R000808
Thursday, March 14, 2002 10:01 PM
discrimination in the fund
To whom it may concern.
My name is
and i would like to voice my objection at the way you
have handled the distribution of funds to gay and lesbian partners of those
who died in the tragedy of September 11. through various news reports i have
come to learn that on Sunday's "meet the press", Kenneth Feinberg announced
that the money that will be given to the partners of those who had loved ones
pass on September 11 will only be distributed according to state law, without
federal interference in the same press conference he also announced that the
fund would be open to those who are not American citizens and that the
federal law would be overlooked in an effort to be more compassionate to
those who lost families in the tardy but for whatever reason are not us
citizens.
These two conflicting points are not my only concern but only the beginning
my main issue is that the federal government has chosen to overlook the many
gay and lesbian citizens in the united states and in the process also make a
very strong statement indicating that even non-us citizens are more welcomed
in this nation than they are. it is a sad day when discrimination is so
blatant and accepted that even in a tragedy an entire group of people can be
treated like second-class citizens or better not a citizen at all. i am
deeply disturbed by this lack of compassion and the inequality that has
happened in the wake of what should been a unified time. i am for very good
reason, ashamed to be an American in the presence of such discrimination, and
i hope that this point is reconsidered and changed. if not, all that we love
and cherish about the idea of freedom and equality is lost at the time in
which we need it the most. gay and lesbian partners might not equate to the
same thing as wives and husbands in the eyes of the law (at least not yet)
but their loss and pain is equal, and should be treated as such. to do
anything less would be a disgrace to all who died on that day (many of whom
were gay) and a disgrace to all we hold dear, especially the idea of
"equality". i sincerely hope you rethink this position and do the only thing
worth doing, the right thing.
With compassion for all.
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