dojR001975.xml

dojR001975.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2002-03-18

Monday, March 18, 2002 3:00 PM
9/11 Fund

To whom it may concern:   I am appalled, but not surprised that our Government fails to recognize the sacrifices, losses and contributions of Gay Americans by not offering to gay partners equal rights to benefits of the 9/11 fund.   I understand that currently each state is allowed to decide how much or how little they will discriminate against gay people and that despite the contributions by millions of upstanding United States gay tax paying citizens throughout  this country's history to the military, education, the arts, medicine and science, etc., the Federal Government will not take away a state's right to discriminate against gays. I must point out that gay discrimination is a result of moral issues, which is based in religion. Do we not live in a nation that separates church and state? What happened to that notion? One person's freedoms may not encroach on those of another's, how about that?   The freedom of a state to decide to what extent they will discriminate against gays is an encroachment on the freedoms and rights of the gay citizens of that state. This is spot-lighted by September 11, 2001, possible the most tragic day in this nation's history. All Americans were touched by this tragedy. Many Americans suffered tremendous and incomprehensible loss as a result of this tragedy. And those that did, no matter what race, religion or sexual orientation, suffered equally. There is only one right decision in this matter. Offering anything less than equal benefits to gay partners who suffered equal loss in the September 11th tragedy is un-American.

Individual Comment

2002-03-18