574 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: On the day of September 11, 2001, I was going to school like I did evey normall day. I was a senior in high school, and spent most of my time focused on the things going on in my life, not really caring about what was going on in t he world outside of my own. My whole life I had never really had much of a sense of patriotism, so it was never that important to me to be worried about the state of my country. But I'll never forget walking into my second period class, curious as to why everyone was trying to find a decent channel on the tv. Someone finally found a news station, and that's when I saw the pictures of the world trade center, with smoke billowing out of it. I just stood there, trying to piece together what had happened. I had visited New York City the previous spring, and seeing the picutures on the screen didn't seem real to me. I finally found myself sitting in my seat, and we spent the whole class period watching the news coverage of what had happened. When I discovered that a plane had hit the world trade center, I thought that maybe it had just crashed accidentally. But then we were watching the moment the 2nd plane appeared and the reporter seemd just as shocked as we were, announcing that a 2nd plane had hit. My eyes never strayed from the screen, and neither did anyone else's in my class. I remember seeing the first tower fall, and I felt totally helpless. My country was being attacked, and all I could do was sit in school and watch it happen right before my eyes. It was frightening, and for the first time I was worried about the well-being of the United States. After all those events, and all the sadness I saw not only on TV but in my own city, that was when I realized just what a blessing freedom is, and I learned to appreciate the country where I can have such freedom. God bless all the vicitms and their families and friends, and God bless the U.S.A. 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 story6626.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. story 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. 2002-09-12 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 216.12.34.158 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: It was freshmen year of high school, I was in my english class, I remember someone knocked on the door to tell our teacher to turn on the tv, she said whatever it was it could wait. Everyone in the class felt diffrently tword her from that day forward. Our class was one of the only ones in the whole school that did not see the events unfold, it wasnt untill passing time that I found out what had happend. My friend came up to me crying, and it was then that I noticed that many people were crying and huging, she jumped on me and gave me a huge hug and started to ask me what I thought, and why I WASN'T crying. I asked her why she was. I told her I didnt know what happend. She then said "you dont know? a plane crashed into the twin towers and you dont know?" I, thinking it was a joke replied "well no... but the pilots are supposed to fly over the buildings" I still feel horible everytime I think about my remark. I feel guilty for not taking it more seriously, it wasnt until next hour when the tv's were on that I felt reality sinking in, I, like most of the US was tuned in by then, and I like the rest of the people watching saw the buildings fall. I remember the scilence, the whole school was silent. then the principle came on over the intercom and told us that this was going to change everything, that life as we know it would be affected and that we should gather our belongings, and see our teachers for assignments because the busses would leave in an hour to take us home to be with our family, persons with cars could leave then. a girl on my soccer team lost a uncle that day. America lost a lot that day. 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 story20673.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. story 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. 2006-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 204.77.32.121 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: When I arrived at my work station, a co-worker said a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center. By the look on his face I realized this was a very serious moment. Hurriedly I raced through the news sites on the internet. It was just moments later a report of the 2nd plane crash. My mind raced quickly trying to understand what was happening...are we about to have a war in the United States? Who would do such a horrific act? Panic set in for moments. What more will happen today? I picked up the phone to call my Dad and tell him I love him. My father had served many years in the military and survived several wars. At that moment I needed him to be my rock. All i could think about was how I wanted to go home and spend the day with my children. The reality was I had to educate a 10 year old about how the world can be have some very cruel individuals who lash out towards innocent people. That death is very final. Never take anything for granted. How our ancestors fought for this country to be a more civilized race treating humanity with dignity and respect. All the past wars in the history pages are about those who fought to make my life free. Prayers were said continuosly through out the day, along with tears of fear,anguish of lives lost. Every time I see a picture of the trade towers i have a beautiful vision of 2811 angels raising up from the dust to the heavens, almost if you could picture doves being released flying upwards with peaceful looks on there faces. All the people who lost a love one on this day are very special people. They were given a Guardian Angel to look over them. Angels that lived with them a part of their lives here on earth, now watch over them from the heavens. May God bless the earth! Thank you to all the war veterans past, present, and future for fighting for our freedom. May God bless the earth. 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 story2885.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. story 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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 65.201.105.130 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I did not save any lives on September 11th, nor did I do anything heroic. This is my account, a college junior's account, of that tragic day's events, my experiences and the emotions I encountered in Manhattan that day. Tuesday, September 11, 2001 started off as any other day. The weather was clear, the sky blue and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. I got on a the A train at 34th Street around 7:45. My first class on Tuesday mornings started at 08:30. I arrived at John Jay College just after 8:00 and headed to the cafeteria for breakfast, and then I went to class. When the first plane struck the World Trade Center, I was solving quadratic equations and unaware of the cowardly act that just took thousands of American lives. The class ended at 9:30 and I headed to my next class, Russian 101. My professor entered the classroom and stated that an airplane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Most of us assumed that it was a small aircraft such as a Cessna, for we had no idea of the events that had transpired. About halfway through the class, all classes were cancelled due to the morning's events. I was still not fully aware of what happened, but as I entered the cafeteria, all eyes were on the projection T.V. that showed both towers burning. I was at a loss of words, as I watched the replay of the impacts, still unaware that the towers no longer existed. As I uttered "My God", a fellow student turned to me and said, "They're gone, the towers collapsed." I felt a mix of emotions: sick, betrayed, angry, hatred and violated all at once. This was not supposed to happen in New York, not in America and not to us. I left North Hall of John Jay College and wnet to the college's "T" building (on 10th Ave). Crossing 10th Ave, I could see a huge, dark column of smoke rising from downtown where the Towers once stood. I tried to call my girlfriend, but "all circuits were busy" on the pay phones and I didn't have my cell phone with me. Students were urged to leave and go home if they lived in the area, but subway access was limited. On hearing this I decided to stay at school. The streets were cleared and blocked off with large trucks. Ambulances were pulling in and out of St. Lukes Roosevelt Hospital, which is directly across the street from John Jay. I never saw Manhattan go from "the city that never sleeps", to a ghost town. Yet in this process, when I was on the street, I saw the bond between New Yorkers, grow into an unbreakable force of solidarity, and I knew then that these cowardly pieces of sh*t that partook in the day's destruction had lost. They had not succeeded in breaking our spirit. The streets around John Jay were deserted, and anyone venturing outside was ordered to get off the street. Rumors were circulating that cars bombs were exploding throughout Manhattan. I spent the rest of the day in a student lounge, watching ABC's coverage of the collapse. Around 4:30 p.m. the President of John Jay made an announcement that some of the subway service had been restored and urged students to attempt to get home. I left school, walked to Columbus Circle and took the A train to 34th Street/Penn Station. All train service out of Manhattan was suspended and I was there about an hour waiting for a train. When a departure was finally announced, it seemed as if everyone left in Manhattan was attemtping to board it. The train was packed like a sardine can. Just after the train departed, I wondered if I should have waited for a later train. This was the first one out and I feared it could be a target for another attack. I was not weary of the train itself but of the tunnel it traveled through to pass under the Hudson River. I was in the last car of the train, and as it was exiting the tunnel, we heard a lound bang and the car swayed. It scared the hell out out of me as well as the others standing around me. It appeared that the car was overloaded and a part of the train stuck the side of the tunnel (it is a tight fit anyway) upon exiting. This was quickly forgoten, for a few minutes later, Ground Zero came into view, and for the first time I saw a "live" view of the day's tragic events. The train was delayed in Newark Penn Station while train officials inspected the exterior of the car before proceeding on. I arrived home around 7:00 that night. More than a year has passed, and this is my final semester. I still have not gotten accustomed to the skyline; I can still picture the towers rising toward the heavens. However, now is the time to move on, the city is rebuilding itself and time heals all wounds. Yet those lost that day will never be forgoten for it is a day that I and those who lived through it, cannot and will never forget. 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 story8579.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. story 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. 2002-10-26 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 65.59.108.164 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I DIDN'T HEAR OF IT UNTIL I REACHED WORK. THE FIRST PLANE HAD ALREADY HIT AND EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE WE STANDING AROUND TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAD JUST HAPPEND. THE OLDEST BROKER OF OUR COMPANY WAS SURE THAT THIS WAS AN ACT OF WAR ON OUR COUNTRY WHEN THE FIRST PLANE HIT. I WORK FOR A INVESTMENT COMPANY AND OF COURSE AT THIS TIME THE STOCK MARKET HAD NOT OPENED AND IN LITTLE TIME WE FOUND OUT THAT IT WOULD NOT BE OPEN FOR A FEW DAYS. MY LITTLE GIRL WAS ONLY 3 MONTHS AT THIS TIME AND ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT IS HER SAFETY AND WHY DID I HAVE TO BRING HER INTO SUCH A TROUBLED WORLD. BY THE TIME THE SECOND PLANE HIT WE ALL WERE SURE THAT OUR WORLD WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME. ALL DAY I WATCHED THE TELEVISION IN DISMAY. I REALLY WASN'T BELIEVING WHAT I WAS HEARING AND SEEING. MY HEART WAS FILLED WITH FEAR AND PAIN AND MY EYES FILLED WITH TEARS. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN??? WHY WOULD PEOPLE WANT TO HURT OUR PEOPLE??? I HAVE A FRIEND WHO IS A TRUCK DRIVER AND TRAVELS TO NEW YORK EVERYDAY. I CALLED HIM ON HIS MOBILE RIGHT AWAY TO MAKE SURE HE WAS OKAY. WHEN HE ANSWERED THE PHONE MY HEART WAS FILLED WITH JOY. IN MY MIND THINKING "THANK GOD HE IS OKAY". YONKERS, NEW YORK AND HE SAID THAT HE WAS TRYING TO GET OUT OF NEW YORK BY TAKING THE BACK ROADS BUT ALL THE ROADS WERE TROUBLE. I PRAYED, CRYED AND COULD NOT GET MUCH SLEEP FOR WEEKS. EVERYTIME I HEAR IT ON THE RADIO OR SEEN IT ON TV IT MADE ME FEEL SARROW DEEP WITHIN. MY PRAYERS GOES OUT TO ALL THE FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS WHO HAVE LOST LOVE ONES. OUR NATIONS WILL NEVER BE TO SAME BUT, WE WILL LIVE ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TMOOSHEE-L.E.G. 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 story2488.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. story 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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 144.232.186.18 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: It was only my 4th day of school. I had started on Friday, and because I went to a private high school, we had a half day of classes on Saturday. Monday rolled around, and then Tuesday. I was really excited about my Tuesday schedule -- being a senior, I finally had some scheduling privliges, and therefore I only had two classes that day. The first one was from 8 to 9, and the second from 10-11. I remember putting on new black pants and a sleeveless white blouse, and then being pissed that I had to put on my blazer because it was going to be so warm out. My first class passed uneventfully. It was Senior Seminar, where you read great historical works and discussed them in the context of your life. We went over the syllabus and mused our feelings on what our senior year of high school would be like. I'm sure that I wasn't even looking at the clock when 8:46 came and went. After class, my friend Jeff and I walked towards the library building. Our friend Phil came bursting out the doors, yelling excitedly that a bomb had gone off in the Pentagon. Jeff and I kind of blew him off -- Phil tends to exaggerate things. We went into the library and grabbed a table so we could do some homework. At around 10, I left the library to go to my second class of the day, European History. The wing of the building that I was going to had a glass door that you had to enter through. As I walked in to the hall, I saw a huge group of people crowded around a television set that someone had dragged over from the AV room. I stood silently for a moment, completely shocked as I watched the images again and again of the planes slamming into the towers, of people falling to the street, of the chaos and destruction that reigned in lower Manhattan. I walked into the classroom in shock and set my books down. It was a really small class, there were only nine of us. I walked up to my friend Crystal who was talking to two guys we knew, Eric and Cal. Cal was repeating what I had just seen: two planes had crashed into the World Trade Center and another one into the Pentagon. I stood for a minute, listening to him talk, when suddenly I remembered something. My mom was in New York. She had gone to visit my grandmother, who was in the hospital recovering from hip surgery. But suddenly I couldn't remember all the details. Where was the hospital? Was she going anywhere else in New York? What if she had decided to walk around Manhattan on such a gorgeous September day? I walked quickly out of the room and went over to the Dean's office, where I asked Mrs. Manoli, the secretary, if I could use my phone to try to call my mom. Mrs. Manoli handed me the phone, and I tried my mom's cell phone. A message came up telling me that the number was out of service. Same when I tried my uncle's house, where I knew my mom was staying. Apparently Great Neck wasn't getting any phone service. I left her office, slowly starting to panic. By the time I was back in the classroom, I was in tears. Dr. Robinson had told everyone that class was cancelled while I had been gone, and Crystal grabbed my arm and steered me outside. I was trying to restrain myself from losing composure in front of my classmates as I told Crystal what was going on. She handed me her cell phone and told me to try again. I still couldn't get through. We sat on a bench under a tree while Crystal called her mom at home to tell her that she was ok. I looked around and saw small groups of people huddled together, crying and hugging. One of our teachers came outside, asking around if anyone had family in New York. My high school was partially a boarding school, with about 2/3 of the students living in dorms and the rest communting. The faculty was trying to locate all of the students from the New York area. I saw a teacher trying to calm down a guy who was screaming that his whole family worked in the World Trade Center. Crystal and I were still sitting outside when a few more of my friends joined us. My friend Jason had been one of the last people on the internet in the library before it went down from overuse, and he had printed off a news bulletin about what was going on and made copies. I started reading one and began to cry again. My friend Ben started hugging me and we just stood there until people began pouring out of the buildings, spreading the word that the school had called an emergency meeting in the chapel for everyone. As we all sat in the pews, people were crying hysterically. One of my friends had brought me a Diet Coke, and I sat, sipping it, trying to be in physical contact with as many people as possible. It seemed like everyone was touching hands, grabbing arms, holding each other -- just trying to confirm that we were all here. Our dean stood up front and summarized what we all already knew. He warned us not to watch tv if the images were going to upset us. He explained that classes were still going to be held, mainly so the school could keep track of people. He also told us that if we heard someone continuously ringing a bell from the tower that we were all to report immidiately to the chapel. He then encouraged us to go to lunch and try to stick together. My friends and I walked over to the dining hall, although none of us felt like eating. We just sat a table in silence, trying not to cry too much. Finally, we ended up going over to a dorm so we could watch tv. My friend Elysabethe and I went on a walk together: her friend Brian worked in the North Tower. When I went home that afternoon to change before tennis practice, my dad was there. He confirmed to me that my mom was ok, although all of my relatives were staying at my uncles house for the time being. My dad and I didn't hug -- our family just isn't like that. I changed my clothes and went to tennis practice, where we didn't play any tennis at all. I just sat there and tried to comprehend what had happened. Two years later, I still have no idea. 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 story9764.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. story 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. 2003-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 165.230.221.80 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: I was watching the Today show in my bedroom and remember thinking "The news is boring today." before turning off the set. Minutes later, as I was turning on my computer in my home office, I received a call from my aunt to turn on the news. A plane crashed into the World Trade Center. I watched the second plane crash into the towers. My husband David called and told me to grab the animals, get into the car and drive to Vermont. I wouldn't leave without him. Thankfully, he was working in New Jersey. I was able to be in touch with close friends and family and confirm that we were all safe. We had some friends who worked in the WTC. One had food poisoning and did not go to work that day. Another was at home waiting for the cable guy. The rest of the day, I alternated between sitting on my lawn watching plane after plane fly over Manhattan to provide coverage and sitting glued to the tv set. It was the first time I can truly remember being in a state of complete and utter shock. David's college friend Doug perished in the attacks. The memorial service was one of the saddest things I have ever attended in my life. I am now pregnant with my first child. Tomorrow, I will try to think of ways to explain this horrific and unfathomable act to him or her as they grow and wonder why. 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 story1985.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. story 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. 2002-09-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 165.247.45.147 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 September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: On September 11, I walked into my home base and the teacher and the rest of the class was watching the TV. I asked my friend what was going on and she said that a plane had hit the World Trade Centers. A million thoughts ran through my head. What kind of person would do this. It's not human. I sat down in my chair, and I had no idea what to do next. All I wanted to do was call my family and tell them I love them. Then I guess at about eight am the second plane hit the second building. And all I could do was sit there and stare. I didn't now what to do next. After a while everybody was shocked that tears fell from some of their eyes. Well at least the girls. It was so hard to sit there and watch a historic and important building go up in flames. The principal then came on the pa system and told the teachers to turn off the TV. That we shouldn't watch it. We went the rest of the day not knowing what to do with ourselves and not knowing what to think. Nobody could concentrate on what they were doing. The teachers would secretly turn on the TV just to see what was happening. I still remember the next day a girl came up to me and a friend and told us that our friend Algiers was on the plane that hit the second building. I fell to the ground crying not knowing what to think. Our friend was supposed to be going to New York but could she have really been on the plane. It turned out later that the girl was just doing it for attention. All I know is I know how I felt about maybe losing one of my friends in 9/11. And it wasn't even true and it still hurt to think about. All I could think about was how the people who did lose someone in 9/11 can deal with it. Today I still think about it, and it's not something I can forget. I can remember reading the articles in the newspaper and I saw the one with the devil in the smoke. And it scared me. I still can't believe someone could have so much hate for something that they would kill and injury thousands of people. Only someone with a cold heart could do something like that. But I believe as much as this affected America it also did good because it brought us closer together. And that is what we need now. God Bless America!! 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 story2669.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. story 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. 2002-09-11 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 166.113.5.5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, March 18, 2002 1:11 PM Discrimination is un-American September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, 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. 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. It appears our government wants to use our heroism to inspire others, but when it comes time to actually aid the families of those heroes, it seems that some American heroes are now more equal than others. I will be praying that you do what is right. Discrimination is un-American! Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001919.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 11:53 PM Equal Access to Victim Relief 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 Washington, DC 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 dojA004033.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 7:15 AM Victims Relief Fund Legislation 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. I ask you to 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 consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply 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." The people of Pennsylvania are as open minded as those of New York. 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. 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. Sincerely, Individual Comment State College, 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 dojA002666.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. Friday, December 21, 2001 6:31 AM Help all victims of terrorist attack Dear Mr. Zwick: The very humane Fund for relatives of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks must include all relatives of all the victims. This importantly should include the partners and children of same sex unions. They suffer just as grievously for their deceased loved ones as do other survivors, and their need for assistance is just as great. Please do not give in to the importuning of callous homophobic groups and individuals who would have the Department of Justice limit compensation to survivors of heterosexual unions. They are interested in a political victory, not humane assistance. This Fund is intended for humane purposes; it is not a political statement, Mr. Zwick. Sincerely, Individual Comment Poway, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000275.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 1:55 PM Victims Relief Fund December 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a supporter 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. Individual Comment Los Angeles, CA 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 dojA003349.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. Friday, December 14, 2001 5:26 PM Fund distributions 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 Massapequa Park, NY 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 dojA001958.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. Wednesday, March 13, 2002 9:03 AM rise above it Dear Mr Feinberg, Please rise above the excuse that you don't want to contradict state law in compensating the gay partners of the Sept 11th tragedy. Surely the federal government is able to establish a criterion for determining who is a bona fide partner in a gay relationship (shared address and evidence of a commitment for starters) for the purpose of this fund being administered equitably. Doing so would not change or violate any state's law. It would simply be a little more effort for your staff. Did the gays involved in rescue efforts on 911 stop to think about how much effort it would be to rescue other Americans? The terrorists changed all the rules. It's up to us to set things right. It's up to YOU to act with courage, as did the heros of 911, straight or gay. Sincerely, Individual Comment Douglasville, GA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000582.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 21, 2001 11:17 PM only love is real December 21, 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. Please end the hate and spread the love. I believe in you and your ability to heal the world. Sincerely, Individual Comment Orlando, FL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000636.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. 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 Amherst, MA 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 dojA004587.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. Wednesday, December 05, 2001 2:54 PM honor ALL victims! Dear Mr. Zwick, I am writing to you 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. Certainly 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 Walla Walla, WA 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 dojA000838.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 26, 2001 5:24 PM Regarding the Victims Relief Fund December 26, 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 Gary, IN September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-26 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 dojN000960.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. 2001-12-26 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. Monday, January 28, 2002 8:39 AM Fairness My comment is that I would hope that the announced, complex formulaic method of calculating victim compensation awards for the survivors of the 9/11 attack will be reconsidered in favor of a set figure (or, at most, a very simple calculation based on number of dependents) for each death. IMO, fairness and pragmatism coincide in this matter. Each life was precious, each death outrageous, each surviving victim worthy of our compassion, in equal measure. Insurance, pensions, savings, etc. etc. etc. should have NOTHING to do with it. If some were able to achieve some financial mitigation of catastrophe on their own, or via their professional associations, so much the better. As a matter of policy, this should be encouraged, not penalized. It seems obvious to me that compensation in this matter would be most fairly perceived by the public and by the surviving victims if it were awarded completely without reference to the deceased individual's prior financial preparation. The message would then be, "Every victim of terrorism matters equally, period". Such a policy is its own defense. The current disgusting media circus of claims, counterclaims, nitpicking and carping would not exist if this policy were adopted. Please reconsider, and adopt the obvious, simplest, and fairest policy as suggested. Individual Comment 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 dojP000221.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