dojR002815.xml

dojR002815.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2002-03-29

Friday, March 29, 2002 11:21 AM
Fairness in Compensation

Attachment 1:
Gentlemen,

Kenneth Feinberg's comment on Meet the Press on March 10th that "[Gays and lesbians are] left out of my program to the extent that their own state doesn't include them...I can't
get into that local battle. I've got to rely on state law" is disingenuous, hiding a de facto governmental policy of discrimination under the convenient guise of respect for state law, a highly selective respect indeed as John Ashcroft continues to demonstrate. Does Mr Feinberg expect any rational person to believe that individual states would object to Federal compensation payments to gay survivors of victims of the World Trade Center tragedy? Does he actually hold the intelligence of the average American in such contempt?

More importantly, can we call ourselves a great people and a great nation when our government officials find specious excuses to shirk the responsibilities of fundamental decency and fairness? The rights of citizenship and the obligations of humanity require you to offer compensation equally, to all survivors of the victims of September 11th. I urge you to follow your heart in this matter and do the right thing.

Yours,

Individual Comment

2002-03-29