697 20 70359 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, March 17, 2002 12:34 PM Our treatment of Gays is no less barbaric than those who bombed a Baptist Church Might I suggest that: Hatred caused 911. It was and is the same hatred you now perpetuate with your administration of September 11 Victim Compensation Fund toward Gays. A death is a death. A taxpayer is a taxpayer. An American is an American. What moral right do we have for going around the world pointing out human rights violations when we are so blatantly guilty ourselves. In the year 1963, almost 40 years now, I traveled to Pakistan as a Baptist Missionary. As I met there with other young college students one question was always asked. "Why are you here talking to us, a dark skinned people, when you treat blacks as you do in the United States." These young college students are now the leaders in that part of the world. They still ask: "What moral right do you have for going around the world pointing out human rights violations when you are so blatantly guilty yourselves." Just substitute "black" with gay. The world has no problem seeing the hypocrisy, apparently we can't or won't. Our treatment of Gays is no less barbaric than those who bombed a Baptist Church in Pakistan this very day. Hate is Hate. Discrimination is discrimination, Persecution is persecution. It is no respecter of race, religion nor sexual orientation. Individual Comment Dallas, Texas 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 dojR001407.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. 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 Milwaukee, WI 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 dojA005238.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, December 20, 2001 12:21 PM Basic Human Rights in Compensation Administration c/o Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20530 Fax (301) 519-5956 E-mail victimcomp.comments@usdoj.gov Dear Department of Justice Officials, In the upcoming administration of the September 11th funds disbursement, I am writing to ask you to ensure that the basic human rights of people are respected without discrimination. International human rights standards including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prohibit arbitrary discrimination and the US government is obligated to respect these rights. I would like to request that the Justice Department, consistent with such international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, include among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. Please follow the positive example of New York state in granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Real justice is only served when all families and all types of families impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Sincerely, Individual Comment Los Angeles, CA 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 dojA004298.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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 3:46 PM Protest 9/11 Fund Exclusion of Gay Partner Benefits If September 11 has taught us anything, it's that our patriotism and love of country transcend our differences and unite us all. We were told that September 11 was the day that "hyphenated-Americans" were no more, and rather than being Italian-Americans, African-Americans or gay-Americans, we were now simply Americans, all of us together as one American family. Apparently, this was only lip service. I am outraged that gay and lesbian partners of those who died on September 11 are not automatically going to receive the same benefits as heterosexual spouses. I'm further angered that illegal aliens will be considered for benefits, and partners of fallen hero's will be left out in the cold. There is still time to fix this error by including gay and lesbian partners in equal benefits. 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 dojR001058.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, November 08, 2001 7:20 AM tax dollars It was a real tragedy for all Americans on Sept. 11. But our personal tax dollars should not be used to compensate the victims family on Sept.11. Personal donations are forth coming in and money from the Red Cross should be more than sufficient. My tax dollar should be used in other area's like fixing up roads, fixing up old school buildings to meet the standards of today's teaching. Thank you, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-08 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 dojW000229.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. 2001-11-08 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. Dear Mr. Zwick: Thank you for this opportunity to submit comments concerning regulations the United States Attorney General is required to promulgate in order to implement Title IV of Public Law 107-42, 115 Stat. 230, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (hereinafter, "the Act"). As elected legislators representing thousands of survivors of the September 11th attacks and their families, we have a great interest in ensuring that they receive prompt and adequate financial remuneration which would, in part, compensate them for their incomprehensible losses. Below, we set forth several concerns and ideas that we believe the regulations should address. A. Eligibility: Interpretation of Certain Phrases The Attorney General's regulations should assure that the Special Master employs the broadest possible interpretation of the phrases "physical harm," "immediate aftermath," and "collateral source." Proper application of these phrases, as used in the Act, is critical to ensure that eligible survivors and family members receive just compensation and appropriate awards. 1. "Physical Harm" The Act provides compensation for persons who suffered physical harm as a result of the September 11th events. Physical harm, of course, should include not only bodily impairment or significant pain but, in the context of the Act and implementing regulations, also include physical manifestations that result from the trauma of September 11. Post-traumatic disorders, for example, including but not limited to those that result in difficulty performing daily tasks and/or normal functions, are physical manifestations of these traumatic events which should be fully compensable under the Act. It would be cruel to deny compensation to these persons who, though injured, have shed no blood and suffered no broken bones. It is also critical to ensure that compensation is paid for harm that arises or is discovered after a claim is filed or after the time frame for filing a claim has passed. There is a latency period, obviously, for the development of certain ailments; for example, cancer and other illnesses sometimes develop or appear long after the inhalation of certain toxic substances. Survivors, rescue and recovery workers and other persons in New York City and elsewhere inhaled dangerous levels of toxic substances on September 11th and thereafter. The Attorney General's regulations must assure that harm resulting from these exposures is fully compensable under the Act. 2. "Immediate Aftermath" The Act by its terms covers persons who were present at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, or Shanksville, Pennsylvania crash sites, or at those locales in the "immediate aftermath" of those events. It is critical that "immediate aftermath" cover those heroic rescue and recovery personnel who arrived at the sites immediately after the attack stayed, sometimes for weeks at a time, eating and sleeping in the dust and rubble. The long-term health effects of their heroic actions may not manifest themselves for years to come and it is imperative that they are protected. "Immediate aftermath" must be viewed in a broad geographic sense, as well. For example, persons in other parts of Manhattan and in other New York communities may have been miles away from "ground zero," yet suffered physical harm from toxic plumes that were emitted. 3. "Collateral Source" The "collateral source" category described in the act must be narrowly drawn so as not to punish survivors and family members who received assistance from charitable organizations. "Collateral source" should only include funds received through a contract, an enforceable agreement, or a protected interest in a government entitlement, such as a social security benefit. The rationale underlying monies paid through a contract or governmental obligation differs obviously, from that of a charitable gift. In the case of a contract or governmental obligation, payment is made because payment is required under law. The charitable payment is made out of the generosity of the giver's heart. In this latter context, government's highest obligation is to honor the intent of the giver. It is highly unlikely that any contributor intended that his or her charitable gift reduce the amount a survivor or family member could recover as legal compensation for injuries incurred. B. Eligibility: Immigration Status; Domestic Partners Compensation under the Act should be available without regard to the immigration status of the victim survivor or family member. The death and destruction wrought by these tragic events did not discriminate based on age, gender, occupation or legal status. All those injured and their survivors and family members should be compensated. The Attorney General's regulation should provide that no person who elects to seek compensation under the Act will be punished for that election. Domestic partners and family members of domestic partners should receive compensation in the same manner as the spouses and children of married partners. The grief suffered by domestic partners and their family members is no less than that suffered by traditional families; it should be compensated no less. C. Waiver The Act provides a no-fault alternative to tort-litigation and a claimant must waive his or her right to commence a civil action upon the filing of a claim. Regulations should be clear that a filed but incomplete application does not constitute a filed claim for purposes of a waiver. In addition, waivers should be based on eligibility and those who are determined to be ineligible for an award under the Act should not be held to have waived their right to commence a civil action. A waiver of rights occurs very early in the application process and before the statute of limitations may have expired for the commencement of a civil action. As a result, those claimants who suffer damages undiscovered at the time of filing a claim must have the opportunity to withdraw their claim and rescind such a waiver. Allowing 60 days from the time of a filed claim for the rescission of a waiver would balance fairness with finality. The ability of a personal representative to waive other survivors' rights to bring a civil action should be carefully delineated and all such survivors must receive notice of the filed claim to allow resolution of the claim after consideration of all losses to all survivors. D. Compensation Claimants should be asked to submit no more documentation that is necessary to demonstrate eligibility. Where a governmental entity has recognized a death or injury, that recognition should be accepted under the Act without requiring additional proof. Compensation for treatment necessitated by September 11-related sicknesses and injuries should be generous and holistic. The Attorney General's regulations should expressly assure that compensation will, where sought, include payment for chiropractic, homeopathic and non-traditional courses of treatment. E. Appeal The Act does not expressly address this issue, but the Attorney General's regulations should make clear that a claimant may administratively appeal any determination of the Special Master. The Department could consider, for example, utilizing a procedure similar to that established under 29 C.F.R. Part 101 regarding the National Labor Relations Board. Consistent with the Act, a claimant could be permitted to bring his or her claim first to an independent hearing officer, then to a board, and finally to the Special Master on administrative appeal. It would however, in our view, be consistent with the Act to allow the government to seek review of any determination. F. Easing the Burdens on Survivors and Family Members New York is a wonderfully diverse city. Its residents speak many tongues. Many survivors and family members of persons who worked at the World Trade Center are recent immigrants to the United States who speak little or no English. It is imperative that pamphlets, forms and similar documents be available in many languages to accommodate all such individuals. Language must not be a barrier to obtaining compensation. All forms and informational brochures should include a toll-free telephone number applicants may call for assistance. Telephone assistance should be available in all appropriate languages. At our Committees' November 7, 2001 public hearing, Executive Director of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, testified concerning her organization's coordinating efforts in the aftermath of the bombing of the Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Ms. , testified that her organization assigned a caseworker to each aggrieved family to assist in it navigating the maze that sometimes characterizes local, state, and federal government bureaucracies. This approach, she testified, worked extremely effectively in Oklahoma. The Attorney General's regulations should similarly provide for the assignment of a qualified caseworker or casework team for each survivor and/or family member inquiring about or seeking assistance under the Act. G. Information Sharing and Record Keeping; Publicity Identifying persons who are victims, survivors and family members of victims or survivors of the September 11th attacks is of utmost importance. Unfortunately during times of crisis, some individuals may seek to take advantage of the circumstances by filing false claims. Such persons should be vigorously persecuted. To help ensure that all persons eligible for compensation under the Act learn of the compensation fund, the Attorney General should develop a public outreach and advertising campaign. Advertisements should contain objective information and offer a toll-free telephone number. Advertising should not be a forum for campaign-style rhetoric or the promotion of one or more public officials. The Attorney General's regulations should invite voluntary sharing of information and records among charitable groups and between such groups and the government. However, the regulations should make clear that the Special Master and his or her staff will not share information with the Justice Department or the other governmental or non-governmental entities without the express written and knowing consent of the subject of the record in question. H. Compensatory Claims The clear intent of the Act is to assure generous compensation for the survivors and family members of the victims of these heinous attacks. Consistent with these purposes and the provisions of the Act, compensation should include, but not limit to, lost wages for the anticipated lifespan of the decedent, college expenses for children, lifetime medical insurance and coverage for ongoing medical expenses. Economic loss should include but not be limited to loss of earnings or other benefits related to employment, medical expense loss, replacement services loss, loss due to death, burial costs and loss of business or employment opportunities. The Attorney General's regulations should also assure compensation for non-economic losses, including but not limited to physical and emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, mental anguish, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of society and companionship, loss of consortium, hedonic damages, injury to reputation and all other non-pecuniary losses of any kind of nature. Very truly yours Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-07 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 dojW000763.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. 2001-11-07 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. Thursday, November 08, 2001 5:11 PM Victim Compensation To Whom It May Concern: It is my belief that the government should only compensate victims after considering the amount they have received from charity. My wife and I have made a generous contribution. I feel that my tax dollars, over which I have no control, should only be used in such a way to make the victims "whole". This event has generated an outpouring of sympathy and monetary contributions beyond anyone's imagination and rightfully so. But I would point out that there are tragedies occurring each day such as traffic fatalities, cancer deaths, job loss due to the downturn that are just as devastaing to families and loved ones. Why should they have to deal with such disasters with no help from the government while the Sept 11th victims' families are enriched far beyond what they could have ever have hoped to achieve if their loved one had survived. My mother died when I was eight years old so I know the grief and financial and emotional impact that can result. My father worked for a government agency that required him to be away for extended periods on special projects so I had to go live with various relatives. And when he was home, the cost of child care destroyed his savings. There was no victims compensation fund to help nor was there any charity. You may say well she wasn't a victim of a terrorist attack. But I can assure you that when death comes to a young parent the consequences to their family has nothing to do with how it occurred. Quite frankly, I will feel that my generosity was betrayed if the governments victims compensation fund allows what amounts to "double dipping" Yours truly, Individual Comment Chappaqua, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-08 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 dojW000264.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. 2001-11-08 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 30, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 December 30, 2001 Dear Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the September 11th tragedy, including the children and families of gay and lesbian Americans who perished. That you recognize the sanctity and legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families as you make these crucial decisions is imperative. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is largely unavailable, these families often find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove the legitimacy of their union. Both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. Our United States Department of Justice must follow suit. As an American, I ask you to keep in mind the gay and lesbian citizens who serve heroically as police, firefighters, soldiers, medical personnel and in other critical occupations. We also must keep in mind the gay and lesbian Americans who donated to the compensation fund trusting that their gift would be distributed without prejudice. It would be unconscionable to dispense their monies while denying the legitimacy, worth and humanity of other gay and lesbian Americans. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Middleborough, MA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-30 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002618.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-30 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. US DEPT OF JUSTICE 950 Penna Ave 2-7-02 Dear Sirs: I am opposed to any victim of the Sept 11 tragedy receiving the outlandish sum of money proposed by Mr. Fineberg who is in charge of disbursement of funds. I'm certain that the figure that was aired on the Lehrer News Hour on P.B.S. on Wednesday Feb 6 exceeds reality and needs further consideration. I do not object to remuneration being paid to the victims, but the system of payment sounds ludicrous, and shows lack of wisdom in the disbursement. To begin with, it was proposed as a fantastic lump sum payment, to be discounted by whatever insurance was held by the victim. I see little justification in paying a lump sum to any victim. Each and everyone has a life expectancy that may be shorter or longer than the average. Why should anyone (a victim) receive a lump sum settlement of a hundred thousand, or more. Their life may be snuffed out in a year, month, week or less. I have deliberated on this matter freely, and have compiled several suggestions for consideration by those in authority. 1. Since the insurance company has collected premiums for the insurance, they should be willing to make a payment of settlement. Nothing can be wrong with that. The insurance company OWES that to the victims's family. If this were to bankrupt the INS. CO., the amount of payment should be discounted percentage-wise, or reduced in some other mandated manner. 2. Instead of the lumpsum payment to the victim, pay from the federal money plan, an amount equal to some predetermined figure considerably less than that proposed. Perhaps, every disabled victim, or family member of a victim would receive $5000. This amount wood be allotted to every affected man, woman and child. 3. A sizeable sum would remain in the federal coffer, which could be placed in a special Social Security Fund, from which monthly payments of an equitable amount would be made. This would make the families of victims secure for life. Life in this case would be terminated by death, which would terminate payments, (termination of payments would be similar to people who are on the regular Social Security System.) Please examine these facts, and give it your best shot. It involves handling taxpayers funds. Sincerely Individual Comment Alliance, OH September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-08 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 dojP000595.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. 2002-03-08 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, December 23, 2001 8:33 AM (no subject) I am outraged by the proposed program announced last week. I am a Senior Vice President with one of the largest financial institutions in the US. My husband was killed on the 92nd floor of One WTC, and was making in excess of the $240,000 cap. We lived a prudent life. I sacrificed vacations and other luxaries to ensure that, in the event of a catastrophe, my family would be able to sustain our way of life. I made sure that we had the money to pay our annual premiums for Life and other types of insurance. Now my husband has been MURDERED, and by my calculations, I will owe YOU money. I understand why you may want to subtract insurance money paid to survivors by the company they worked for (i.e. my husband worked Carr Futures.) But why should I, and others like me, be penelized for being responsible and managing my affairs properly. It seems that a woman who stayed home to raise and enjoy her children while they were young will fair better than a working mother who had a lot of life insurance. When all is said and done, if this program is maintained without change, the only party liable for this tragedy is ME. I have life insurance that I paid for which in turn, is bailing out the airlines, Port Authority, Logan Airport, the Security Co. and quite frankly, the US Government, who had adequate warning about this plot. I would greatly appreciate a reply or I can be called at 561-742-9711. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-23 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000848.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-23 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, March 17, 2002 1:31 PM 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund As an American Citizen I was very proud of Americans & how they have come to stand together, despite our tremendous diversity of religion,politics & life styles. I am 74 years old & have lived thru many of America's racial,gender,religious & sexual biases. I remember that 1952 was the 1st year ,in 71 years, that there were no lynchings of black Americans. I remember how in Patriarchal America my wife could not set up a bank account without my signature.Now my granddaughters can set up an account without their fathers signature, once they are of age. I understand that Partners of Gay & Lesbian American Citizens , who died in the 11 Sept tragedy,will not necessarily receive the same benefits as the Spouses of Heterosexual victims of the horrible WTC attacks,despite the fact that ILLEGAL Aliens are totally covered. I am not some flaming Liberal but, like most American voters, a centrist Independent, & I believe this unfair treatment of Homosexuals is unpatriotic & Un American,& unless corrected, will leave a black stain on America, as did the Unconstitutional Internment of Japanese-Americans during World War 2 . RESPECTFULLY YOURS, 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 dojR001424.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, February 28, 2002 3:08 PM New Vote.com votes as of 03:07 PM EST on February 28th, 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: 23 votes NO: 2 votes Group Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-28 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 dojP000574.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. 2002-02-28 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 14, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment San Francisco, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004917.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 8:22 AM Appeal on Human Rights Dear Director, I am an Italian member of Amnesty International, which as you know is a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring that the basic human rights of people are respected without discrimination. I wish to remind you that the US government should respect International human rights standards including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. May I respectfully request that the Justice Department, consistent with such international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, include among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. I respectfully ask you to follow the positive example of New York state in granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." I am sure that you will share my belief that real justice is only served when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Sincerely Yours, Individual Comment ITALY 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 dojA004314.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. 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 Potter Valley, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004925.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. Sunday, January 20, 2002 2:11 AM Sept. 11 Victim Compensation I have deep and sincere sympathy for all those who lost loved ones in the attacks of Sept. 11 and understand the government's need to prevent lawsuits from bankrupting our transportation system. I am not sure I totally understand though the rational being employed by these grief stricken families in regards to seeking compensation in excess of what is being offered. First, there have been many nonprofit agencies who have collected private donations to help families. Make them hand over this money to the families. Additionally, a current letter being circulated complained that the amount of compensation being offered was the same "as a member of the Armed Forces", and that by virtue of their public service that it was adequate for them but not those who had previously enjoyed the very freedom these patriots afforded them. I find this highly offensive. My spouse serves proudly in the military and I don't think that his life is any less important or precious than those lost. He has served in spite of low pay and long hours. If he were to die tomorrow while serving this country, I and my children would receive no special treatment. What the government should do is distribute some of the seized Al-Qaeda assets to the families. I do hope the families involved with the Sept. 11 attacks are treated with fairness and sensitivity. I pray for them daily to find peace and comfort. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002109.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 21, 2001 12:59 PM Justice help all terrorist victims Dear Mr. Zwick: The very humane Fund for relatives of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks must include all relatives of all the victims. This importantly should include the partners and children of same sex unions. They suffer just as grievously for their deceased loved ones as do other survivors, and their need for assistance is just as great. Please do not give in to the importuning of callous homophobic groups and individuals who would have the Department of Justice limit compensation to survivors of heterosexual unions. They are interested in a political victory, not humane assistance. This Fund is intended for humane purposes; it is not a political statement, Mr. Zwick. Sincerely, Individual Comment New Orleans, LA 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 dojN000451.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, December 05, 2001 1:32 AM "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" TO: Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs, Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice I understand that the Department of Justice is in the process of writing the regulations that will govern implementation of the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" to provide assistance to the surviving victims of the attacks and the "relatives" of those who died. I urge the Department to ensure that its regulations governing the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" ensure that compensation is available to all surviving families of those killed, INCLUDING the committed partners and non-biological children of gay and lesbian victims. Thank you for your time. Individual Comment Boise, ID 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 dojA000660.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-05 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 13, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Spencer, NY 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 dojA003918.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. Friday, December 14, 2001 2:54 PM Protect Traditional Marriage Mr. Kenneth Zwick Office of Management Programs Department of Justice Washington, DC Dear Mr. Zwick: I want to express my opposition to any effort by the federal government to provide 9-11 victim compensation funds to "domestic partners" of unmarried survivors of the terrorist attack upon our nation. Funds disbursed through the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 should only go to the surviving family members of those who died on 9-11. Funds must go to the widows, widowers, orphans, and other blood-related or adopted members of the family--not to unmarried sexual partners of those who died. To provide funds to "domestic partners" is to undermine the traditional definition of marriage and family to include any number of sexual liaisons between same-sex or opposite-sex unmarried couples. Many homosexuals and swinging heterosexuals, for example, engage in sex with multiple partners. Do we provide funds to each of the sexual partners? Where do we draw the line on how many "domestic partners" a person may have? Homosexual activists are exploiting the 9-11 tragedy by asking the federal government to redefine what constitutes a legitimate "family" under the law. In fact, homosexual activist , writing in Out magazine has openly called for the subversion of the concept of marriage between a man and a woman. He has urged homosexuals to fight for the legalization of homosexual marriages and once legalized to "redefine the institution of marriage completely . . . . to debunk a myth and radically alter an archaic institution. . . . The most subversive action lesbians and gays can under take--and one that would perhaps benefit all of society--is to transform the notion of 'family' entirely." If the DOJ provides funds to "domestic partners," it will be helping accomplish his goal: That of redefining marriage and altering what he calls an "archaic institution." We also oppose September 11th Funds going to the estates of the deceased instead of to their surviving family members. No one can know for certain where these funds will end up if they are deposited in the estate of a person who has died. The person may have willed his estate to a terrorist, racial hate group, or even to an organization like the North American Man-Boy Love Association. No one will know unless each person's will is examined by a DOJ lawyer. The money should go to the surviving family members of the deceased, not to the estate or to the surviving "domestic partner." Individual Comment Glendale, MO 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 dojA001780.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