567 20 70359 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, December 10, 2001 7:37 PM Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: I am writing in response to the Department's request for public comments regarding the forthcoming regulations for implementing and administering the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." I strongly urge the Department to draft regulations that ensure compensation is available to all victims of the attack, including the committed partners and the non-biological children of gay and lesbian victims. It is unquestionable that the devastating grief and economic losses suffered by the families of gay and lesbian victims are no less than that of other families. Just as the terrorists drew no lines in choosing their victims, our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp was among those on flight 93 who apparently diverted the plane from its high profile destination. He was a gay man. &nbsp &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp was a gay man. &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp , killed while performing last rites on a fallen firefighter was a gay man. How can you tell these heroes families that the compensation does not include them, because their loved ones were gay or lesbian? Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urge the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you would any other. Sincerely, Individual Comment El Paso, TX September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-10 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 dojA001440.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. 2001-12-10 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 9:03 PM Equal Rights for Gay/Lesbian partners of Sept. 11th victims 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 Garden Grove, CA 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 dojN000128.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 9:53 AM All Sept. 11 victims' families should be treated equally, including gays and lesbians 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 Minneapolis, MN 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 dojA002905.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 05, 2001 8:45 PM Victim compensation fund Dear Mr. Zwick: I am writing in response to the Department's request for public comments regarding the forthcoming regulations for implementing and administering the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." I strongly urge the Department to draft regulations that ensure compensation is available to all victims of the attack, including the committed partners and the non-biological children of gay and lesbian victims. It is unquestionable that the devastating grief and economic losses suffered by the families of gay and lesbian victims are no less than that of other families. Just as the terrorists drew no lines in choosing their victims, our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urge the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you would any other. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-05 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001041.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-05 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 4:12 PM Families - impacted by tragedy of September 11th 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 Minneapolis, MN 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 dojA003509.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. Tuesday, March 19, 2002 7:31 AM LEAVING OUT WHO? DON'T YOU THINK ITS TIME TO " DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE DONE TO YOU? " TO ALL YOU BIBLE THUMPERS OUT THERE, WHAT ABOUT THE PASSAGE, " JUDGE NOT LEST YE BE JUDGED? " UNITED WE STAND MEANS WHAT IT STATES, FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME. YOU CONSIDER YOUR ACTIONS "NORMAL " HUH? BOY, DID I MISS SOMETHING BY THE WAY, GOD IS JUDGE ON JUDGEMENT DAY, NOT YOU !!!!!!!!! ALL SACRIFICED IN 9/11 TRAGEDY SHOULD BE COMPENSATED. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-19 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 dojR002092.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. 2002-03-19 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 4:39 PM 9/11 Benefits To whom it may concern, I have just been made aware that citizens who lost their same sex partner in the horrific 9/11 events will not be receiving the same benefits as those who lost their "heterosexual" partner on that horrific day. As an American, this concerns me. We have unborn fetuses and illegal aliens receiving more compensation from the fund than two same sex people who promised their lives to each other. I believe all who lost loved ones should be compensated, and it absolutely stuns me that you would intentionally exclude a group of people. It's not for you or anyone else to judge whether the "heterosexual" partner who died is a greater loss than the "homosexual" who lost their partner. Please reconsider for the benefit of all Americans. We all live here, we all pay our taxes, and we all love America regardless of Race, Creed, or Sexual Orientation. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001097.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, November 28, 2001 2:25 PM Reponse to grief I write to you today to encourage the Department of Justice to include among relatives eligible for compensation for the tragedies of September 11 those who lost their life partners or de facto parents or children, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. Discrimination, especially in this time of national tragedy, should not dictate response to grief. Thank you for your time, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA000102.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. 2001-11-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. November 23, 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick: My name is &nbsp . I am 34 years old, have four children, ages 9, 6, and 2 year old twins, and I am a widow. My husband, &nbsp , who was 38 years old was senselessly killed in the World Trade Center on September 11th. He worked for &nbsp on the 104th floor. I never spoke to him that morning, we were still trying to get into the routine of the new school year and had no time to call Dad to say good morning. We would just tell him all about our day when he came home. Unfortunately, he never came home, and I had to try to compose myself and tell my children what had happened that day. We still had lots of hope, and said lots of prayers that Daddy was just hurt and coming home to us. As the days past, our hope was fading. On September 13th, my son &nbsp turned 9. He had us cancel his birthday party, all he wanted was his Daddy back, no presents or party. By the next day, I had to tell my children that their Daddy was not coming home ever again. That their Dad is an angel in heaven and will watch over them every day. This is not how my children want a Dad. This is not how I want a husband. On Sunday, September 9th (which happens to be my birthday) we spent the day as a family at Liberty State Park watching boat races. My husband stood at the edge of the water, proud as can be, showing my boys "the big building that Daddy works in" "way up at the tippy top!". I had never been to Liberty State Park before that day. Now I have been there several times to try to get information and funding to try to keep a roof over my children's heads. When all I want to do is cry and mourn the loss of the love of my life, my best friend, I cannot do that because I have to fight for every penny coming to me so my children can try to carry on as thier father had intended. Their lives are shattered and broken enough without having to worry about finances. Please accept the comments and opinions of the attached letter as that of my own. Thanks you for this opportunity to share my story with you and to comment on the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Basking Ridge, NJ Mr. Kenneth Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: My name is My husband He was 38 years of age. Children: &nbsp - age9 &nbsp - age6 &nbsp - age2 &nbsp - age2 Comments: Please remember all the victims families, all the fatherless children, as you make a ruling on guidelines for the Victims Compensation Fund. Haven't we all suffered enough? Please accept the comments and opinions of the attached letter as that of my own. Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Signed: November 20, 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: Five thousand people were murdered on September 11, 2001. They left that morning to work at the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon and were at their desks by 8:30 A.M. Some said "I love you" as they left, some said "see you later", and some said "don't forget to put air in your tires." None came home that night. None will come home anymore for the rest of forever. In response to the Justice Department's request for public comment on the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" established by the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act, we respectfully submit the following. However, before we begin our substantive comments, please allow us to make you aware of one fact. Be very clear in knowing that there is nothing you could possibly do on this earth that could compensate us for the loss of loved ones. You could offer us one billion dollars each, lump sum, and we would trade it along with all our worldly possessions to have them back, to have them home. The Victim Compensation Fund is purported to be an attempt to "make whole" the families of the victims lost in the attacks. Unless you have supreme power which will result in the return of our loved ones, "making whole" is impossible. Alternatively, we are hoping this legislation results in a fund which truly is an incentive for families not to pursue litigation. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to comment. RIGHT TO A HEARING The legislation as written does not make clear whether or not we will have right to be heard before a hearing officer or Special Master. Only we can present the specifics of our personal situation and loss and therefore rightfully deserve the opportunity to do so. This would include the right to be represented by counsel, to present evidence, to offer personal and expert testimony, and to present our expectations of relief. This would require each case to be heard and considered individually. While this may be time consuming, it is the only way to insure that each family suffering this loss is fairly represented and thus fairly compensated. ECONOMIC LOSSES We strongly oppose any cap to the amount recoverable through the Fund for economic losses suffered as a result of the death of our loved ones. Husbands and fathers worked long hours, sacrificing the precious time they had left with their families and children, to earn the salaries and bonuses accrued every year. This income is forever gone; to reduce it in any manner is contrary to the statutory attempts to "make whole" the family suffering as a result of this disaster. The computation of the amount of lost wages should be similar to that used in personal injury actions. Retirement age should be set at 68 and the decedent's age subtracted from there. Gross income should be averaged over the past three years. The resulting income and years to retirement should be multiplied together for a starting point for computation. Factors such as inflation, wage increases, merit advancements and any other benefits that would have earned had the victim's lived should be considered and added to the base amount. NON-ECONOMIC LOSSES We, again, strongly oppose any cap to the amount recoverable through the fund for non-economic losses suffered as a result of the most public, painful and horrific deaths of our loved ones. Each case must be evaluated individually and must take into account specifics such as the number of the decedent's children and their age, the severity of the pain and suffering of both the victim and his family members, and the severity of the loss and pain to be suffered as a result of reliving this tragedy as a moment in history for the rest of our lives, for the rest of their children's lives. It is worthwhile to note that families with substantial pensions, with a lost spouse nearing retirement age, or with income received as a result of the death of the victim would be unable to benefit from this Fund unless the recovery under this section is substantial. There would be no incentive to pursue a claim offset to pecuniary loss or minimal benefit. Litigation in this instance would be obviously pursued. COLLATERAL INCOME We strongly oppose and are greatly disturbed by the clause in the statute which requires any distribution under the fund to be offset by "the amount of collateral source compensation the claimant has received or is entitled to receive . . . [including] life insurance, pension funds, death benefit programs . . . " Since this is a governmentally sponsored fund, we find it understandable and acceptable to reduce the amount recovered under such by the monies received through other government programs. However, reducing the amount distributed by proceeds of life insurance policies personally purchased by the decedents is unreasonable and contrary to public policy. It establishes a system of disparate treatment among the victims in that it penalizes some for investments made through personal purchases, while excusing others. For example, victims who increased their families' assets through personal purchases of stock or related investments to a level where life insurance was not necessary, would be able to collect from the fund as written with minimal offset. However, those who planned to increase family assets through life insurance would have the same distribution substantially reduced by the amount of the life insurance proceeds. If an individual purchased a rare painting for his estate planning, sold after his demise at a substantial financial gain for his heirs, his families' distribution under the fund would not be reduced. Yet distribution to the family who purchased life insurance instead, if regulated as planned, would be offset by the proceeds. It is quite simply an unequal and unfair provision. The government may not investigate and penalize against the personal purchases of individuals. We do enjoy the right of the protection of liberty in this country, we have the right to earn a living and spend our after tax dollars as we see fit. Supplemental life insurance, obtained with personal funds, must not be included in the provisions which regulate distribution reductions under the Fund. If revising the language of the statute is not an option of this Committee at this juncture, or not an option until properly challenged, we submit that reduction of the distribution under the Fund by a percent of the proceeds of employer sponsored or funded life insurance would be an acceptable compromise. COLLATERAL INCOME/IRA'S; CHARITABLE DONATIONS Pension funds, IRAs and 401K plans are essentially savings accounts of another name funded with the personally earned money of the decedent. The choice of one's particular occupation or allocation of his income gave rise to the monies available at retirement or death in these accounts. Again the issue of disparate treatment arises. Individuals who saved in a standard bank sponsored savings account suffer no reduction from distribution under the Fund. Individuals who allocated their savings of personally earned income to retirement accounts suffer reduction of the total amount in savings to that which would be distributed under the Fund. In deference to the governmental involvement in IRA's et al., money owed due to preferential tax treatment of savings in retirement accounts could be reduced from Fund allocations, but principal determined to be from personal savings must not. In the end, we lost our loved ones because they worked in a national landmark. The terrorists chose these buildings, the World Trade Centers, because they symbolized the American economy, the freedom of capitalism. It was an act of war on America and the American people recognized this. As a result, in an effort to support our country and to unite with those of us who suffered the greatest loss in this tragedy, the American people donated hard earned money to ease the burden of those of us left to suffer this loss for a lifetime. Donations were generously given as a form of healing for both donor and receiver. It is reprehensible that the very charities trusted with the responsibility to honor the wishes of the American people see fit to withhold the donations for personal objectives, yet to have the government attempt to belittle the gesture of its own people even further is as horrific as the tragedy itself. The money donated is toted as "a gift from the American people." Since when does our government have the right to investigate our personal gifts and require the recipients to "pay them back"? Charitable donations must not be considered a source of collateral income to reduce the amounts distributable under the Fund. That is not in the spirit of which the donations were given. Restitution of the amounts by a reduction in Fund allocation would serve only to financially benefit the government. If that is what the people of this country had intended, they would have sent their checks to the government first hand. RIGHT TO APPEAL One of the liberties we enjoy in America is the right to an appeal. In cases heard before a judge in trial and in most heard before a hearing officer in an administrative agency, respondents enjoy the right to appeal the decision. Plaintiffs would have the right to appeal a decision on varying levels if litigation were pursued in response to the events of September 11. Denying one the right to appeal the decision of the Special Master is not an incentive to consider merits of the Victim's Compensation Fund. And it is contrary as well to the standard practices of adjudication of this country. Finally, we would respectfully request that payment under the fund be paid in one lump sum and as directed by the claimants. For example, sums paid to a victim's minor children should be permitted to be made in trust with vesting as determined by the minor child's guardian. CONCLUSION Thank you again for this opportunity to comment on regulations which will bear great effect on our lives and the lives of the children of the victims. We have suffered the greatest of losses because we live in America and because our loved ones worked in the symbol of American capitalism. We are changed forever; we bear the burden of other's hatred of our country's ideals more than anyone at this moment in time. Think of the children as you write and finalize the regulations associated with the Victim's Compensation Fund. Think of the children, not partisan loyalties. Think of the children, because if you do not now, you will have lost the opportunity to support your fallen families forever. Sincerely yours, September 11 Victim's Families September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-23 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 dojW000778.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. 2001-11-23 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, March 20, 2002 7:14 PM 9/11 Victim's compensation fund I am appalled at Kenneth Feinberg's comments during his Sunday, March 10 appearance on Meet the Press, stating that gay partners of the heroes of September 11th will not necessarily be eligible for the same compensation as heterosexual family members who lost their loved ones. So, in the end, pretty much everyone who died - including people who aren't even American citizens and were living in the US illegally - will be honored by the September 11th Fund as deserving of America's special recognition and thanks. The sole exception will be gay and lesbian Americans, because Feinberg and the 911 Fund wouldn't want to do anything contrary to US law. (Unless of course it involves an illegal alien who isn't even American - then apparently it's okay to bend the rules.) On this six-month anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Kenneth Feinberg and the September 11th Fund are telling the American people that regardless of whether a gay man was one of the four heroes on United Flight 93 who saved the US Congress and the White House from utter annihilation, the 911 Fund plans to discriminate against an American hero because most of the country sanctioned such discrimination prior to September 11. If September 11 has taught us anything, it's that our patriotism and love of country transcend our differences and unite us all. It would be ironic if the generosity of so many Americans in giving to the September 11th Fund were used to further divide us as a people, and send the message to all that some American heroes are more equal than others. This is an affront to all of those people who died in this tragedy. I hope you will take steps to immediately rectify this. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-20 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 dojR002480.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. 2002-03-20 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. 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 San Francisco, 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 dojA004441.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. Tuesday, December 25, 2001 1:56 PM survivor benefits December 25, 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, 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 New Brunswick, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-25 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000891.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. 2001-12-25 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. January 21, 2002 Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: As the widow of who lost his life in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, I would like to state that I certainly appreciate you efforts and that of your staff in establishing the Interim final rules for the September 11th Compensation Fund of 2001. At the same time, however, I respectfully request that certain specific modifications to the rules be made in an effort to more fully comply with the Congressional mandate for full and fair compensation in both economic and non-economic terms. The current interim final rules fail to meet this mandate, in my opinion, due to a lack of clarity in determining economic damages and presumed non-economical damages being held to a level, which is utterly at odds with historical precedent through litigation. In order to more fully comply with the clear intent of Congress and to prevent the conclusion that litigation is the only fair alternative. I would request that the rules be amended to allow for economic damages calculated on incomes in excess of $231,000 cap currently proposed and that such calculations be done in a consistent fashion and documented across the earnings spectrum. While the elimination of such cap would have no potential benefit in my case, I feel that only through consistency can true fairness be achieved. Additionally, in order to fully and fairly compensate victims whose combination of specific circumstances and collateral offsets might result in no payment from the Fund, I would request that a meaningful minimum compensation level be established as well. By far my area of greatest concern, though, pertains to the subject of non-economic damages in that the proposed formula dictates compensation of $250,000 for the deceased plus $50,000 each for the surviving spouse and children. Such an award represents only a fraction of what would likely be awarded through litigation and, therefore, does very little to minimize pain and suffering. My late husband, having been a proud alumnus of Georgetown University is survived by our two wonderful young boys who eagerly look forward to attending as he did. When they are both of college age in the year 2012, however, the projected annual cost of attending Georgetown is in excess of $52,000. Are my children to grow up with the realization that our government felt that fair compensation for the tragic loss of their father was less than one year of college expenses? Should this terribly distressing conclusion be deemed acceptable, then I fear my children and perhaps thousands of others will grow up disillusioned and forever bitter toward our government. Certainly this outcome would only serve to further the tragedy, which our nation has already suffered. I must admit that no financial award, regardless of size, could ever adequately compensate for the loss of someone who was the perfect son to his parents, the perfect husband to me, and the perfect father to our children. Truly full and fair compensation from the fund, however, will at least forever comfort us in the realization that our government too, views not mere as a victim but as the hero he will always be to me and my family. Once again I would like to commend you on your efforts thus far and appreciate your willingness to consider my comments and requests. Sincerely, Individual Comment Middletown, NJ 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 dojN002560.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. Monday, November 26, 2001 2:19 PM Victim Compensation Group 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. Thank you. Best, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000590.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 18, 2001 11:57 PM partner benefits December 18, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Philadelphia, PA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002563.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 05, 2001 4:12 AM DO THE RIGHT THING To whom it may concern, On September 11, we were all struck with tragedy. I know it may be hard for the ultra-conservatives to believe but yes even gay and lesbians were victims as well. I feel that money should be distributed to those who have lost a loved one. Whether they are heterosexual or homosexual. Tragedy does not just strike heterosexuals people. Tragedy is blind to racism at any level. I hope that you will do that right thing and help everyone that was affected not just the ones who you think are right with God. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-05 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA000675.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-05 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, March 21, 2002 7:24 AM Discrimination against gays and lesbians I'm 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. Even fetuses and illegal aliens will be receiving benefits under this problem. You even promised to overlook federal law and NOT arrest and kick out the families of illegal aliens, nor will they punish American companies that hired illegals in violation of federal labor laws. But when it comes to gay and lesbian heroes of the day - &nbsp who helped bring down the flight in Pennsylvania, &nbsp who died in the line of duty when the first tower fell, and &nbsp who was &nbsp of the plane that crashed into the &nbsp (there are many more) - we are told the law is the law and no exceptions can be made. This is BLATANT DISCRIMINATION. Enough is enough with this non sense. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-21 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 dojR002471.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. 2002-03-21 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, March 19, 2002 9:18 PM September 11th Fund I recently heard of the comments made by Kenneth Feinberg on Meet the Press (Sunday, March 10th). As a voting, tax-paying, gay American, I am appalled (but sadly, not surprised) that gay and lesbian Americans who lost their partners will not necessarily receive the same benefits as others who lost loved ones in the tragedy of September 11th. I find it a huge slap in the face that illegal aliens will be allowed to receive these benefits, but people born in this country, legal, natural-born (tax-paying) citizens will not. It is also extremely hypocritical for anyone to look past the laws concerning illegal aliens, but yet hold gay and lesbian Americans to "individual state laws" that govern what constitutes a relationship or partnership. Since September 11th, I have been proud to be an American, however, these are the types of decisions that make me deeply ashamed of the hypocrisy and hatred that still exists in this country. I strongly disagree with this decision and urge those with the power to change this decision to do so. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-19 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 dojR002268.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. 2002-03-19 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 15, 2001 4:54 PM Compensate Lesbian & Gay Families Dear Mr. Zwick: Please ensure compensation to all victims of the attack, including the partners and the non-biological children of gay and lesbian victims. It is unquestionable that the devastating grief and economic losses suffered by the families of gay and lesbian victims are no less than that of other families. Just as the terrorists drew no lines in choosing their victims, our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urge the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you would any other. Sincerely, Individual Comment Watsonville, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-15 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002020.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. Monday, January 28, 2002 11:57 AM Can someone please explain to me why parents are acting like they should get compensation for their grown children? I do not mean to sound callous, but when I donated money to the 9/11 funds and when I think of federal payment for those who were lost in this tragedy, I envision payments to children or to single parents who must now shoulder the responsibility of raising their small children to adulthood - not a payment to somehow try and compensate for that which can never be truly compensated for. Why do and feel their pain alone deserves a huge amount of money? They find $250,000 so insulting - I find it insulting that they are spending their time whining about how it isn't fair. They degrade the memories of the children they profess to miss so much. Payments, if there should even be any at all, should be based upon the needs of the family to GET BY.... to raise children and give them an education... NOT to try and make people feel better. Shame on them for trying to make us feel guilty for not giving them more money than most of us will ever see. All of us have lost loved ones unexpectedly. We are not handed a check. We are provided love and understanding from friends and we move on. To even suggest that the government or the airlines (or any of the other groups that I am sure lawyers can think of to sue) should be sued is an unfortunate byproduct of the "me" attitude that has grown in this nation. Individual Comment Great Falls, VA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojP000232.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. 2002-01-28