dojA001633.xml
Title
dojA001633.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
email
Date Entered
2001-12-13
September 11 Email: Body
Thursday, December 13, 2001 7:44 PM
fair and equitable relief
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
Eugene, OR
September 11 Email: Date
2001-12-13
Collection
Citation
“dojA001633.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed October 5, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/32747.