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 12:18 PM Liberty and Justic for ALL To Whom It May Concern: I am appalled by the apparent discriminatory treatment that your fund perpetuates on the survivors of gay men and women who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Of course, this tragedy brings out the most sympathetic feelings in almost every individual that I have discussed it with in the last six months. I've heard members of Congress say that there would be help and assistance for EVERY person that lost a loved one. I've heard Senator John McCain say that as a tribute to we will "claim victory over these atrocities." I've heard average citizens say that we should do anything that we can to help! But suddenly the sympathy seems to have come to an abrupt halt for a select few. Now we are hearing things like "well, we didn't mean THOSE kind of people." I didn't send my money to help out those "faggots" who should have died along with the rest." "I'm glad that faggot died. It's a shame he had to take the other good people with him." did not want to be a hero. did not want to die. did not stand up and shout I'm gay and I'm hero. He simply offered his life as a means to save others of any race, creed, color or sexual orientation, and to apparently save a national treasure, the United States Capitol. Now the surviving loved ones of others like are being told that they have no claim to any compensation because they are not recognized by state governments as being "legally" entitled. Yet people who have entered this country illegally and have made a mockery of our laws are given special dispensation from the very justice system that they skirt around every day. Why? Because they are heterosexual, of course. How silly of me to question that!! I beg of you to find a way to provide the same kindness, courtesy, justice and love for all the survivors of this tragedy. Gay men and women in this country are beaten, set afire, butchered, tied to fences after being raped and tortured, spit on, chased by cars, - the list goes on and on - almost every day. We have so little recourse for these events because we can't even get Congress to see fit to include us in a hate crimes bill. Our country tells us we aren't even worthy of being protected, that our lives are worthless because of the person we love. Please don't add to one tragedy by perpetuating this hate. I assure you that as a gay man, I feel; I hurt; I cry; I bleed and I love just as any other human being. I know that those who lost someone they love on September 11th, feel; hurt, cry, bleed and love as well. Do NOT turn your back on them now. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000634.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