R000605
Wednesday, March 13, 2002 11:00 AM
911 Fund Compensation Rules
Dear Mr. Feinberg,
I think it is an atrocity that loving partners of gay people who died as a
result of the terrorist attacks on September 11th will not necessarily be
compensated. When will you learn it's not about sex, but about love. The
partners of these people who died in this horrible attack loved each other
as much as President Bush and Laura Bush love each other. Period, end of
discussion! I think you need to reconsider what you said on "Meet the
Press."
In an appearance on the Sunday, March 10 broadcast of NBC's "Meet the
Press," Kenneth Feinberg, the head of the September 11th Victim Compensation
Fund (a fund created by Congress and run by the Department of Justice), 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
their loved ones.
According to Feinberg, lots and lots of people will receive compensation
under the plan, including children, babies, and even fetuses. Moreover, as
an indication of how generous the fund will be, even illegal aliens, who
aren't American citizens and who are in the US in violation of federal law,
will receive benefits. Feinberg even says that the Attorney General has
promised that if undocumented aliens come forward, they won't be kicked out
of the country, and their employers won't be penalized. "The attorney
general, in consultation with Immigration, etc., undocumented aliens who
come forward, the families will not suffer any consequences. They are
covered by this program. They will get a check. The employer, where we need
the economic information about the undocumented alien, will not be
penalized," Feinberg told "Meet the Press."
Yep, the Attorney General is himself willing to overlook US law so that the
victims of September 11 can be compensated. But when it comes to gay
Americans who lost a loved one to Mohammad Atta and his band of thieves,
that's when Feinberg and the Department of Justice suddenly do an about
face:
Sincerely,
Individual Comment
Atlanta, Georgia