victims will not be intimidated and discouraged from submitting a claim regardless of whether or not they have an attorney. Toward this end, claims should be made available in a variety of different languages, reflecting the diverse nationalities and ethnic backgrounds of the September 11 victims. Because of the wide range of quality legal representation and the strong possibility of claimants acting pro se, any victim who submits a claim that contains even the most basic identifying information should be deemed to have filed a claim, at least for the purposes of satisfying the statute of limitations (§405(a)(3)). If the Special Master needs additional information to fairly evaluate claims, procedures should exist for the Special Master to request the specific information required. The Special Master should not be permitted to dismiss a claim for lack of supporting documentation, at least not without first having made several clear requests for what is needed. This is not an adversarial proceeding. It is the goal of all parties to see that the victims of these attacks are fully compensated. §403. For the same reason, claimants should have the right to ask for an extension of the 120 day period in order to submit supplemental evidence. D. All claimants should be entitled to an oral hearing. Victims have to give up basic rights in order to file a claim. They give up their right to have their unique stories heard in open court and evaluated by juries of their peers. The regulations should do as much as possible to make up for this loss and enable those who want to present their case to do so. E. While a claimant may be able to proceed without an economic expert, any claimant who wants to use such an expert and have them present evidence should be allowed to do so. Procedures should be in place so that claimants are able to make their individual case as strong as possible, as they are allowed to in the civil justice system. IV. MISCELLANEOUS A. The regulations should clearly state the necessary qualifications for a person to serve as a hearing officer. Hearing officers have a great deal of power under this statutory scheme, and their decisions will have a great impact upon the lives of September 11 victims. At a minimum, hearing officers should have significant experience in the evaluation or litigation of civil personal injury claims. In addition, all hearing officers should be required to undergo training both about the substantive legal issues that they will confront, and more generally, about the intricacies of working with victims of crime. B. For those victims who opt to have a hearing on their claim, the regulations should make provisions for them to work with trained victim advocates both before and during the hearing. For many victims, pursuing a claim under the Fund will be a painful, deeply emotional experience. When crime victims participate in the criminal or civil justice systems, it is often helpful for them to have the advice and support of a trained victim advocate. If a claimant has already been working with a victim advocate prior to filing a claim, that advocate should be permitted to accompany the victim through the claim process, including being present at the hearing. The regulations should also direct the Special Master to hire victim advocates who can assist claimants through the process, including being present at the hearing. C. The Department should issue interim final rules which become effective on December 21, 2001. While under ideal circumstances, it would have been beneficial to have an opportunity to comment on proposed regulations before they go into effect, these are not ideal circumstances. Thousands of victims who may want and need to present claims to the Fund need to know how that program will be structured under the regulations, and they need to know this as soon as possible. They need to know how they are going to meet their ongoing financial obligations and begin to rebuild their lives. "Good cause" exists under 5 USC 533(d) to waive the 30 day requirement. Victims needs to know as much as possible about the Fund from the regulations so that they can decide whether to pursue a claim. Therefore, the "interim final" regulations should be as comprehensive as possible. D. By filing claims under the Act, victims should not lose their right to file lawsuits against terrorists, terrorist organizations, or countries sponsoring terrorism. The Fund was created as part of the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act, which was intended, at least in part, to protect the financial stability of the domestic airline industry. The Act could not have been intended to protect the financial interests of terrorists or terrorist organizations. The regulations should leave no room to interpret the Act as prohibiting suits against terrorists, terrorist organizations, or countries who sponsor terrorism. E. The regulations should make clear that the money used to pay awards under the Fund should not be taken out of federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds. While the National Center for Victims of Crime applauds the compensation that will be available through the Fund, such generosity should not be at the expense of millions of other crime victims served by the state compensation and crime victim assistance programs. The VOCA funds were intended to go to the states and should be used by the states. F. The regulations must address priority of payment among the federal compensation program, FEMA, and state victim compensation programs, all of whom claim to be payors of last resort. However this issue is resolved, the ultimate goal should be to make the process as easy as possible for the victims. They should be able to have their needs met in as few steps as possible, and they should have as little responsibility as possible for seeing that particular payors receive whatever reimbursement to which they may be entitled. Furthermore, without significant supplemental funding, state victim compensation programs will not be able to bear the costs of compensating victims otherwise eligible for the federal program. Thus, we recommend that the state programs be the payors of last resort. We are joined in our comments by the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children. Thank you for the opportunity to provide input as you develop the regulations for the September 11thVictim Compensation Fund program. We stand ready to assist you or provide further feedback as this program develops. Sincerely, Comments By National Center for Victims of Crime Washington, DC September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-21 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 dojW000474.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. 2001-11-21 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. Monday, January 14, 2002 9:41 PM Injured WTC Victims Dear Sir and/or Madam, I apologize for the long story but the background is necessary. My mother is a survivor of the World Trade Center collapse. She worked at in Tower 2. Her closest co-workers were amongst the employees who were killed. After she ran and walked for 7 hours (in heels) to her home, she was under huge amounts of stress. She suffered panic attacks and intense headaches. She was unable to see a doctor until 9/17/01. That doctor not only ran standard tests on my mother but she took my mother to 's psychiatric emergency room for treatment. I am a resident of Culver City, California. I am the only child of a single parent. I flew from Los Angeles to New York on 9/18/01 to check my mother out of the psychiatric emergency room. While I did this voluntarily (to say the least), nobody else could do it. I was told by the doctors to get her out of NYC ASAP and start her on long term psych care. That night, she suffered a headache so severe that she collapsed in the shower. I managed to get an appointment with a neurologist at . The neurologist heard the whole story and prescribed demerol. He urged me to get my mother psychiatric treatment ASAP. On Monday, 9/24, I took my mother to so that she could be certified to travel with me. She spoke to a social worker and a psychiatrist, both of whom were happy to find out that I had set up appointments for my mother later on that week in Los Angeles. Since the debilitating headaches were continuing, the doctor prescribed more medication and ran an MRI. A bright spot was revealed but the physicians told us she would be okay to travel. We had to follow up with a doctor in Los Angeles. On 9/27/01, my mother's psychiatric treatment started at . On 9/28/01, my mother saw the director of 's pain clinic because the headaches continued. On 9/30/01, I took my mother to the hospital because she was throwing up, she was dehydrated, unable to walk, and unable to see. She was admitted to for a stay that eventually lasted 19 days. The doctors soon determined that she had suffered a stroke that affected her visual cortex. Thankfully (if I can use that word), her sight was the only sense that was affected. Her visual field is reduced so that she can see only a person's eyes if she is looking at that person's face. She can't read. She can't drive. She can't work on a computer. She is on the border of being labelled legally blind and, in fact, she is starting classes at The here in Los Angeles. She is on Worker's Compensation and has been on it since 9/12/01. Her employer, her employer's Worker's Comp insurance company, and her physicians all believe that her stroke was caused by the stress of her building collapse. Because her situation is atypical -- if not unique -- I have had a horrible time trying to get assistance from the Red Cross. I am getting more help from (the Worker's Comp insurance company) than from any other entity. I work for a startup company that is suffering from the economic downturn (I know everyone's going through that). In order to keep my job and care for my mother, filling out forms and calling institutions that keep me on hold for hours gets relegated to the wee hours, if that. My mother is disabled. This is most likely permanent. As a result, she may never be able to go back to work. The lost income puts her apartment (on which she has a mortgage) in jeopardy. It puts her ability to pay for her own living expenses in jeopardy. The DOJ stipulation that an injured person must have sought medical care within 24 hours of the building collapse is, quite frankly, unacceptable. My mother was ignoring her own pain and suffering because of the deaths of her friends and colleagues. Eliminating this stipulation is of paramount importance to my mother and myself. I don't know whether you have noticed but it is very difficult to gather information about assistance and/or support groups for injured survivors. I understand that the families of those who were killed are suffering. They should know that my mother suffers with them. They should know that I suffer with them. Nevertheless, the survivors should not be ignored nor should they be discriminated against. I thank you for your time. Individual Comment Culver City, CA 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 dojN001596.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. Monday, November 26, 2001 1:53 PM Domestic Partner Coverage for Sept. 11th victims 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. Individual Comment Valencia, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000580.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, March 17, 2002 12:23 PM discrimination of gay and lesbians I have just been informed of the fact that partners of gay and lesbian victims from 9/11 will not be treated in the same manner as heterosexual partners. This is outrageous! I cannot believe that in AMERICA where we speak of freedom that people who died fighting for our country are now forgotten??? Please take a serios look at the message you are sending to everyone. Sincerely, 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 dojR001644.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. Thursday, January 03, 2002 9:00 PM Protect Traditional Marriage Mr. Kenneth Zwick Office of Management Programs Department of Justice Washington. DC Dear Mr. Zwick: I want to express my opposition to any effort by the federal government to provide 9-11 victim compensation funds to "domestic partners" of unmarried survivors of the terrorist attack upon our nation. Funds disbursed through the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 should only go to the surviving family members of those who died on 9-11. Funds must go to the widows, widowers, orphans, and other blood-related or adopted members of the family--not to unmarried sexual partners of those who died. To provide funds to "domestic partners" is to undermine the traditional definition of marriage and family to include any number of sexual liaisons between same-sex or opposite-sex unmarried couples. Many homosexuals and swinging heterosexuals, for example, engage in sex with multiple partners. Do we provide funds to each of the sexual partners? Where do we draw the line on how many "domestic partners" a person may have?Homosexual activists are exploiting the 9-11 tragedy by asking the federal government to redefine what constitutes a legitimate "family" under the law. In fact, homosexual activist &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp , writing in Out magazine has openly called for the subversion of the concept of marriage between a man and a woman. He has urged homosexuals to fight for the legalization of homosexual marriages and once legalized to "redefine the institution of marriage completely . . . . to debunk a myth and radically alter an archaic institution. . . . The most subversive action lesbians and gays can under take--and one that would perhaps benefit all of society--is to transform the notion of 'family' entirely." If the DOJ provides funds to "domestic partners," it will be helping &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp accomplish his goal: That of redefining marriage and altering what he calls an "archaic institution." We also oppose September 11th Funds going to the estates of the deceased instead of to their surviving family members. No one can know for certain where these funds will end up if they are deposited in the estate of a person who has died. The person may have willed his estate to a terrorist, racial hate group, or even to an organization like the North American Man-Boy Love Association. No one will know unless each person's will is examined by a DOJ lawyer. The money should go to the surviving family members of the deceased, not to the estate or to the surviving "domestic partner." Individual Comment Orlando, FL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-03 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN001330.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. 2002-01-03 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 21, 2001 11:20 AM Crisis Relief Benefits for Surviving Gay and Lesbian Partners 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 Cranston, RI 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 dojN000414.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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 2:22 PM Unbelievable! How un-American of you all! Would you willingly discriminate against African-Americans then too? Why is it okay to discriminate against gays and lesbians? Aren't they human too? Don't they have feelings? Didn't they lose loved ones for the sake of the country? Shame on you. History will view your actions the same way they viewed Southern states reactions to black civil rights. 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 dojR000973.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. December 15, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Madison,TN September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-15 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA005140.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-15