R002231
Tuesday, March 19, 2002 5:29 PM
Comments on fund distribution
To whom it may concern -
In recent interviews, the head of the September 11 Victim
Compensation Fund has made clear 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
horrible terror attacks.
Even fetuses and illegal aliens will be receiving benefits
under this problem, they've even promised to overlook
federal law and NOT arrest and kick out the families of
illegal aliens, nor will they punish American companies that
hired illegals in violation of federal labor laws. This is ridiculous,
even without the following discrimination facts.
But when it comes to gay and lesbian heroes of the day - who helped bring down the flight in Pennsylvania, who died in the line of
duty when the first tower fell, and who was
of the plane that crashed into the (there
are many more) - we are told the law is the law and no
exceptions can be made.
If September 11 has taught us anything, it's that our
patriotism and love of country transcend our differences and
unite us all. We were told that September 11 was the day
that "hyphenated-Americans" were no more, and rather than
being Italian-Americans, African-Americans or gay-Americans,
we were now simply Americans, all of us together as one
American family. Apparently, that family just got a divorce.
The hyphens seem not to matter when our government wants to
use our heroism to inspire others, but when it comes time to
actually aid the families of those heroes, the hyphens come
back with a vengeance, and it seems that some American heroes
are now more equal than others.
I feel this is a waste of taxpayer and donation money if the following is
carried out as planned. I would urge you to reconsider how this fund is
distributed and to whom.
Individual Comment