dojR000598.xml

dojR000598.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2002-03-13

Wednesday, March 13, 2002 10:24 AM
Is this even POSSIBLY true??


I read that in an appearance on the Sunday, March 10 broadcast of NBC's
"Meet the Press," Kenneth Feinberg, said that gay partners of the heroes of
September 11th will not necessarily be eligible for the same compensation as
heterosexual family members who lost loved ones they depended on. In this
release I also read 'even illegal aliens, who aren't American citizens and
who are in the US in violation of federal law, will receive benefits'.

How can this POSSIBLY be true?? Are illegal aliens are granted a higher
status than law abiding Americans?? How is it possible that you deny a
person who lost loved ones on the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks that
he/she depended on? How is it possible that you deny benefiting a family
they leave behind simply because they are different? How can you do this
when one of the people who helped prevent the destruction of more of our
culture was a proud, law abiding American citizen on United flight 93, who
happened to be gay?

When I read the following I was nauseous! "[Gays and lesbians are] left out
of my program to the extent
that their own state doesn't include them. I cannot get into a position in
this program, which has a one-and-a-half or two-year life start
second-guessing what the state of New York or the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts or the state of Virginia or New Jersey, how they treat
same-sex partners, domestic live-ins, etc."

(Why does he have to get into ANY position? Why not just honor a committed
relationship??)

" I simply say this: If your state law makes you eligible, I will honor
state law. If it doesn't, I go with the state. Otherwise, Tim, I would find
myself getting sued in every state by people claiming that I'm not following
how the state distributes money." - Kenneth Feinberg on NBC's "Meet the
Press," March 10, 2002.

It seems to me that you are opening yourselves up much more to be sued from
the fact that you have decided to ignore one law and enforce another. Take
from Americans and give to non Americans. Sounds EXTREMELY wrong!!!

In the end everyone who died will be honored by the September 11th Fund as
deserving; everyone except gay and lesbian citizens. For this reason I will
donate to other causes that support ALL Americans in this time of desperate
need! And I have plenty to donate! Plus I will do all I can to find entities
that will fight your Discrimination and support them!!


Individual Comment
Beverly Hills, CA

2002-03-13