774 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. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 2:47 AM please read 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 Morton, IL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002487.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 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 New York, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA003249.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. Tuesday, January 15, 2002 8:20 PM Help same sex partners of terrorist victims Dear Mr. Zwick: The very humane Fund for relatives of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks must include all relatives of all the victims. This importantly should include the partners and children of same sex unions. They suffer just as grievously for their deceased loved ones as do other survivors, and their need for assistance is just as great. Please do not give in to the importuning of callous homophobic groups and individuals who would have the Department of Justice limit compensation to survivors of heterosexual unions. They are interested in a political victory, not humane assistance. This Fund is intended for humane purposes; it is not a political statement, Mr. Zwick. Sincerely, Individual Comment Plainfield, VT September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-15 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 dojN001853.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. 2002-01-15 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 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 4:22 AM Fairness is needed December 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, As a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, I am 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, such as that against sexual minorities. 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 Seattle, WA 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 dojA002501.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. Saturday, February 09, 2002 12:51 PM VictimComp To Whom It May Concern, I am writing today because I am very unhappy about this September 11th fund coming out of my pocket against my will! I do not wish to pay for someone else's upkeep unless I make the decision to do so. I find it sad that instead of taking on the charitable organizations and demanding they pay out what we great Americans dug deep and sent in (as I understand, funds are still coming in to these organizations), the government has taken it upon themselves to decide for us all that we also have to be taxed to keep these people in a lifestyle which they have become accustomed to. Lots of these people were making way more money than my husband and I make in a year, and were smart investors making sure their families were taken care of in the event that something should happen to them. If something should happen to my husband, I would have to change my lifestyle greatly to take care of my family. I wouldn't expect someone to do it for me and I wouldn't ask, I would just do. Seems to me the charitable organizations got off pretty easy at our expense and as nice as we were in giving funds to help out like we always do in times of hardship, we are told "please give more." Please don't get me wrong, I cried with everyone on September 11th, I wouldn't wish anything bad on ANYONE, but to say that this somehow is more important than anything else that has happened in the past (WTC'93, U.S.S. Cole, O.K. City, Lockerbie) is ludicrous! And to also say that the people in the lower paying job bracket that worked in the WTC building should somehow get less than the ones who were in the higher paying bracket looks to me that you sure have put a price on someone's life. The lower paid employees are the bread and butter for the higher paid. They did the cleaning, cooking and any other job they had to do to make the others life just a little easier yet they are looked over as has been done forever where the middle class is concerned. And of course, lest we forget the "domestic partners" clause! Utter rubbish!! Then there's the people who were found to be in the country illegally, yet they still get something out of it?? What's wrong with this picture? Operative word in that last sentence was "illegally" meaning they had no business working in this country, they had no papers to be here, so NO money! I say let's scrap this thing, demand the charitable organizations get off their behinds and start doing with our money what we expected them to do, what they said they would do, get the money in the hands of the people who lost loved ones in this horrible disaster and move on with all our lives!! And to said charitable organizations, they can remember these days now for future reference if God forbid something like this should happen again and they're sitting in their offices wondering why the American public hasn't donated anything. We'll be taking it to the victims themselves to assure it goes to the hands that need them. And to the politicians who voted this mess in, when you're sitting in your homes finding you're out of a job come election day in a few months remember this and that we the American people are the government, you work for us, not the other way around! Thank you.Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-09 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojP000476.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. 2002-02-09 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, December 18, 2001 10:49 PM Support Equal Access to Crisis Relief Benefits for Surviving Gay and Lesbian Partners! December 18, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Chicago, IL 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 dojA002421.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. Thursday, March 14, 2002 1:28 PM Gays and Lesbians deserve compensation too! I received an article today which I found very disturbing. I'm sure you've heard about it, and I hope you're getting enough response to rethink the decision. I am a straight, white American citizen. I do not feel like there are prejudices against me for the most part, but I deeply sympathize with those who do have to deal with prejudice. The fact that our government, or those who represent our government are saying that it's okay for us to give money to illegal aliens, who one, have not paid taxes and contributed to our country, and two, are here against our laws, seems unfathomable to me. Let's give these undeserving immigrants compensation for the loss of loved ones, who were, in some cases, also illegal aliens themselves, but forget about the good hearted, taxpaying, law abiding citizens who's partners died trying to save our country because of their sexual orientation. That's appauling! That is a complete contradiction of what America is about. This is the melting pot. This is a country where people are supposed to be able to come to without getting judged, yet we have a man, Kenneth Feinberg, who stands up on National television, and advertizes the opposite. What is wrong with this picture? And to use the state law as a cop out! Just because some states don't recognize same sex marriages, does that mean that the love two people shared is worth less? If anything, their love was stronger because they had prejudices to overcome together. Who is Mr. Feinberg to make the call of who deserves compensation based on such factors? This world is not made up of black and white. There is a huge amount of grey area that falls between the cracks. Don't allow these people, who are human beings to fall between the cracks. There is always individual circumstances and situations to be considered, and labeling these people appears to be a way for you to control your budget. Whether it's true or not, it looks to the American public like your organization doesn't have enough money to go around, so they have chosen this group of people to be left out in order to maintain your mission. There are better ways to achieve that. Why not come up with a standard rule? If a victim can provide proof that they were living with their partner for over a year, and that they were living together at the time of the attacks, then they qualify, period. Please take this letter into consideration. Gays and lesbians deserve compensation too. These people have lost the most important person in their lives. Don't deprive them of the benefits that you are allowing others. If being gay is wrong, then let God be the one to judge them. Don't do it here on earth! Give these people the compassion they deserve. Sincerely, Individual Comment Denver, CO September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-14 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 dojR000766.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. 2002-03-14 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. Tuesday, December 18, 2001 10:39 AM Protect Traditional Marriage Mr. Kenneth Zwick Office of Management Programs Department of Justice Washington, DC Dear Mr. Zwick: I want to express my opposition to any effort by the federal government to provide 9-11 victim compensation funds to "domestic partners" of unmarried survivors of the terrorist attack upon our nation. Funds disbursed through the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 should only go to the surviving family members of those who died on 9-11. Funds must go to the widows, widowers, orphans, and other blood-related or adopted members of the family--not to unmarried sexual partners of those who died. To provide funds to "domestic partners" is to undermine the traditional definition of marriage and family to include any number of sexual liaisons between same-sex or opposite-sex unmarried couples. Many homosexuals and swinging heterosexuals, for example, engage in sex with multiple partners. Do we provide funds to each of the sexual partners? Where do we draw the line on how many "domestic partners" a person may have? Homosexual activists are exploiting the 9-11 tragedy by asking the federal government to redefine what constitutes a legitimate "family" under the law. In fact, homosexual activist , writing in Out magazine has openly called for the subversion of the concept of marriage between a man and a woman. He has urged homosexuals to fight for the legalization of homosexual marriages and once legalized to "redefine the institution of marriage completely . . . . to debunk a myth and radically alter an archaic institution. . . . The most subversive action lesbians and gays can under take--and one that would perhaps benefit all of society--is to transform the notion of 'family' entirely." If the DOJ provides funds to "domestic partners," it will be helping accomplish his goal: That of redefining marriage and altering what he calls an "archaic institution." We also oppose September 11th Funds going to the estates of the deceased instead of to their surviving family members. No one can know for certain where these funds will end up if they are deposited in the estate of a person who has died. The person may have willed his estate to a terrorist, racial hate group, or even to an organization like the North American Man-Boy Love Association. No one will know unless each person's will is examined by a DOJ lawyer. The money should go to the surviving family members of the deceased, not to the estate or to the surviving "domestic partner." Individual Comment Miamisburg, OH 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 dojA002173.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 5:16 PM 9/11 Fund Exclusion of Gays I am a college student, and being young I am assumed to be cynical and have little tolerance or respect for our government. But the latest actions of our government bring my respect for our government to a new low. The hypocrisy of our leaders is absolutely appalling. I have lost my faith. How can our country, our government, our leaders, and ourselves truly believe in a free world if we fail to let that freedom encompass all people? We can no longer seek to find division amongst ourselves. The policies of division are what have dictated the past and can no longer be supported. Our countries policies of division have separated landowners from non-landowners, men from women, whites from Blacks (and every other race), Christians from Jews and Muslims, and straight people from gays and lesbians. When will we learn? I would have thought that we would have learned September 11th. I was under the impression that since September 11th, we have all come together, to be united as a country. But in fact the opposite is true. From our government's policies targeting Arab-Americans and other immigrants to the 9/11 fund's exclusion of gays, our country, our government, our leaders, and ourselves (if we choose to do nothing about it) have once again resorted to a policy of divisiveness. It is time -- in fact it has been time for several years now -- to take a stand. We can no longer let our governments policies of division separate us. We are all Americans, and more importantly we are all humans. No amount of misguided laws, divisive policies, prejudice or fear can deny that fact. As a college student, as the future of this country, I ask you to end this countrys policies of division and help unite us all, gay and straight alike, under the banner of humanity. Sincerely, 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 dojR001122.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, March 14, 2002 11:28 AM 9/11 Fund Discrimination Mr. Feingold: You are taking the easy way out. You know that gay people like died for their country and possibly saved the lives of thousands of others who may have been killed in an attack on Washington DC. You said on MEET THE PRESS that you didn't want to be involved in law suits from every state. You should be proud to be sued by every state in the union if it means treating hero gays and lesbians like normal people. Isn't that worth fighting for? put his life on the line - - won't you at least put something of yourself on the line? Don't be a coward. Do what's right and take a chance. Maybe it's time for America to realize the truth. Be a hero. Sincerely, Individual Comment Oceanside, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-14 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 dojR000746.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. 2002-03-14 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. Wednesday, March 13, 2002 7:09 PM 9/11 Fund Discriminating Against Gays Dear Mr. Feinberg, SHAME ON YOU! What kind of motivations do you have to allow ILLEGAL ALIENS and their spouses to collect funds from your organization BUT NOT AMERICAN BORN GAYS AND LESBIANS. EVERYONE THAT WAS AFFECTED should be allowed to receive funds, regardless of race, origin, SEXUAL PREFERENCE, OR ANY OTHER REASON. With your logic in place, THERE IS NO JUSTICE, in any DEPARTMENT that you're a part of. I AM A STRAIGHT but educated AMERICAN CITIZEN that VOTES like other responsible people in this country, INCLUDING GAYS AND LESBIANS and your shallow prejudice WILL NOT BE TOLERATED without recourse. Most sincerely and totally disgusted, Individual Comment Culver City, CA 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 dojR002116.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. Thursday, December 20, 2001 2:00 PM Equality in Giving 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 Charlottesville, VA 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 dojA004518.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. Tuesday, December 04, 2001 3:58 PM 9/11 Victim 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 Fort Lauderdale, FL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA000333.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, March 11, 2002 9:58 AM The 911 fund I am having a hard time with the statements made this weekend on "Meet the Press" "[Gays and lesbians are] left out of my program to the extent that their own state doesn't include them. I cannot get into a position in this program, which has a one-and-a-half or two-year life start second-guessing what the state of New York or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the state of Virginia or New Jersey, how they treat same-sex partners, domestic live-ins, etc. I simply say this: What does your state law say about who is eligible? If your state law makes you eligible, I will honor state law. If it doesn't, I go with the state. Otherwise, Tim, I would find myself getting sued in every state by people claiming that I'm not following how the state distributes money. I can't get into that local battle. I've got to rely on state law," - Kenneth Feinberg on NBC's "Meet the Press," March 10, 2002. So it is OK to ignore federal law when it comes to immigration violations and distribute funds to persons who are not citizens but not OK to honor your commitment to distribute funds to tax paying individuals, who can't get married, who lost their life partner/spouse to this terrorist attack. This is the most shameful display of discrimination that I have seen in the last 6 months. We are all painfully aware how few states honor the commitments made between gay and lesbian couples. To fall back on the position of what state law permits instead of being a leader and honoring the commitment made to all people in the wake of the attack is a disgrace. I am saddened today to be living in a country that treats its citizens in such a discriminatory manor. I am not opposed to undocumented immigrants receiving monies but if you are going to overlook federal and state laws for them how can you treat citizens in any lesser of a way. Peace, Individual Comment Chicago, IL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000073.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. 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 Pasadena, CA 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 dojA005199.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 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. Mr. Kenneth Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: My name is My close friend &nbsp worked for &nbsp He was 30 years of age. Wife: Children: &nbsp born September 22, 2001 Please accept the comments and opinions of the attached letter as that of my own. Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Signed: Individual Comment Attached Letter: November 21, 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: Five thousand people were murdered on September 11, 2001. They left that morning to work at the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon and were at their desks by 8:30 A.M. Some said "I love you" as they left, some said "see you later", and some said "don't forget to put air in your tires." None came home that night. None will come home anymore for the rest of forever. In response to the Justice Department's request for public comment on the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" established by the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act, we respectfully submit the following. However, before we begin our substantive comments, please allow us to make you aware of one fact. Be very clear in knowing that there is nothing you could possibly do on this earth that could compensate us for the loss of loved ones. You could offer us one billion dollars each, lump sum, and we would trade it along with all our worldly possessions to have them back, to have them home. The Victim Compensation Fund is purported to be an attempt to "make whole" the families of the victims lost in the attacks. Unless you have supreme power which will result in the return of our loved ones, "making whole" is impossible. Alternatively, we are hoping this legislation results in a fund which truly is an incentive for families not to pursue litigation. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to comment. RIGHT TO A HEARING The legislation as written does not make clear whether or not we will have right to be heard before a hearing officer or Special Master. Only we can present the specifics of our personal situation and loss and therefore rightfully deserve the opportunity to do so. This would include the right to be represented by counsel, to present evidence, to offer personal and expert testimony, and to present our expectations of relief. This would require each case to be heard and considered individually. While this may be time consuming, it is the only way to insure that each family suffering this loss is fairly represented and thus fairly compensated. ECONOMIC LOSSES We strongly oppose any cap to the amount recoverable through the Fund for economic losses suffered as a result of the death of our loved ones. Husbands and fathers worked long hours, sacrificing the precious time they had left with their families and children, to earn the salaries and bonuses accrued every year. This income is forever gone; to reduce it in any manner is contrary to the statutory attempts to "make whole" the family suffering as a result of this disaster. The computation of the amount of lost wages should be similar to that used in personal injury actions. Retirement age should be set at 68 and the decedent's age subtracted from there. Gross income should be averaged over the past three years. The resulting income and years to retirement should be multiplied together for a starting point for computation. Factors such as inflation, wage increases, merit advancements and any other benefits that would have earned had the victim's lived should be considered and added to the base amount. NON-ECONOMIC LOSSES We, again, strongly oppose any cap to the amount recoverable through the fund for non-economic losses suffered as a result of the most public, painful and horrific deaths of our loved ones. Each case must be evaluated individually and must take into account specifics such as the number of the decedent's children and their age, the severity of the pain and suffering of both the victim and his family members, and the severity of the loss and pain to be suffered as a result of reliving this tragedy as a moment in history for the rest of our lives, for the rest of their children's lives. It is worthwhile to note that families with substantial pensions, with a lost spouse nearing retirement age, or with income received as a result of the death of the victim would be unable to benefit from this Fund unless the recovery under this section is substantial. There would be no incentive to pursue a claim offset to pecuniary loss or minimal benefit. Litigation in this instance would be obviously pursued. COLLATERAL INCOME We strongly oppose and are greatly disturbed by the clause in the statute which requires any distribution under the fund to be offset by "the amount of collateral source compensation the claimant has received or is entitled to receive . . . [including] life insurance, pension funds, death benefit programs . . . " Since this is a governmentally sponsored fund, we find it understandable and acceptable to reduce the amount recovered under such by the monies received through other government programs. However, reducing the amount distributed by proceeds of life insurance policies personally purchased by the decedents is unreasonable and contrary to public policy. It establishes a system of disparate treatment among the victims in that it penalizes some for investments made through personal purchases, while excusing others. For example, victims who increased their families' assets through personal purchases of stock or related investments to a level where life insurance was not necessary, would be able to collect from the fund as written with minimal offset. However, those who planned to increase family assets through life insurance would have the same distribution substantially reduced by the amount of the life insurance proceeds. If an individual purchased a rare painting for his estate planning, sold after his demise at a substantial financial gain for his heirs, his families' distribution under the fund would not be reduced. Yet distribution to the family who purchased life insurance instead, if regulated as planned, would be offset by the proceeds. It is quite simply an unequal and unfair provision. The government may not investigate and penalize against the personal purchases of individuals. We do enjoy the right of the protection of liberty in this country, we have the right to earn a living and spend our after tax dollars as we see fit. Supplemental life insurance, obtained with personal funds, must not be included in the provisions which regulate distribution reductions under the Fund. If revising the language of the statute is not an option of this Committee at this juncture, or not an option until properly challenged, we submit that reduction of the distribution under the Fund by a percent of the proceeds of employer sponsored or funded life insurance would be an acceptable compromise. COLLATERAL INCOME/IRA'S; CHARITABLE DONATIONS Pension funds, IRAs and 401K plans are essentially savings accounts of another name funded with the personally earned money of the decedent. The choice of one's particular occupation or allocation of his income gave rise to the monies available at retirement or death in these accounts. Again the issue of disparate treatment arises. Individuals who saved in a standard bank sponsored savings account suffer no reduction from distribution under the Fund. Individuals who allocated their savings of personally earned income to retirement accounts suffer reduction of the total amount in savings to that which would be distributed under the Fund. In deference to the governmental involvement in IRA's et al., money owed due to preferential tax treatment of savings in retirement accounts could be reduced from Fund allocations, but principal determined to be from personal savings must not. In the end, we lost our loved ones because they worked in a national landmark. The terrorists chose these buildings, the World Trade Centers, because they symbolized the American economy, the freedom of capitalism. It was an act of war on America and the American people recognized this. As a result, in an effort to support our country and to unite with those of us who suffered the greatest loss in this tragedy, the American people donated hard earned money to ease the burden of those of us left to suffer this loss for a lifetime. Donations were generously given as a form of healing for both donor and receiver. It is reprehensible that the very charities trusted with the responsibility to honor the wishes of the American people see fit to withhold the donations for personal objectives, yet to have the government attempt to belittle the gesture of its own people even further is as horrific as the tragedy itself. The money donated is toted as "a gift from the American people." Since when does our government have the right to investigate our personal gifts and require the recipients to "pay them back"? Charitable donations must not be considered a source of collateral income to reduce the amounts distributable under the Fund. That is not in the spirit of which the donations were given. Restitution of the amounts by a reduction in Fund allocation would serve only to financially benefit the government. If that is what the people of this country had intended, they would have sent their checks to the government first hand. RIGHT TO APPEAL One of the liberties we enjoy in America is the right to an appeal. In cases heard before a judge in trial and in most heard before a hearing officer in an administrative agency, respondents enjoy the right to appeal the decision. Plaintiffs would have the right to appeal a decision on varying levels if litigation were pursued in response to the events of September 11. Denying one the right to appeal the decision of the Special Master is not an incentive to consider merits of the Victim's Compensation Fund. And it is contrary as well to the standard practices of adjudication of this country. Finally, we would respectfully request that payment under the fund be paid in one lump sum and as directed by the claimants. For example, sums paid to a victim's minor children should be permitted to be made in trust with vesting as determined by the minor child's guardian. CONCLUSION Thank you again for this opportunity to comment on regulations which will bear great effect on our lives and the lives of the children of the victims. We have suffered the greatest of losses because we live in America and because our loved ones worked in the symbol of American capitalism. We are changed forever; we bear the burden of other's hatred of our country's ideals more than anyone at this moment in time. Think of the children as you write and finalize the regulations associated with the Victim's Compensation Fund. Think of the children, not partisan loyalties. Think of the children, because if you do not now, you will have lost the opportunity to support your fallen families forever. Sincerely yours, September 11 Victim's Families September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000777.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, March 18, 2002 3:23 PM UnFair! Discrimination is wrong! Gay people died too and leave behind loved ones just as heterosexual victimes did. Please reconsider your position and do the right thing for ALL Americans. Individual Comment Cleveland, OH 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 dojR001980.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. Thursday, December 20, 2001 12:23 PM Equal Relief Benefit Access December 20, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, 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 respectfully ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality. Please include those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, among the relatives eligible for compensation, 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 living expenses, day to day activities, and the emotional bonds of family with the victim, 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 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 consideration of 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 Boise, ID 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 dojA004333.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, December 05, 2001 11:59 AM "September 11 Victim 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 Alvin, TX September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-05 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA000942.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-05 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, March 16, 2002 5:55 PM Hello: I recently learned that gay partners of the deceased in the WTC are not receiving equal compensation as straight ones. Please do not discriminate against gay partners! The meaning of being American is that of living in a society that accepts all people regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation. By not supporting all those who were victimized in this tragedy, you question the very foundations of our country. Yours truly, 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 dojR001162.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