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Sunday, March 17, 2002 3:00 PM
This discrimination makes ma ASHAMED to be American This IS NOT
fair, just or moral



9/11 FUND UNFAIR TO GAYS
Take Action Now!!!
victimcomp.comments@usdoj.gov - Tell them discrimination is un-American


Individual Comment

 
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Friday, December 21, 2001 6:40 AM
Help all victims of terrorist attack


Dear Mr. Zwick:

The very humane Fund for relatives of victims of the September 11 terrorist
attacks must include all relatives of all the victims.

This importantly should include the partners and children of same sex
unions.  They suffer just as grievously for their deceased loved ones as do
other survivors, and their need for assistance is just as great.

Please do not give in to the importuning of callous homophobic groups and
individuals who would have the Department of Justice limit compensation to
survivors of heterosexual unions.  They are interested in a political
victory, not humane assistance.

This Fund is intended for humane purposes; it is not a political statement,
Mr. Zwick.

Sincerely,

Individual Comment

 
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Friday, December 21, 2001 7:53 AM
Support Relief for ALL S11 Survivors


December  21, 2001

Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick,

I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights
movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people
without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the
September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual
orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has
committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination.
  
As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you
apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle
of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those
who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children,
without regard to sexual orientation or marital status.  The State of New
York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on
a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that
anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities
and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need."

Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks.
Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had
mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the
distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies.  An inclusive
policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an
important principle for other such funds.  In compensating victims, real
justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families -
impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with
dignity and equality. 

Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you
about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11
attacks have equal access to the relief fund.


Sincerely,

Individual Comment
Chloe, WV 

 
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              <text>Tuesday, January 15, 2002 8:22 PM
Help all victims of terrorist attack


Dear Mr. Zwick:

The very humane Fund for relatives of victims of the September 11
terrorist attacks must include all relatives of all the victims.

This importantly should include the partners and children of same sex
unions.  They suffer just as grievously for their deceased loved ones
as do other survivors, and their need for assistance is just as
great.

Please do not give in to the importuning of callous homophobic groups
and individuals who would have the Department of Justice limit
compensation to survivors of heterosexual unions.  They are
interested in a political victory, not humane assistance.

This Fund is intended for humane purposes; it is not a political
statement, Mr. Zwick.

Sincerely,

Individual Comment

 
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              <text>

December 21,2001

Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg
C/O Kenneth L. Zwick, Director
Office of Management Programs
Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice
Main Building, Room 3140
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530

Dear Mr. Feinberg:

As a forensic economist who has often testified on the economic eonsequences of wrongful death, I 
applaud your efforts to find a distribution formula that is both fast and fair. Unfortunately these two 
noble objectives are on a collision course.

Your distribution formula is badly flawed because your assumed rates of compensation growth are 
much too high. The effect of this mistake is twofold. First, of the funds available for distribution, too
much is allocated to economic loss and too little to non-economic loss. Second, although the faulty
formula proportionately "overcompensates" everyone for economic loss, more of the actual dollar
amount is allocated to the highly compensated, at the expense of the less highly compensated. Both of these consequences tend to favor the rich expense of the poor. This is true despite your 
passionately and eloquently stated reluctance to play the role of Kind Solomon by deciding that some
lives are worth more than others.

The appended spreadsheet documents my argument using one hypothetical worker, age 25, who earns
$18,000 a year, and a counterpart earning ten times that amount. The excessive compensation growth
assumptions in this admittedly extreme case result om a misallocation to the more highly paid individual
of $1,538,723.

At the very least, I urge you to revise your growth assumptions so that they are in better accord with
economic reality, and with customery courtroom practice. In today's environment, a generalized growth
rate of 3.5% is probably appropriate, rather than the rates of up to 6.6% in your current formula.

It would be better still, I think, to de-emphasize compensation for economic loss, and to
correspondingly increase your allocation for "pain and suffering," hewing to your established principle
of compensating everyone, rich or poor alike, by an equal but now presumably much higher amount.

I note that you are performing this service to your country without compensation, and if I can be helpful 
to you, I will gladly contribute my services as well.


Sincerely,

Individual Comment
Rapid City, SD

 
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Monday, March 18, 2002 9:49 PM
Fwd: Fw: MEMORIAL:

Would you please take the time to look at what I am forwarding and then tell 
me there should be exceptions to survivors of these victims!   I firmly 
believe that no matter what color, religion, nationality, or whether they are 
gay, lesbian or straight,  all should be treated the same.  I feel God made 
each person what they are and there should be NO EXCEPTIONS to treatment of 
partners or spouses.  There should be NO DISCRIMATION and I ask that you do 
what you can to see these people will receive the same benefits as 
heterosexual spouses.  Thank you.




Individual Comment
Reading, PA
 
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              <text>

Friday, December 21, 2001 6:24 AM
Justice help all terrorist victims


Dear Mr. Zwick:

The very humane Fund for relatives of victims of the September 11
terrorist attacks must include all relatives of all the victims.

This importantly should include the partners and children of same sex
unions.  They suffer just as grievously for their deceased loved ones as
do other survivors, and their need for assistance is just as great.

Please do not give in to the importuning of callous homophobic groups and
individuals who would have the Department of Justice limit compensation
to survivors of heterosexual unions.  They are interested in a political
victory, not humane assistance.

This Fund is intended for humane purposes; it is not a political
statement, Mr. Zwick.

Sincerely,

Individual Comment

 
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Wednesday, March 20, 2002 10:57 PM
On the subject of our fellow Americans

To Whom it May Concern

I am a                      at                      on Staten Island, NY.  
While I am grateful that I did not personally know anyone that died in the 
tragic events of September 11th, I not only saw my father reduced to tears at 
the loss of many of his close friends, but watched the tragedy unfold from my 
window.  The realization that the view from my college was better than most 
footage being played on the television behind me forever altered my 
perceptions of human life.  On the one hand, I was torn apart by the thought 
that any human, terrorist or no, could be capable of such a devastating blow 
to our world.  On the other, I was angry that I was so insignificant, and 
that there was literally nothing I could have done at the time to prevent the 
day's events.  Even now, more than six months after the tragedy, my friends 
and I have sat down and cried about our personal experiences in dealing with 
the aftermath; the loss of loved ones, our inability to cry, and our feelings 
of anger and futility at the thought that giving blood and supplies to the 
Red Cross was the limit of our power.  One thought that we all agreed on, 
however, was that the tragedy united our nation on a level we never thought 
possible.  I feel that unity every time I walk down the street and make eye 
contact with my fellow New Yorkers.  What a shame that this eye contact, or 
these kind words and deeds between strangers must all come as a result of 
such a blow to human life.  One would think that, as a result, we would want 
to embrace that unity, hold to it as a reminder that we must grow strong as a 
nation and put our differences aside.  Yet now I hear that this strength is 
once again being threatened, not by the simplicity of a physical evil, but by 
the complexity of oppression.  By using the "law" selectively, we have given 
illegal aliens compensation for their loses.  We have even surpassed the age 
old argument of where life begins by compensating families for pregnant 
mothers and unborn children.  Why then, do we dare to split the unity by 
alienating the gay community?  Are not gays, lesbians, and bisexuals people 
too?  Do they not breathe the same air as blacks, whites, men, women, legal 
and illegal immigrants alike?  Or are they something else, something 
inferior, because they choose to live their lives differently?  I am 
nauseated by the mere thought that this could be true, and I consider the 
deliberate denial of funds to the loved ones of homosexuals as great an evil 
as the act of 9/11 itself.  By hiding behind the double standards we call 
laws, we are showing that we are not stronger as a result of September's 
devastation, we are weaker.  The word unity is not fit for a nation that can 
join together in mourning only to tear itself apart again.  Therefore, I 
beseech you: think not with your mind, but with your hearts.  It was not 
human calculation that brought us together in the aftermath, but human 
compassion, and it is our duty to keep that compassion alive.  The loved ones 
of gay and lesbian heroes of September 11th deserve our support as much as 
any, and denying them this is as great an act of terrorism as any. I thank 
you for your time and trust that, if given the chance, compassion will thrive 
once more.

Morally Yours,
Individual Comment
Staten Island, NY



 
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December 13, 2001


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
Mill Valley, CA 


 
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              <text>Saturday, March 16, 2002 3:30 PM

benefits

Gay and lesbian relationships are becoming more and more recognized. In the 
future there WILL be equal rights for them. Why can't the government see this 
and start a grass roots effort to show how intelligent they are... or are 
they? We can't continue to hold our breath in anticipation for the future. 
The future is here. Benefits to partners for 9/11 is one of the stongest ways 
of showing this to the gays and lesbians and one of the best ways of showing 
courage to stand up for what you believe is just.
What DO you believe is just?
Individual Comment
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              <text>
Friday, December 28, 2001 12:52 AM
Disaster Relief


December  28, 2001

Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick,

I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights
movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people
without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the
September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual
orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has
committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination.
  
As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you
apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle
of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those
who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children,
without regard to sexual orientation or marital status.  The State of New
York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on
a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that
anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities
and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need."

Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks.
Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had
mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the
distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies.  An inclusive
policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an
important principle for other such funds.  In compensating victims, real
justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families -
impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with
dignity and equality. 

Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you
about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11
attacks have equal access to the relief fund.

Sincerely,
Individual Comment
Greensboro, NC 


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Sunday, March 17, 2002 2:35 PM
discrimination against gays/lesbians after 9/11

Dear Sir/Madam

I am prfoundly shocked to read that the partners of
gay and lesbian heroes of September 11 will not
necessarily receive the same benefits as the spouses
of heterosexual victims of the event. Why on earth
not? Somone lost the one they love--what possible
difference could it possibly make what sexual
orientation they have? Please reply to reassure me
that this cannot be true!!

Yours faithfully
Individual Comment
 
 
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onday, March 11, 2002 3:40 PM
Gay's and lesbian's are entitled to the 911 funds just as
everyone else.


Certainly, more than illegal immigrants. 
Individual Comment
Hawaii. 

 
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Wednesday, December 19, 2001 7:49 AM
Equal Access to Benefits


December  19, 2001

Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick,

I write as a member of Amnesty International and as an United States
citizen.  I write to you today in support of equal access to benefits under
the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual
orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has
committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination.
  
As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you
apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle
of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those
who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children,
without regard to sexual orientation or marital status.  The State of New
York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on
a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that
anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities
and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need."

Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks.
Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had
mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the
distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies.  An inclusive
policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an
important principle for other such funds.  In compensating victims, real
justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families -
impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with
dignity and equality. 

Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you
about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11
attacks have equal access to the relief fund.


Sincerely,

Individual Comment
Boston, MA

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Wednesday, December 19, 2001 1:57 AM
basic human rights


December  19, 2001

Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick,

I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights
movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people
without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the
September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual
orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has
committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination.
  
As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you
apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle
of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those
who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children,
without regard to sexual orientation or marital status.  The State of New
York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on
a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that
anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities
and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need."

Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks.
Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had
mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the
distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies.  An inclusive
policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an
important principle for other such funds.  In compensating victims, real
justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families -
impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with
dignity and equality. 

Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you
about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11
attacks have equal access to the relief fund.


Sincerely,

Individual Comment
Princeton, NJ
 
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Tuesday, December 11, 2001 11:04 PM

Please don't discriminate against gay and lesbian couples in the department of September 11 assistance. As a heterosexual male and father of 2 young girls, I think it's a bad way to show how we as Americans come together. Thanks You


Individual Comment



 
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December 14, 2001


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
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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     
New York,NY 

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December 15, 2001


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
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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.

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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
Winnetka, IL


 
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Monday, March 11, 2002 7:53 PM
Gay people left out of 9/11 Fund???


To Whom It May Concern:

     I am very angry to learn that Kenneth Feinberg, the head of the September 11 Victim's Compensation Fund (a program of the US Dept. of Justice), is planning
on limiting what kind of compensation goes to gay and lesbian victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks.  And the way the rules read, gays and lesbians will probably get nothing.  I am very angry about this.  From my understanding Mr. Feinberg said that he will be going with the state laws governing the distribution of compensation.  The problem for gay Americans who lost loved ones on September 11 is that most states do not legally recognize gay relationships, and the very few that do tend to do so only for state employees, not for citizens at large.  And while a handful of cities do in fact recognize such relationships, under Feinberg's formula, it's the state's law that counts, not the city's.

So, in the end, pretty much everyone who died - including people who aren't even American citizens and were living in the US illegally - will be honored by the September 11th Fund as deserving of America's special recognition and thanks.  The sole exception will be gay and lesbian Americans, because Feinberg and the 911 Fund wouldn't want to do anything contrary to US law.  (Unless of course it involves an illegal alien who isn't even American - then apparently it's okay to bend the rules.)  A major hero during the 09/11 attacks on America,           , was gay.  Are you telling me that he doesn't count as an American?  Please reply explaining why you are leaving out gay Americans.

Respect our planet and ALL life on it!
Individual Comment
 
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Wednesday, December 19, 2001 8:22 AM
Sept 11 Victims Relief Fund


December  19, 2001

Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick,

I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights
movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people
without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the
September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual
orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has
committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination.
  
As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you
apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle
of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those
who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children,
without regard to sexual orientation or marital status.  The State of New
York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on
a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that
anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities
and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need."

Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks.
Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had
mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the
distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies.  An inclusive
policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an
important principle for other such funds.  In compensating victims, real
justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families -
impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with
dignity and equality. 

Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you
about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11
attacks have equal access to the relief fund.


Sincerely,

Individual Comment
Atlanta, GA

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                <text>full</text>
              </elementText>
            </elementTextContainer>
          </element>
          <element elementId="54">
            <name>Posting</name>
            <description>Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item.</description>
            <elementTextContainer>
              <elementText elementTextId="395109">
                <text>yes</text>
              </elementText>
            </elementTextContainer>
          </element>
          <element elementId="55">
            <name>Copyright</name>
            <description>Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.</description>
            <elementTextContainer>
              <elementText elementTextId="395110">
                <text>yes</text>
              </elementText>
            </elementTextContainer>
          </element>
          <element elementId="56">
            <name>Source</name>
            <description>The source of this item.</description>
            <elementTextContainer>
              <elementText elementTextId="395111">
                <text>born-digital</text>
              </elementText>
            </elementTextContainer>
          </element>
          <element elementId="57">
            <name>Media Type</name>
            <description>The media type of this item.</description>
            <elementTextContainer>
              <elementText elementTextId="395112">
                <text>email</text>
              </elementText>
            </elementTextContainer>
          </element>
          <element elementId="59">
            <name>Created by Author</name>
            <description>Whether the author created this item.</description>
            <elementTextContainer>
              <elementText elementTextId="395113">
                <text>yes</text>
              </elementText>
            </elementTextContainer>
          </element>
          <element elementId="60">
            <name>Described by Author</name>
            <description>Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author.</description>
            <elementTextContainer>
              <elementText elementTextId="395114">
                <text>no</text>
              </elementText>
            </elementTextContainer>
          </element>
          <element elementId="61">
            <name>Date Entered</name>
            <description>The date this item was entered into the archive.</description>
            <elementTextContainer>
              <elementText elementTextId="395115">
                <text>2001-12-19</text>
              </elementText>
            </elementTextContainer>
          </element>
        </elementContainer>
      </elementSet>
    </elementSetContainer>
  </item>
</itemContainer>
