698 20 70359 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, January 04, 2002 5:27 PM Comments on Victim Compensation Regulations Attachment 1: January 4, 2002 COMMENTS OF ALAN B. MORRISON IRVINE VISITING FELLOW STANFORD LAW SCHOOL REGARDING THE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CONCERNING THE 9/11 VICTIM FUND Introduction These comments focus primarily on the details of the program and on the need to clarify and in some cases highlight specific aspects of it. Because of the limited time that have available, the failure to comment on any aspect of the regulations should not be construed to constitute approval of it. Because these are interim regulations, there will almost certainly be changes. Since the regulations and accompanying materials are so lengthy, the final regulations should be accompanied by a redline version so that those who are familiar with the interim regulations can readily determine what changes have been made and for what reasons. Calculating Damages Dont Hide Key Information. After reading the regulations, I discovered that many of my questions were answered in the explanation to the Presumed Loss Tables. These include matters such as whether discounting will be done (yes); whether inflation would be included (yes); whether merit increases would be assumed (yes) and if so, how would they be calculated; and whether deductions would be made for expected income tax payments (also yes), to name just a few. Since one of the goals of the regulations is to inform the public of what is likely to be paid out, all of these "adjustments" should be included in the body of the regulations, either explicitly or at least cross-referenced in them, as well as in the explanation that precedes them. In the present form they are too late and too hidden. Define Applicable State Law. The statute requires that determinations be made in accordance with applicable state law, but the regulations say nothing of substance on this subject (see 104.42), although they do use the domicile of a decedent when determining the Personal Representative. Determining the applicable state law may matter because, for example, state laws vary widely on damages in wrongful death cases, and different states have different income tax levels (or none at all). In order to avoid controversies, and to further the goal of compassion that the regulations have adopted, the regulations should provide that a claimant may elect to apply the state law of either the state of domicile of the victim or the location of the death/injury to all choice of law questions; if no such election is made, the claimant would have the burden of establishing the appropriate choice of law, but even that may vary depending on where suit were filed. At the very least, the regulations should state the position of the Department on choice of applicable law issues. Explain How Benefits Will Be Handled. In several places (such as 104.43), the regulations contemplate that benefits will be included in the allowed compensation, but there is no further information on them. Suppose an employer pays all (or half) of the health insurance; will that be included, and is that consistent with the collateral source provision? The same is true for pension and profit-sharing contributions, life insurance, long term disability, cafeteria plans and the like. These omissions should be cured. The Handling of Salaries and Bonuses. The regulations imply, but do not directly state, that the earnings of the decedent for the period 1998-2000 will be averaged and assumed to be base on which future earnings are projected etc. If that is what is being done, it should be stated explicitly. And if it is, that raises questions about how bonuses will be treated, especially for those in the investment business, when the years 1998-2000 produced record earnings and bonuses. Track A vs. Track B. The procedural differences between these alternatives are reasonably clear, but I am confused as to what the relative advantages and disadvantages are of the two choices. It appears that Track B is for a claimant who believes that he or she has special circumstances and does not want to use any of the presumptions or perhaps wants to prove facts that would alter the presumptions (e.g., projected salary increases or why the deceaseds prior earnings do not fairly reflect his average income). It would be helpful to all Personal Representatives and their counsel to include a brief statement as to why one might choose Track B (assuming that Track A is the route that you expect most claimants to follow). It is also unclear whether selecting Track B can lead to results less favorable than the standard adjustments, and if so, that should be made clear in the explanatory materials. Effect of the Presumptions. It is unclear whether a person who selects Track A and the presumed loss as calculated by the tables (and their adjustments) has to worry that there will be further downward adjustments based on applicable state law. For example, the regulations seem to contemplate that the fact that a person is a minor who has no current earnings will not alter the loss computation, even if the applicable state law provides that in a wrongful death case an award can only be made to a person who is a dependent of the decedent, which would be rare in the case of a child who is the victim. Similarly, under Alabama law, only punitive damages are generally allowed in wrongful death cases, and it seems quite likely that the laws of some foreign countries may not have any provision for wrongful death. In addition, while many people work until they are 65 (which would be a reasonable assumption), there are some occupations where work life is much shorter (either as a practice or as a matter of law). It appears that there will be no reductions for any of these situations (at least under Track A), and if that is the case, the regulations should make that clear. Other Issues Withdrawing/Not Filing Lawsuits. Suppose that a Personal Representative files a claim and the Special Master determines lack of eligibility. Under 104.21 and 104.61, no lawsuit can be filed (or maintained) if a person files for compensation. That rule makes sense if the person is given an award, but is dissatisfied with the amount, but it seems very unfair to be denied the right to sue when a claimant is found ineligible for any payment from the Fund. The regulations should be changed to allow a lawsuit after a finding of ineligibility. Filing Tax Returns. Under 104.21(c)(1), a person seeking damages for an injury must file copies of tax returns for 1998-2000, but when a claim is made on behalf of a deceased person, 104.21(b)(4) only requires that the returns be made available if requested. What is the rationale for that distinction? Proving Dependent Status. Under 104.3(b) & (c) dependent (spouse) status is normally proved by a 2000 federal income tax return, with certain exceptions (the choice of the term unless is odd, but probably not disabling). One exception is where the person was not required to file a tax return for 2000. But there are a significant number of people who did not file tax returns for 2000 prior to September 11th, many of whom had lawful extensions (this is especially true for self-employed persons and those with complicated financial situations). In addition, there may be a few individuals who should have filed for 2000, but did not. Whatever penalties the IRS may impose for non-filing or late filing, the Department should not disallow claims for a spouse or dependent because of such failure to file. The regulations should be changed to allow an additional exception for other proof of spousal status or dependency, deemed sufficient by the Special Master (as they allow in other areas where the usual proof is not available). Representation of Claimants. On page 13 of the Internet version of the explanation, the Department correctly recognizes that it has no authority to limit the fees paid to any attorney who assists a claimant of the Fund. It then goes on to state that "the Department believes that contingency arrangements exceeding 5% of a claimants recovery would not be in the best interest of the claimants [sic]." Aside from the question of whether the proper test is the "best interest of the claimant" or "would be justified by the effort and skill required and the relatively small contingency involved," the statement is at least too categoric. When a claimant chooses not to accept a presumptive determination or decides to follow Track B (presumably because Track A seems almost certain to lead to a low award), the attorney for such a claimant may have to expend considerable time and bring considerable expertise to bear to obtain a substantially higher award. In addition, since probate courts will supervise the fees of many of the attorneys, they will be available to check any excesses. Therefore, at the very least, the word "ordinarily" should be included in this statement lest it be interpreted as the equivalent of a federal fee cap for all cases. Another issue of representation relates to whether claimants are permitted to utilize the services of non-lawyers to assist them. The regulations contemplate that many people will be able to process their claims without help from counsel, but some people may be too old (young) or infirm or not be fluent in English, and hence will need some assistance, but perhaps not from a lawyer. Many administrative schemes allow for non-lawyer assistance, and there is no good reason why this one should not also, both with respect to filing papers and to presenting the case for the claimant at a hearing (104.33(d)). Publication of Awards. The decision to publish some awards while the process is ongoing (104.34) (hopefully on the DOJ website) is commendable. The names and other identifying details of the victim should not be made public (as the regulations provide), but there must be enough information about the status of the victim to provide useful information for others considering using the process. This should include both the presumptive award and the total of collateral source exclusions (even recognizing that many claimants who will have large collateral source exclusions may prefer litigation). Although it is not necessary or even desirable to make available to the public information on all claims paid while the process is ongoing, when it is concluded, information on every claim paid should be made public (perhaps in statistical form). Doing so would provide an enormously useful database for other mass disasters and for studying damages awards generally. It is vital that the Department make that commitment now so that the system can be designed to create the database as part of the process and not have to do so at the end of the day when everyone will want to close down the office. Individual Comment Stanford, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-04 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 dojN001348.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. 2002-01-04 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, December 26, 2001 6:57 PM Equal Support for Surviving Gay and Lesbian Partners December 26, 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. Individual Comments Cambridge, MA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-26 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 dojN000966.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. 2001-12-26 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. Tuesday, January 01, 2002 11:30 AM September 11 January 01, 2002 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 Las Cruces, NM September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-01 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 dojN001273.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. 2002-01-01 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, March 25, 2002 11:06 PM 9/11 Fund Good Morning, As a gay male I watched in horror as did the rest of my fellow Americans to see the events of September 11, 2001 play out on television as if it were a bad dream. The reality was it was all true and was to unbelievable. Now some six months later I have read that has made clear that the partners of gay and lesbian heroes of September 11 will not necessarily receive the same benefits as the spouses of heterosexual victims of the horrible terror attacks. I find this appalling. How can a country so great as ours still see the discrimination of gay and lesbian partnerships for what they are, which is a committed relationship the same as straight couples. We all have the same issues, struggles, hope and dreams. I believe the fund should be equal for all couples, straight and gay since the basic needs of a household today depend on two incomes. Sexual Orientation should not be a focal point since religious interpretations should be separated from political issues. Which is a whole other topic that I would prefer not to discuss at this time. I hope you reconsider your decision. Regards, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-25 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 dojR002723.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. 2002-03-25 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 5:11 PM Un-American Please count me in as one of those appalled that partners of gay and lesbian victims are not to be supported by the victims fund.. We are, after all Americans, and deserve benefits BEFORE unborn fetuses and illegial aliens... Regards, Individual Comment Brooks, Maine 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 dojR001139.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 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 Los Angeles, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA003955.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 07, 2001 1:50 PM September 11 Victim Compensation Fund 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 Centreville, VA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001295.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. 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 fund 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 Los Angeles, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA005541.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 10:12 AM Justice for all December 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write to urge you to insure 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 Northampton, MA 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 dojA002942.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. Sunday, November 25, 2001 11:00 PM Returned mail Attachment 1: Here we are at the "eleventh hour". I received notice from the Justice Dept. on Thanksgiving Eve, at 4:30 PM, that you were seeking "comments" with regard to the aforementioned program. Not only was the call placed at a poor time, but I was told that if I had any comments that I had to submit them by Monday the 26th of November. I am dumbfounded at the lack of compassion shown by the Justice Department to expect anyone to have a clear head to be able to read through "legalese" during a holiday. The holiday is Thanksgiving not Halloween. My wife and neice were killed in Tower One. All I had on my mind was how I was going to get through Thanksgiving Day with my eighty year old sister in-law who lost both her sister and daughter. YES I would like very much like to comment I read through it brefly and would like to make two comments at this time. I feel that a formula be set up; for representitives of those who died only; where by an amount can be calculated and not be able to be refuateted. I also feel that monies donated by the American people and distrubited should not be in any way deducted from the compensation covered under this Program, nor should it be taxed in any way The American people were "up in arms with the RED CROSS for not distrubiting all of the donated funds. How do you think they would react to the United States Government doing the same. What would the world think of our governments lack of compassion to those of us so personally touched. Would we not fall right into the hands of those who perpertrated this hanes act by showing that our government is generous on on hand and wants i't pound of flesh with the other. On the tombstone; where I will have the urn presented to me as a synbol of my wife interned; will be: WIFE, MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, PATRIOT I feel very strongly that all those who were murdered on September the 11th died in the name of there country and are patriots in the truest sence of the word. Should you grant me additional time to review the documents and comment, I can be reached at the following numbers in the following order: Thank you, from a man who lost his wife of 36 years and is sitting alone at home, with the advent of the Christmas Hoildays ahead, trying to smile for his grandchildren. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-25 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 dojW000768.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. 2001-11-25 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 3:47 PM Deduction of Workers Comp and Social Security Hello My husband was killed at 1WTC. He earned approx $24000.00/ per year. We have three children. According to the presumed awards, the compensation would be approx. $900,000 before collateral offset. After adding up the WC and SS for the next say 30 yrs or so, and deducting that amount from the presumed award I will not receive anything. What kind of compensation will I receive, just my life insurance that we paid into ourselves. What if I get remarried, and the WC's payments stop, will I be reimbursed by the fund? Please answer my questions at the following e-mail address: Thanks so much. Individual 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 dojN002297.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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 1:41 PM compensation for gay partners of 9/11 disaster I am extremely upset that the money to help families of victims is not available to gay and lesbian partners of the gay and lesbian victims. These people have suffered as much and in fact more in that they are being ignored and typical benefits accorded to widowed spouses is not available to these people. Something must be done to correct this injustice. These people are not second class americans. There are so many people who are being helped-including mere businesses and illegal aliens yet the fact these americans are left out is an outrage. How can we do this to these poor people! 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 dojR000923.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. Wednesday, March 13, 2002 4:08 PM stop discrimination I'm writing to say that I am shocked to hear that partners of gay and lesbian victims of the September 11th tragedy will not recieve the same compensation as straight people and as illegal aliens will recieve. In a country which is supposedly founded on the separation of church and state, this is a strange circumstance indeed. It appears that the government is taking the kind of stance that did in those days immediately following the tragedy....making it clear that fundamentalist prejudice is still very alive in the U.S., just as it is in many fundamentalist Islamic countries. The fact that it is Christians doing the discrimination is no comfort to those affected by this discrimination. Please realize that history will one day recognize the legitimate human rights of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual people, who have always been a part of building this nation, and of defending it, as (a gay man on United flight 93) did on September 11th, 2001. How wonderful it would be if the manner in which the September 11th Compensation Fund is distributed could be a sign of a coming equitable and just future, rather than a remnant of a hypocritical and ignorant past. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002099.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 28, 2001 8:21 AM Equal benefits access 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 Frederick, MD 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 dojN001057.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. Tuesday, March 12, 2002 3:08 PM Gays and lesbians aren't heroes??? I am writing to register my dismay with the Victim's Compensation Fund. After hearing statements by Kenneth Feinberg this weekend on Meet the Press, I can't believe that gay and lesbian partners of victims will not be equally compensated. Why is it that illegal aliens will be provided financial compensation over US citizens who deserve this support just as much----even if they are lesbian or gay? Feinberg uses the excuse that the DOJ does not want to go against state laws. How can this be if the DOJ is turning a blind eye to illegal aliens thus affected! One of the heroes of this whole catastrophe was an openly gay man who prevented one jet from crashing into federal buildings in Washington. Instead it crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, perhaps saving hundreds of lives. The decision to not treat lesbian and gay people equally in this compensation plan is a mockery of the American people. The US has demonstrated how we can come together. Now, the DOJ seems to believe that gay and lesbian victims are second-class citizens even to illegal aliens who do not pay taxes or support our infrastructure. Do the right thing DOJ!!! Treat the gay and lesbian partners of victims just the same as you are all partners and spouses. Yesterday, 6 months after I witnessed the Towers burn and crash, I finally went to Ground Zero with my visiting 17 year-old niece from Kansas. As a New Yorker, I had no desire to go there. I had watched thousands of my neighbors and city-dwellers stream past my home in Manhattan that day, crying, bewildered, covered in dust or blood. I did not need the reminder of this heinous act. But now, after hearing Meet the Press and seeing Ground Zero, I feel terrorized all over again. Now this terror comes from within my own beloved country's government. The designated relief agency is choosing to treat gay and lesbian people differently than other citizens or even illegal aliens who have suffered in this tragedy. Once again, I feel the fear and the pain that this government will choose not to protect equally a portion of our society--gay and lesbian people. We wage a war on terror outside of this country. Your agency perpetuates terror from within. Thousands and thousands of gay and lesbian people have suffered violence, discrimination and injustice. The actions of the DOJ perpetuate such injustice. SHAME SHAME SHAME As leaders you should treat all the victims equally. Equality is the premise on which our country is based. How can I support a war action that mocks justice right here in my homeland!!! Individual Comment New York, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-12 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 dojR000415.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. 2002-03-12 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 11:11 AM relief benefits for domestic partners Dear sir, If a domestic partnership is apparent, and one was lost in the Sept. 11th attack on the US, the partner should be entitled to the same relief benefits as a "married" couple. I believe, as in many other countries, domestic partnerships should be "registered" and accepted for medical reasons, tax benefits and other legal and immigration issues as are heterosexual marriages. The love, commitment and longevity of two individuals should be the criteria for anyone to judge the validity of that relationship. Please do not discriminate against those that lost the love of their life. Sincerely, Individual Comment Dania Beach, Florida 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 dojA000204.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. Friday, December 07, 2001 8:29 AM compensation benefits During this time that is difficult for us all, I encourage you to follow the example already set by New York Governor Pataki in granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day-to-day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Grief does not discriminate, and neither should our government. Thank you for your consideration, Individual Comment Richmond, VA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001260.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, February 03, 2002 1:16 PM Distribution of funds Dear Sirs: I read that compensation of victims will be based on future earning power of the victims, which in essence means that the wealthiest families will receive the most money and the poorest families will receive the least. Those most likely to have resources and savings will receive more, and those least likely to have resources will receive the least. To me there seem to be two fair ways to distribute funds. One would be to distribute based on need. The other would be to equally divide the money among all of the victims' families. To distribute the funds the way you are planning is to say that wealthy or well educated people are intrinsically more worthy than people with less education or money, which is anathema to the values the country was founded on. I urge you to reconsider your decision in this matter. To continue as you presently propose to do is terribly unfair. Sincerely, Individual Comment Houston, Tx. September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-03 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 dojP000367.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. 2002-02-03 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. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 10:58 AM Regarding Relief Benifits For Victims Of September 11 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 Albuquerque, NM 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 dojA003036.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. 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 Brooklyn, NY 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 dojA004973.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