dojA001765.xml
Title
dojA001765.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
email
Date Entered
2001-12-14
September 11 Email: Body
Friday, December 14, 2001 1:10 PM
Please Ensure Fair Treatment for All Surviving Families of 9/11
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
Florham Park, NJ
Please Ensure Fair Treatment for All Surviving Families of 9/11
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
Florham Park, NJ
September 11 Email: Date
2001-12-14
Collection
Citation
“dojA001765.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 18, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/27138.