192 20 12614 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, El Cajon, 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 dojA003674.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. Monday, January 21, 2002 1:11 PM New Vote.com votes as of 01:10 PM EST on January 21st, 2002 Dear September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Vote.com is the Internet's most popular voting site. Millions of people regularly express their opinions and - in just one click - automatically send their views to important decision makers like you. Here are the latest votes on the question, DOES THE GOVERNMENT'S AID PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES OF SEPT. 11 VICTIMS GO FAR ENOUGH?: YES: 25 votes NO: 1 votes Group Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-21 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 dojN002169.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. 2002-01-21 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. Tuesday, November 27, 2001 2:22 PM Sept 11 Compensation for unmarried partners Dear Attorney General Ashcroft, The deaths on September 11th were the result of an attack on America. Please do not discriminate against the unmarried partners of September 11th victims. All unmarried partners, gay or straight, young and old and their dependents should be eligible for compensation. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-27 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 dojA000031.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. 2001-11-27 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. 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 Decatur, GA 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 dojA005135.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. Thursday, December 20, 2001 10:08 PM Rights for Same Sex Partners 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 Bend, OR 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 dojN000147.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, January 15, 2002 8:58 PM Victims Compensation Fund January 15, 2001 President GW Bush: Governor George Pataki: Kenneth L Zwick, DOJ: Senator Charles Schumer: Senator Hillary Clinton: Senator John McCain: In the immediate aftermath of the tragic attack of The United States, on September 11, Congress enacted the Victims" Compensation Fund of 2001 P.L. 107-42, to compensate the relatives of the victims of that brutal attack. As you know, this Fund was enacted as part of a comprehensive package which bailed out the airline industry and imposed restrictions of the rights of the victims" relatives to recover damages from court. We implore upon you, as our elected officials, to demand changes to the interim rules issued by Kenneth Feinberg, the Special Master. As it stands, Mr. Feinberg's self-imposed rules fail to satisfy the letter or the spirit of the legislation, which was enacted. Specifically, we request that you act on our behalf and demand the following changes to the interim rules: 1. Remove arbitrary income limits. The arbitrary income limits imposed by the Special Master are not only unfair but also inconsistent with the letter and the spirit of the law. Those victims from the financial industry are specifically harmed by this limit. They were targeted and murdered precisely because of the jobs they held and where they worked-the World Trade Center, the Financial capital of the world, the embodiment of financial success. Those who achieved such success should see that reflected in their awards. They personified American Business and commerce, democracy and freedom. We ask that you demand that Mr. Feinberg lift the arbitrary income limits so that each family can be treated fairly; commensurate with the support they provided their families before their death. 2. Increase non-economic rewards. Mr. Feinberg has arbitrarily restricted the non-economic awards for pain and suffering, no matter what the extent of the pain and suffering. This is unacceptable. In the words of Congressman Peter King,"Severy death is tragic. A murder is particularly tragic. But to have your love one murdered in a burning building in full view of the world - in a scene which will be repeated in the media for decades to come - is a horror these families will never escape fromSThe Special Master cannot take it upon himself to restrict the rights of the families." Therefore, we request that the interim rules be amended to more appropriately compensate the victims' families' for the immeasurable pain and suffering endured by our loved ones. As Mayor Giuliani stated in his farewell address: "we have an obligation to the people who did dieSTheir families need to be protected just as if they had been alive, financially and every other way that we can help and assist their familiesSThere should be no compromise about that everS" We request that the interim rules be amended and that compensation for pain and suffering more accurately reflect that horror which was suffered. Justice demands no less. Sincerely, Individual Comment 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 dojN001836.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. Tuesday, December 04, 2001 5:25 PM Compensation of 9/11 victims' families Please be sure to extend compensation to all surviving families of those killed in the September 11th N.Y.C. tragedy of the World Trade Towers, including the committed partners and children (biological as well as non biological) of gay and lesbian victims. Thankyou. Individual Comment Flint, Michigan 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 dojA000405.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. 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 Claremont, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004685.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, March 17, 2002 4:18 PM comment You know, when I spent not one, but two tours of duty fighting in Viet Nam I wasn't concerned about the fact that I was gay and most of the soldiers I served alongside were straight. It wasn't important. What was important was that we were a group of Americans serving our country to the best of our ability. What a kick in the teeth it is to hear that the same country I so proudly served now has the gall to say that certain of the victims who died on 9/11 "don't count" because they were gay or lesbian. Yet at the same time it is turning its back on these American citizens, it is rushing to embrace non-citizens who were in this country illegally. SHAME ON YOU! By the way, I think that I can speak for many gay and lesbian tax-payers when I say that it has not escaped our notice that while we pay the same taxes as our heterosexual neighbors, we are denied the right to receive many of the benefits those taxes pay for, even while our straight neighbors and their families accept those benefits as if it were thier God given right to be supported by those locked out of the system. I don't know how long you think you can continue to &nbsp 10% of the population and get away with it. Individual Comment San Francisco, CA 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 dojR001475.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. Monday, March 11, 2002 6:48 PM Shame on you. This atrocity is as bad as the one committed by Osama bin Laden on 9/11. You should forever hang your heads in shame. Please use the portion of the 9/11 fund attributable to MY TAX DOLLARS to provide benefits to the survivors of lesbian and gay victims of the tragedy of 9/11 in states that discriminate against these citizens who gave their lives in this country's war on terror. I promise not to sue. I'm a straight (and proud) father of a wonderful daughter (who happens to be a lesbian). Individual Comment Sausalito, CA 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 dojR000288.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. Thursday, December 20, 2001 8:39 AM fairness sought 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 Decatur, GA 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 dojA004321.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 19, 2001 9:26 PM 9/11 Compensation 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 Conesus, NY 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 dojA003822.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, December 08, 2001 8:11 PM Ensure compensation for ALL victims 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. Our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from the terrorist attacks. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind love 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 Sunbury, PA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-08 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001352.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. 2001-12-08 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 1:16 PM September 11 Victims Relief Fund 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 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 dojA003298.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. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 9:15 AM Equal Access to Crisis Relief Benefits 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 Baden, Pa 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 dojA002832.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, March 16, 2002 6:55 PM 9/11 Victim Comp.Fund Hello, I just wanted to drop a short note to let you know that I am outraged that gay and lesbian partners of those who died on September 11 are not automatically going to receive the same benefits as heterosexual spouses. Seems like some things are never gonna change! Just remember the names , , and , and countless others who lost their lives that just happened to be gay or lesbian. Are they any less Americans than any of the other victims? Just wanted to add my two cents worth. Take care, Individual CommentRockwall, 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 dojR001184.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. Friday, December 14, 2001 6:29 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 &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp , 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 &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp 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 Shiloh, OH 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 dojA001705.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. November 20, 2001 Mr. Kenneth L. Zwick Director, Office of Management Programs Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: We are writing to bring to your attention concerns that have been raised by some of our constituents regarding the rules governing the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. We represent the State of New Jersey, which has suffered substantially because of the attack on the World Trade Center. Sadly, a great many of the victims of the attack were New Jersey residents. One community lost over 36 residents, more than it lost in all of World War II. As you know, Congress established the Victim Compensation Fund to ensure that victims of the attack and their families would receive prompt and fair payment. Recently, many of these families have contacted us to raise concerns about the Fund. In particular, families are concerned that given the large amounts of potential claimants, the Fund will be administered in a manner that limits their due process rights and fails to give them an adequate opportunity to establish their eligibility for relief. Families also are concerned that their benefits may be reduced to account for payments received from other sources, including funds received by charities. These concerns have been forwarded to your office as part of the public comment on the Victim Compensation Fund. We hope you will take these concerns in mind as you develop the rules governing the Fund. In our view, ensuring prompt payment to victims and their families must be the government's paramount concern in administering the Fund. Many of these families are now struggling to pay their bills and rebuild their lives. It is essential that they be given an adequate opportunity to establish their eligibility for relief, without unnecessary red tape, and that they be provided with the full compensation to which they are entitled. To ensure that the families are given adequate opportunity to voice their concerns, we urge you to hold a public hearing on the draft regulations in the next few weeks. Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter. Sincerely, Comment by: Robert G. Torricelli Jon S. Corzine UNITED STATES SENATOR UNITED STATES SENATOR September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-20 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 dojW000798.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. 2001-11-20 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. Sunday, March 17, 2002 2:20 PM Compensate ALL VICTIMS Dear Sir; The time has come for the federal governemnt to end it's own hipocracy and do what's right. Gay men and women of this country died in the attack of Sept. 11th. and their domestic partners should be allowed the same privildge as those of other partnerships. That the US government can arbitralily make such a distinction makes civil rights for those a thing of the past. Gay persons are no less loving then heterosexual persons and as human beings deserve the same basic rights. I emplore you you reconsider and maek sure that ALL the families of the tradgedy of Sept. 11 are compensated equally. Individual Comment Mobile, Ala 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 dojR001439.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. November 24, 2001 Mr. Kenneth L. Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the procedural rulemaking of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Program. We are a large group of families who have lost our loved ones in the attack on the World Trade Centers. Enclosed in this transmission, please find a copy of the letter outlining our comments in reference to the administration of the Fund. While this Fund is promoted as having been established for our benefit, it was realistically developed to limit liability of airlines and associated potential defendants of the September 11th tragedy, and to prevent their financial collapse. It was developed to offer us an incentive not to sue. We are sincerely hoping it will succeed in its objective. Attached also are some of the personal letters of those endorsing these comments and opinions. They are the letters of those of us who are most involved, who are suffering the greatest loss. They are a reminder to you that this tragedy affected real people, real spouses, real children, real parents. we believe that it is imperative that you do not lose sight of that fact as the difficult task of regulation development gets under way. Again, thank you for your this opportunity and for your time in reading and considering our concerns. Sincerely, Individual Comment Chatham, NJ Attachment 1: November 26, 2001 Mr. Kenneth L. Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue 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 AM. 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 of 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 expectation 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 on 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 obviously be pursued. COLLATERAL INCOME We strongly oppose and are greatly disturbed by the clause in the statue 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 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 statue 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 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 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 allocations would serve only to financially benefit the government. If that is what people of this country had intended, they would have sent their checks to the government first hand. RIGHT TO APPEAL On 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, Individual Comment Attachment 2: November 26, 2001 Mr. Kenneth L. Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: My name is . My husband, worked for on the floor of One World Trade Center and was murdered by terrorists on September 11th. He called me twice, first at 8:30 a.m. to ask how his son was feeling and then again at 8:50 a.m. There was fear in his voice as he said "the building's been hit by a plane." I could hear the chaos in the background and he then told me he was in the stairwell, they had cell phones and the smoke was really bad -- he was trying to get out. We said a tearful "I love you" and then "good-bye." I never heard from him again. His remains have not been recovered. He was 41. We have three children. They will never see, play with or hug their daddy again. They will grow up with fear and hatred in their hearts. My husband will never hold them or watch them grow up, and I will never feel his arms around me or have his support in raising a family. They will grow up with horrific images of that day and know people who hate us did this to us and our government let us down. Their belief in God has been shaken, their trust that America is safe and secure shattered, their joy of life crushed and their lives have been permanently altered. They were so innocent and now they are so scared. They cry themselves to sleep at night and wake up with nightmares. There are no words to described how horrible our lives have become because of this disgusting tragedy. We are lonely, frightened and heartbroken. They have been cheated, please don't allow them to be cheated again. Think of all the children and help secure their financial futures since their worlds have been completely destroyed. Please accept the comments and opinions of the attached letter as my own. Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Chaham, NJ Attachment 3: Attorney General John Ashcroft Honorable Rodney Frelinghuysen, New Jersey Honorable Robert Toricelli, Senator from New Jersey Honorable Jon D. Corzine, Senator from New Jersey Honorable Bill Young, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Dear Sirs: I am writing to urge you to implement the September 11 Victim's Compensation Fund of 2001 quickly and to the full extent intended by the Congress, the President and the people of the United States. The events of September 11, 2001 have forever changed this country. All Americans experienced the terror of watching the devastating acts of violence in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. All Americans felt the pain of this deliberate attack on our country. My family experienced the worst possible horror. At 8:48 a.m. on that fateful Tuesday, my husband, called home from his office in the World Trade Center. I was taking our children to school, and was not home to hear his last words. Instead, he left a message, telling me he was on the floor and that he was trying to get out of the building, but could not. That was the last I heard from him. My life, and my children's lives, will never be the same. and I had just celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. We were happily raising our three children, . We were all gearing up for the new school year. was set to start nursery school on September 12th, a day both he and had been anticipating with great excitement. Instead, my children just celebrated their first Thanksgiving without their daddy. Tomorrow, we will sing Happy Birthday to and wish his father were there. I myself celebrated my 36th birthday on September , just days after the attacks. Instead of a joyous day, I steeled myself against the truth, and told my children that Daddy was now an Angel in Heaven. One week later, we held a memorial service at the same church were had been preparing to teach Sunday school. My children will have to adjust to a life very different from the one had worked so hard to provide. Instead of two parents to clap for him in his after school music performances, will rely on the encouragement of friends. who learned to ride a 'two-wheeler' this past summer, will need the neighbor's Dad to help her with athletic interests. And, who searches the night sky each evening for his "Daddy's star," will grow up with only the most distant memories of the man whom he resembles so closely. Now I face the future alone. Having left the workforce 8 years ago to raise our children, I now worry about finding a job to support my family. Such a change would be hard under any circumstances. I am very scared of how hard it will be to find work in the current economy. In addition to these worries for my future, my daily life is now filled with unimaginable bureaucracy and interminable paperwork. The usual tasks associated with the death of a loved one are all the more difficult given the circumstances of sudden loss in the midst of a national emergency. I struggle to maintain some normal routine for my children, as I fill out form after form and wait on line after line. I do not know what I would have done without the support of close friends, neighbors, and the kindness of complete strangers. I also know that such generosity cannot last. I worry about the bills. How will I cover the mortgage, car payments, food and clothing costs for three children? What if one of the children gets sick? What if I get sick and cannot work? These thoughts keep me up at night, even as I mourn the loss of my beloved husband. I urge you to act as the conscience of the American people guided Congress to do in late September, when the September 11 Victim's Compensation Fund of 2001 was signed into law. My family, and the thousands of other families directly affected by the attacks, deserves the full support of the United States people. No financial compensation will never bring back my children's daddy or make my family whole. But the swiftest, most intact, provision of compensation to my family and others will allow us to mourn our losses and begin to move forward. Doing do will allow us the slightest bit of security in these enormously insecure times. Providing the funds as originally authorized will allow those of us from whom the events of September 11 stole loved ones, whose families paid the highest possible price, to slowly regain our footing, to slowly return to a new normalcy. Other Americans are beginning to act as both Congress and the President have called on them to do - to step forward in the face of terror and to fight back by returning to their routines. My family hopes also to return to a routine. Ours will be a new one, crafted around the permanent hole where my husband should be, and the gap that can only be filled by loving memory. I ask you to do what you can to alleviate the financial burden, as I, and my children, struggle with the emotional toll. Sincerely, Individual Comment Chatham, New Jersey Attachment 4: November 21, 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 My name is . My husband is . worked for on the floor of the Wold Trade Center and was murdered on September 11th. I was months pregnant on that Tuesday. I had kept him up on Monday night because I as not feeling well. He was so concerned and helpful, as always. This baby is our first. We have been married for over five years and together for about 15 years. He had just turned 31 on September 6th and could not have been more excited about finally becoming a daddy. He called me and left a message at about 8:30 that Tuesday evening. He wanted to make sure I was feeling better. He also said that he wanted me to look at an interesting article on the Internet. He never actually said what it was in reference to. His last words on the answering machine were "call me later." I cannot stop thinking of this. The fact that he thought that there was going to be a later for him. After all, he was just at work and there is no danger in that. I never heard from him again. All I can think of is how scared I was for him that day and everyday since then. The thought of him being in pain or being scared and knowing at one point that he was going to die haunts me. I can only imagine that he was thinking, God, please watch over my baby and my family. I cannot accept that will never get to see his child. He will never hold his baby close to him and sing to him as he often would do to my belly after we found our we were pregnant. He worked very hard to insure that we would have everything that we needed and then some. I admire and respect him for that. I lover him for the incredible person that he was. He was always helpful to all people, always wearing a smile, always so real and genuinely human. People were drawn to him. and I lived oversees for about 5 years. We were in London first and then in Tokyo. had sent him oversees in 1995. We came back from Tokyo just before January of . I will never forget so many people being so happy and telling us the same thing -- "we are so happy that you are both coming home, back to your country where you will be safe, finally." I am so sick over the thought that such a thing could happen. I am so sick of hearing that we will not allow terrorists to win by backing down and not going on with our lives. The reality is that they did win. They took the one most important part of my life away. They took my husbands life and turned it into a tragedy, a horrific disgusting tragedy. In the midst of this tragedy, I thank God everyday for the blessing of a child. After I thank him I ask him why this happened? I ask him, how will I explain to our little boy who his daddy is and why he is just a photograph? I ask , if he is looking down on me, to give me the strength to do the right thing to ensure that our child has a brighter and more secure future. And finally, I pray to God about a million times a day that , and all of the wonderful people that were killed that day, did not suffer and that they died fast, with no pain. 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. Sincerely, Individual Comment Attachment 5: November 21, 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: My name is . My husband, worked for on the floor of Two World Trade Center. Like any other day, we commuted together to work, except I had an offsite meeting that day at Brooklyn Marriott instead of going to my office at the World Financial Center. Regardless, it was still just another day -- we kissed and said, "See you later, Honey" as we went our separate ways. Little did I know those would be our last words to each other. had just turned 37 years old exactly a month before that fateful day. We had just gotten married last year and we were so looking forward to spending our lives together and raise a family. In fact, we are expecting our first child at the end of February 2002. That week of the tragedy, and I were to find out the baby's gender. We would be so happy whether it's a girl or a boy, but we wanted to know. I went to the appointment without . would have been thrilled to know that I am carrying a boy. My life will never be the same without . I keep thinking one day when our son is old enough to realize that his father is not here to play ball with him or to watch him grow up. How will he feel and how I will have to relive these days as I explain to him that these monsters were not properly screened and entered the US to terrorize innocent citizens. All Daddy did was go to work. 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. Sincerely, Individual Comment ****************** **************** Attachment 6: 19 November 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: Thanksgiving is just days away and I will be without my wonderful husband, the father of my three young boys. The pain is unbearable and this is just the beginning. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, my husband left our home, as he did every day, at about 6:30 am to catch the train to the city. He was a corporate bond broker for on the floor of World Trade 1. At about 8:40 am called me -- his usual morning call to see how our morning was going. He called me many times a day just to say hello. Our phone call was abruptly disconnected. Shortly thereafter (at 8:49am) called me back, clearly on the cell phone. He said, fairly calmly, , we think a plane just crashed into the building. We're on the ground and we are going to evacuate. We're getting out of here, going to try to go down." I said, "Hurry up! Get out of there. I Love You." I never heard from him again. Having lived through the 1993 bombing of the same building, I was certain I would hear from him in a couple of hours, after all that's how long it took for him to climb down the last time. Then I saw the events unfold, much like watching the Challenger explode. Except this time my loving, wonderful husband was inside that smoky, burning building, probably quickly and frighteningly knowing his fate. Especially as the second plane hit the south tower. After 1993, he, like others, went to work everyday trusting that he was safe and secure that terrorism would never strike his building again. How could this have happened? was 39 years old, the father of our three boys, ages . His 40th birthday would have been on Sept. . Instead of celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary on October , I had a memorial service honoring his wonderful life which was cut too short. My boys talk about their Dad everyday and are so sad that he was a part of our lives for such a short time. Someone needs to be held accountable for this horrific act. And we need our government to support us and not defeat us. Please accept the comments and opinion of the attached letter as that of my own. Sincerely, Individual Comment Manhasset, NY Attachment 7: November 22, 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick, I sit down to write this letter on the morning of Thanksgiving day. The irony here is this year our thanks are not foremost in our minds. My home is void of my husband, father of my two little girls, and . While others rush around busy with celebratory preparations we try to piece a semblance of a life together. My husband has not yet been found among the remains of his horror. I can't imagine anyone having to second guess our eligibility as claimants. No amount of money can compensate for our loss. My daughters birthday was this week, when I asked her what she would want she said, only "My daddy." Were strongly against any cap being placed on monetary loss. How can a person determine the level of our pain. I thank you from our hearts for hearing our comments. In trust that they will do the right thing. Sincerely, Individual Comment Attachment 8: November 21, 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: My husband was an employee of and worked on the floor of One World Trade Center. On September 11th, he left for work at 5:00 a.m. as he had done most mornings for the past 20 years. He called me at 8:20 that morning to wish me a happy birthday. That was the last I heard from him. He was 46 years old. I was not one of the very few wives who received a call from their husbands after the brutal terrorist attack. I did not get a chance to say a final goodbye. My husband of thirteen years left behind three young children. years old. My sons will never again have their father coach their basketball or baseball teams as he had done many times in the past. It was a struggle for him to make it home from the city in time, but he managed to do it. My daughter especially misses her father at bedtime, when he would read her stories and cuddle with her until she would drift off to sleep. This was all brutally taken away from them. My life without my husband is full of grief and yet I must go on for the sake of my children. I am sure that in his final moments of life he thought of the strength I possess as a woman and mother, and knew that eventually his family whom he loved more than anything, and which was the reason he went to work that morning would persevere. I find it disheartening that at a time of such overwhelming grief, I am forced to appeal to my government-the very government that was supposed to protect our nation and its citizens from such an attack. I believe this event is the result of evil and religious fanaticism, but I also believe it was the result of a total breakdown in our intelligence and security. Because of the incredible amount of paper work that has come as a result of this tragedy, and the new responsibilities that I now have to assume as a single parent of three, I am unable to write a lengthy letter expressing my personal comments on the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. The attached letter expresses my opinion and that of my family. Thank you for the opportunity to be heard. Sincerely, Individual Comment Attachment 9: November 20, 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 95 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: My name is . My husband, worked for on the floor of the World Trade Center. The morning of September 11 began not unlike any other morning. awoke and got ready for work, kissed me goodbye, said, "I love you", and left to catch the train to Manhattan. That was the last I would ever see or speak to him again. We were married for eight 1/2 years. We were best friends. Not unlike many other married couples, we made many sacrifices in pursuit of "The American Dream." worked for for 2 1/2 years. During that time, he spent one 1/2 years running their Frankfurt office, commuting every other weekend to the states so that we could be together. He had only returned home permanently in September of 2000. We immediately began our long awaited renovation of our home, a solid sign that our dreams were finally coming to fruition. We celebrated its completion this past July. and I have no children. That was an opportunity taken from us on the morning of September 11, 2001. I am 36 years old, he was 37. I find it incomprehensible that such a security breach and murderous act could possible take place in our home land. As an U.S. tax-paying citizen, it is infuriating to me to know that our hard-earned dollars have, and continue to be spent in foreign lands helping to aid and protect those that contribute nothing to our country. It is difficult to conceive of this continuing foreign relief effort, while there are thousands of us here in America in need. I have to believe that the government who failed so many of us on September 11 is going to make every effort to restore our lives, our dignity, and our faith in The United States of America. 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. Sincerely, Individual Comment Attachment 10: November 20, 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick US Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: My husband, worked for on the floor of One World Trade Center and was killed on September 11, along with all the other victims of that horrible day. Although I did not hear personally from my husband, the fellow who worked next to my husband got a call out to say that they knew they were hit by a plane, that they were having a hard time breathing from the smoke and that they were headed for the roof. The horror of their experience is immeasurable. We have two children, and who miss their father very much. He was a very devoted and hard-working Dad, spending a lot of time with them, and coaching lacrosse, soccer, and basketball teams through the years. He was teaching my daughter to golf and after her cross-country meets they had planned to spend these fall weekends golfing together. was my husband and my best friend and we planned to watch our children grow up together. I feel a grave injustice has befallen my husband and the victims of September 11. This was not the first attempt at WTC destruction and my husband, along with others were in the bombing of 1993. This was not the first time a plane was hijacked. I feel that there were grave mistakes made on the part of our intelligence agencies, our government regarding terrorism and regarding plane safety. Our country failed to protect its citizens to the best of their capacity. The people who returned to those buildings in 1993 felt that they would be protected and the best job that should have been done to do that was not done. They have been made the sacrifice in order for proper realization of what should be done to protect our citizens on land and air. The sacrifice also now falls on the shoulders of the families left to deal with the agonizing horrific trauma of this event. 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. Sincerely, Individual Comment Manhasset, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-24 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 dojW000758.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. 2001-11-24