R001693
Monday, March 18, 2002 9:24 AM
9/11 Fund Exclusion of Gays
FOR THE MEMORY OF:
And so many more...
I am saddened, outraged and ashamed to hear that once again my government is choosing to divide its people. How dare such a horrific double standard be applied within the September 11 Victim
Compensation Fund. The very idea that benefits would be denied to same sex partners saying that the "law" must be followed while overlooking every law written about illegal imigration is preposterous.
I am proud of my country. I know it to be the home of an amazing spirit. Our people, on the whole, have a wonderfully kind and generous nature. And, in times of strife, we pull together to take care of each other. I've seen it times of fire, flood, tornado, earthquake, and now, sadly, during acts of terrorism.
When the towers were hit, I was stunned, I listened and watched with disbelief. When the towers fell, I cried. I cried for every life lost, for everyone who lost a loved one, for all Americans who would now have to live in a world that had been changed forever. But, in the days and weeks that followed, I was uplifted by the outpouring of support and for the healing that seemed to be happening across all the artificial barriers that we have established over time. I took part in the common prayer times observed across the country. Groups of people from every religious affiliation, race, and sexual orientation came together, held hands, and prayed. We didn't care then about each other's differences.
I cried for everyone. I prayed for everyone. It would appear from their recent statements, however, that the administrators of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund did not.
Please correct this injustice. Do not push our people backward. We've crossed such an important bridge. Let's sustain the gain, and move our country forward with all its people equal and united.
Respectfully,
Individual Comment
Dallas, TX