739 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. Monday, March 18, 2002 7:22 PM benefits for gay victims Gays MUST receive the same benefits as everyone else. I am not gay, but I have a sister who is, as well as a brother-in-law. Their partners are just as real as my husband was to me, and just as deserving of assistance now as my husband would have been had I been killed. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002147.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, December 22, 2001 8:26 PM Equal Crisis Relief! December 22, 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 Franklin Lakes, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000786.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, November 19, 2001 8:14 PM To Whom It May Concern: Please consider including unborn children as victims in the September 11th terrorist attacks. Regarding your Topic #5 on Claimant Eligibility, I request that you consider those unborn children who were killed along with their pregnant mothers as a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks as "eligible victims." Your consideration is appreciated. September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-19 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 dojW000424.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. 2001-11-19 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, March 17, 2002 11:38 PM Gay Partners I can't beleive that America, land of the home and the free is being so narrow minded when it comes to releif. I wonder if all the humdreds of thousands of people who gave would want their money back if they knew that the fund was discriminating against gay/lesbian american's. I am a the parnet of a lesbian and KNOW for sure that if my daughters partner was lost that the household income would be cut by at least half, how could my daughter support the house she lives in. How can you discriminate against these Americas???????????? 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 dojR001578.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, January 16, 2002 11:16 AM dissatisfaction with fund My husband died on 9/11 in the north tower of the world trade center. I consider his death to be the fault of the airlines, the airline security companies, the FAA, etc. (I'm sure a good lawyer could come up with a dozen more). Under normal circumstances, I would have the right to sue those responsible agencies. However, on September 22, Congress passed airline bailout legislation that effectively took away my right to obtain compensation in a court of law. The victims compensation fund was established to placate victims families for the loss of this right. Many people have expressed outrage that the american taxpayers are going to foot the bill for compensation of the victims families. They should be made to understand that the american government themselves offered - so that they could save the airlines. This fund is a payday for anyone who earned a low wage and did not have life insurance. However, the majority of the people in those buildings were earning well above the national average and were well educated enough to understand the benefits of life insurance. The present rules make this fund nearly useless for the majority of families. The deduction of collateral sources, combined with the stingy amounts being considered for economic loss, mean that I would get NOTHING from this fund. Surely that cannot have been the intention of this legislation. Please change the rule so that it fairly compensates families who have already had to endure unimaginable emotional trauma. Nothing can bring back my husband and the father of my children, but I beg you not to make me spend the rest of my life wondering how to provide for my family. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN001884.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, March 16, 2002 11:09 PM Hello; As an American citizen, I am outraged that the partners of the Gay and Lesbian victims of the terrible events of 9/11/01 are not going to be included in the relief fund benefits. How disappointing that an event that seemed to bring so many of us together now serves as a means to further divide us. ILLEGAL residents of our country will be entitled to those benefits, but not American CITIZENS? That goes against everything our great Nation stands for. How sad for all of us as Americans. Six months after such profound sadness, I am sad again... Sincerely, Individual Comment Houston, TX 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 dojR001276.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, December 27, 2001 1:56 AM Victims Compensation Fund After seeing several family members of the victims of 9/11 and their lawyers on Fox News I am further convinced that this fund is a mistake. I am appalled that apparently this fund was established and funded with tax dollars. Of all the tragic deaths that occur every day why was this group of people chosen to receive tax payer "welfare". My dad died tragically when I was thirteen and my mother got a job. We weren't aware that the government "owed" us a million or so tax dollars. Is it to late to apply? As to the Airlines going broke. This is the chance we take as shareholders. Will we use tax payer dollars to pay off the shareholders of Enron? This is a terrible inequity to the taxpayers. Individual Comment Friendswood, TX September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-27 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 dojN000988.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. 2001-12-27 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, December 11, 2001 11:33 PM September 11 Victims Compensation Fund 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 Brookline Station, MO September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001495.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. 2001-12-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 18, 2001 Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: On behalf of the 900 synagogues of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, encompassing over 1.5 million people across North America, and the 1800 rabbis of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, I am writing in response to the Justice 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. Our tradition is guided by the very basic belief that all human beings are created b'tselem Elohim (in the Divine Image). It is written in Genesis 1:27,"And God created humans in God's own image, in the image of God, God created them; male and female God created them." We oppose discrimination against all individuals, including gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, for the stamp of the divine is present in each and every one of us. In October, New York Governor George Pataki showed fairness and compassion in issuing an Executive Order granting survivied parents of gay and lesbian victims of the attacks equal benefits from the state's Crime Victims Board. The Commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance indicated that lesbian and gay families will be given consideration when funds are distributed from the state's World Trade Center Relief Fund. Major private relief organizations, including the American Red Cross, the United Way and the Sallie Mae 911 Education Fund, are also granting survivor funds benefits and services to the partners and families of gay and lesbian victims. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of the victims left behind loved ones. I urge you and the Department to follow the examples of the State of New York and many relief organizations by living up to America's highest values - that our government is a government for all Americans - by promulgating regulations which do not discriminate against victims based on their sexual orientation. Sincerely, Comments by: Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism Washington DC September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA005444.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, March 16, 2002 6:04 PM I am saddened by the discrimination being shown to surviving partners of gay and lesbian victims of 9/11. People, who like everyone else left that morning for work to earn money to support their families, pay taxes to support our nation, fully expecting to come home that evening. I donated money to the funds. I joined millions of other Americans in prayer and rallies. You accepted my money but refuse to share it with people who like me are gay. People who are in this country illegally and the unborn have more rights than people who were actively contributing to our nation. Again, I am deeply saddened by your ignorance and attitudes. Please do the right thing by all Americans. Take care of everyone. We are all victims of that horrible day. Everyone was touched by the actions of the terrorists. Everyone deserves to be treated equally and fairly. When will discrimination end? You must start here. You must. 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 dojR001158.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 Oceanside, 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 dojA005178.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. Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20530 RE: RESPONSE TO REQUEST TO COMMENT, SEPTEMBER 11 VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND OF 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick: As Attorney General of the State of Connecticut, I am writing to provide comments on issues relating to the implementation of the Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 ("the Fund"), established pursuant to the Public Law 107-42 to victims and families of the September 11 terrorist attacks. I am grateful to United States Attorney General Ashcroft for soliciting comments on issues essential to the Fund's administration. As a basic premise, I urge the Attorney General to be guided by Congress' overriding intent that the vicyims of the September 11 attacks obtain compensation for their losses as fairly, speedily and simply as possible. In resolving any perceived ambiguity or issue, the guiding principle should be to provide the most complete recovery with the least pain or cost to the victims. For most affected directly by that terrible attack and its aftermath, no amount of money can ever provide complete compensation, but each deserves the fullest, fairest reovery in light of each individual's circumstances. Since victims and their representatives will be required to forego their right to file civil actions if they file claims with the Fund, the procedures and awards must foster confidence and credibility. The process must be fair and perceived to be so. In this vein, I offer the following specific comments: Page Kenneth L. Zwick November 26,2001 With regard to the nature and amount of compensation, I believe that awards should be individualized and tailored to the facts of each case, not made mechanically according to an inflexible schedule or grid. Consistent standards are necessary, but a balance must be struck that provides significant, fair compensation for each victim, and still advances Congress' goal that claims and compensation be decided expeditiously. Even as consistent standards for measuring the nature and amount of compensation must be developed for the sake of credibility and fairness, consideration must be given to each individual claimant's special circumstances. I do not believe Congress intended that any standards or guidelines be rigidly applied so as to result in uniform, non-individualized awards. Nothing in the law prevents a claimant from putting on proof of his or her special or specific facts and situation. On the contrary, Section 405(b)(1) expressly requires the Special Master to determine "the amount of compensation to which the claimant is entitled based on the harm to the claimant, the facts of the claim, and the individual circumstances of the claimant." Subsecion (4) of that section gives claimants the rights to be represented by counsel and to present evidence in support of their claimsincluding the presentations of witnesses and documents. These sections would be nullified and rendered meaningless if rigit deternminations of compensation were made in the interest of uniformity or speed, without regard to individual circumstances. In the interest of fairness and other goals of the legislation, then, I urge that claims be evaluated individually, with consistent standards applied to each claim. In addition to the rights to have counsel and to present evidence, Section 405(b)(4)(C) expressly provides that claimants shall have "any other due process rights determined appropriate by the Special Master." I urge you to provide the opportunity for some form of oral hearing for claimants who request one. After talking to some of the victims' families and analyzing provisions that require claimants to forego litigation if they avail themselves of the Fund, I believe strongly that the department should do everything possible to ensure that claimants have the opportunity to be heard fully. There should be some forum or venue at which a record may be made. Since there will be no cross-examination, motions or other litigation formalities, the proceeding should take comparatively little time. Whatever the specifics, such procedures should justify each claimant in feeling that the system has been fair, and that his or her own unique circumstances have been considered. Section 405(b)(6) required the Special Master to "reduce the amount of compensation... by the amount of the collateral source compensation the claimant has received or is entitled to receive as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001." Section 402(4) defines "collateral source" as "all collateral sources, including life insurance, pension funds, death benefit programs, and payments by Fedral, State, or local governments related to the terrorist- related aircraft crashes on September 11, 2001." This definition does not mention payments that victims or their families may receive from charitable funds. I urge you to interpret the scope of this statutory language narrorwly in view of the fundamental purpose of charitable gifts, which is to provide voluntary benefits separate and apart from any government obligations or entitlements, Kenneth L. Zwick November 26,2001 and the overriding purpose of the Act, which is to provide full and fair compensation. Such an interpretation, clearly consistent with the spirit and letter of this measure, would exclude most if not all charitable benefits from consideration in setting compensation from the fund. You have also sought comments about the content of the claim forms and procedures for incomplete claims or those lacking supporting documentation. I encourage you to develop a claim form that is not only easy to understand and use, but one that is sufficiently detailed so as to apprise claimants of what will be necessary to have their claims administered. In the long run, this will avoid unnecessary delay, and will give potential claimants a perspective with which to decide whether to file a claim with the Fund or to proceed with litigation. I also urge you to give persons filing incomplete forms opportunity to provide the missing information within a reasonable time frame, or to present a reasonable substitute for documentation if the required information is impossible to obtain. For many victims, the trauma and grief of the terrorist attacks, and the personal turmoil in their aftermath, may make completing these forms and compiling evidence a daunting task. While certainly some documentation is necessary to support each claim, I urge you to adopt a flexible approach in determining what evidence I can provide in carrying out this vital task. Very truly yours Comments by: Attorney General State of Connecticut September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000788.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 20, 2001 10:24 PM Please be fair December 20, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Morristown, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000153.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, November 07, 2001 5:09 PM September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 I would like to respond to the Department of Justice website request for comments and opinions regarding the proposed regulations and processes for implementing the Victim Compensation Fund. Everything I have heard defines the victims of the September 11th tragedy as the families of those who perished as well as those individuals who are now unemployed or those whose businesses sustained prolonged closures as a result of the attacks. I recognize that these people have suffered tremendous losses and will continue to suffer for a significant period of time. Even so, I believe those of us who live and work in or near Ground Zero, as I do, should also qualify under the accepted definition of victims. I live in Battery Park City, two blocks from where Tower 2 once stood, and I work at , in Four World Financial Center, one building away from where Tower 1 once stood. I was leaving my apartment when the first plane hit but I could not see it because I live to the south west of Tower 1. I was therefore on Liberty Street, one block from Tower 2, when the second plane hit. I was sternly instructed to go home because the World Financial Center was being evacuated, but unfortunately going to my home left me trapped in Battery Park City in the middle of the disaster. On my way home I saw a number of people jumping from Tower 2, at least one on fire, and was powerless to help those trapped in the buildings. I returned to my apartment and watched the horror continue to unfold, trapped by the disaster to the north and the river to the west and south. I saw a massive explosion that appeared to be cause by additional explosives in the building, just above the middle of Tower 2, nearly one hour after the jet fuel exploded, which still has not been explained to my satisfaction. I saw black smoke shoot outward and flame shoot upward and then, shortly afterward, I saw infrastructure collapse. As I saw Tower 2 collapse, I thought I was about to die as the massive debris cloud surrounded my apartment. I saw a similar explosion just before Tower 1 collapsed. I can not describe my feelings at watching such enormous loss of life from my bedroom window. Fortunately, a little later, a number of boats, including police tugs, the Water Taxi, the NY Waterways Ferry, and other private boats quickly began pulling up to the esplanade to help evacuate those still trapped and I escaped on a police tug to Liberty State Park. I have been told the landfill upon which Battery Park City is built would probably liquefy from a quake measuring 7.0 and this measured 5.3. Our neighborhood was under martial law while the FBI and police designated the area a crime scene. Emergency and rescue workers controlled buildings and streets. During the first few weeks after the attacks, when most of America wanted to be no where but home, we were displaced from our homes, living with neighbors, friends, friends of friends, or in hotels. We were worried about pets who were stranded with no food or water, suffered from lack of access to clothing, medicines, etc., and were frightened by reports of looting in our apartments. I was fortunate in that I was briefly allowed back in my building (after a 2 hour walk to Battery Park City and a walk up 15 flights of stairs in the dark) on the first Thursday after the attack. My superintendent remained in the building, so we had no looting, but some of my neighbors did suffer from looting. One had two paintings her mother, an artist, had painted for her stolen from her living room. And of course I had to resume working, while still displaced from my home, on the Monday after the attack. I can still see the Site from my bedroom, sitting room, and bathroom. My apartment sustained only minor damage, however it was contaminated with dust and debris which was removed by a company who claimed to specialize in handling hazardous materials, but whose qualifications I now doubt. I had an independent air test, which did find traces of asbestos and lead, but I was lucky - many of my neighbors suffered much worse damage and see the Site more clearly from their apartments. In the past month or so, most buildings were readied for re-occupation, but many in the neighborhood cannot yet return because particulate matter in the air (emanating from the still-burning fires) causes respiratory distress, nosebleeds, asthma, headaches, etc. While we have been assured by the EPA that the air poses no long-term health risks, residents are suffering from symptoms that make the area a short-term health nightmare and no one knows what the long term effects will be. My physician has prescribed 4 different medications and I still suffer from headaches, coughs, and nausea. I have moved back into my building, but my windows must be covered with plastic because they were damaged when the management company cleaned the outside of the building (even though I had already had a cleaning company clean my windows). I must run HEPA filters 24 hours a day, incurring much higher electricity bills. I am awakened at night by the sound of small explosions and occasionally find things have been knocked over in the night, but there is never any warning or explanation about what is going on so close to our homes. Although many have chosen to move to other parts of the city, I have no choice but to stay and rebuild the neighborhood. I can not move out because I own and the current estimated price for which my apartment might sell would not pay the mortgage, even if I could find a buyer, and I would lose all the equity I have, forcing me to declare personal bankruptcy. There are few stores or restaurants open and the nearest public transportation is a 20 - 25 minute walk to the south for the subway or to the north for the bus. My church is still under the control of FEMA. Most of the apartments on my floor have been abandoned, which I find frightening. Deliveries have improved, because the military checkpoints have been removed, but no one wants to visit other than those who feel compelled to come to look at the Site. Often times when I go out on the weekend, we stand aside as group after group of families are escorted to the Site. I respect this tradition, which reminds me of growing up in Charlotte, NC, where all traffic pulled over and stopped out of respect to allow funeral processions to pass. I understand the loss these families suffered, because my own father died in June, but I did not have time to grieve for him because this tragedy has overwhelmed every aspect of my daily life. I cry each time I see a group of families ... and at least they can go home. My home is in what feels and looks like a war zone next to a grave yard. In addition, on our first walk up the promenade, one of the Rescue Workers asked loudly "Who let the tourists in?", referring to me, my neighbor, and my boyfriend. One of the police officers guarding the police memorial explained to him that we were residents, and the Rescue Worker replied, incredulously, "PEOPLE LIVE HERE???" I could not believe that we who have suffered so much were being viewed as curious tourists. I could not understand why we are not considered victims. I am fortunate my company provided temporary housing and counseling. Even so, my life will be disrupted for years to come. I don't even know how many people I know who died because so many have left my neighborhood. I probably will never see nor know what happened to most of the people who formed the daily fabric of my life, such as the shop keepers who worked in the World Trade Center and other businesses in Battery Park City and lower Manhattan. And among my family members, I have a commercial jet pilot, a postal worker, and an executive officer on the NYPD. I realize those currently defined by the government as the victims have suffered tremendously, and I have great respect for the work being done to clean up and restore lower Manhattan, especially for the leadership provided by our mayor, Rudy Guliani, but I believe we are and should be recognized as victims too. Thank you, Individual Comment Battery Park City, NY 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 dojW000199.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. Saturday, December 22, 2001 12:58 PM Please help ensure equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund, regardless of sexual orientation or m... December 22, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I am writing to show my strong support for equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims of the attacks, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As a member of the global human rights group Amnesty International, I am committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination and feel the United States should honor its commitment to uphold international human rights standards. I hardly need remind you that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prohibit arbitrary discrimination. I would ask that you apply the same basic international human rights standards and the general principle of equality as you consider rules for administering the relief fund. 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, you will be adhering to the principles of equality. 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 emotional bonds of family [deserving of] help in this time of need." For every lesbian and gay person taken from us in the September 11th attacks, surviving partners of the deceased have had very 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. I thank you for your time and eagerly look forward to hearing from you on the steps you intend to take to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Somerville, MA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000704.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. 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 Denver, CO 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 dojA004943.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. Monday, December 17, 2001 11:22 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. 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 Coarsegold, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-17 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 dojA002151.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. 2001-12-17 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. Sunday, January 27, 2002 10:56 AM re; money I think the amount given to the victims exceeds three times what we ever made a year, do you really think this its fair to other victims, I don't. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-27 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 dojP000201.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. 2002-01-27 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 21, 2001 11:25 AM Comments Without getting into the legal aspects, I see greed, greed, developing from the victims. Money will not replace the lost person or their love but this is all there is... To hear people comment about the out poring of these monies I only hear greed. Be grateful for what you are getting from the rest of the nation and continue with your lives and those around you. A VICTIM!! Individual Comment 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 dojN000417.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, March 16, 2002 3:12 PM Gays and Lesbians Discrimated Against in 9/11 Fund I am shocked to hear of the decision to discriminate against gays and lesbians who lost their lives in the 9/11 tragedy. I was even more shocked to hear that even illegal aliens, who aren't American citizens and who are in the US in violation of federal law, will receive benefits. How can it be that law abiding, tax paying citizens won't be given fair acknowledgment of the loss of their loved ones, while law breaking, non tax paying aliens will? That is appalling. To shovel the responsibility off to the state for determining if gay and lesbian relationships are valid is ridiculous. Are the states deciding if other peoples relationships are valid? Everyone knows most states do not legally recognize gay relationships, and the very few that do tend to do so only for state employees, not for citizens at large. If September 11 has taught us anything, it's that our patriotism and love of country transcend our differences and unite us all. It would be ironic if the generosity of so many Americans in giving to the September 11th Fund were used to further divide us as a people, and send the message to all that some American heroes are more equal than others. I strongly urge that this decision for discrimination be reversed immediately and that qualifying gay and lesbian widows/widowers be included as fund recipients. Thanks you, 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 dojR001625.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