R000504
Tuesday, March 12, 2002 6:19 PM
everyone should be included
All of us were affected by what happened to our country on September 11th.
All of us have pulled together to make sure it will never happen again, and
that those who were directly affected are taken care of. At least that's
what I thought. Until I heard Kenneth Feinberg say the following -
"[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. I simply say this: What does your
state law say about who is eligible? 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. I can't get into that local
battle. I've got to rely on state law." - Kenneth Feinberg on
NBC's "Meet the Press," March 10, 2002.
This is not acceptable. We need to include everyone in the victim fund.
"I never knew . But I wish I had. I know he was a
good son and friend, a good rugby player, a good American,
and an extraordinary human being. He supported me, and his
support now ranks among the greatest honors of my life. I
wish I had known before September 11 just how great an honor
his trust in me was. I wish I could have thanked him for it
more profusely than time and circumstances allowed. But I
know it now. And I thank him with the only means I possess,
by being as good an American as he was.
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