The List > March 11, 2002
> > Folks, it's 2 in the morning and I've just written this story because my > blood is boiling. > > One of you out there just notified me that on Sunday > morning's "Meet the Press," Kenneth Feinberg, the head of the September 11 > Victim's Compensation Fund (a program of the US Dept. of Justice), is planning > on limiting what kind of compensation goes to gay and lesbian victims of the > September 11 terrorist attacks. And the way the rules read, gays and lesbians > will probably get nothing. Forget that Mark Bingham, a gay man, was one of > the heroes who brought United Flight 93 down in a field in Pennsylvania > instead of on top of the US Congress, where it was supposedly headed. And > forget that NY Fire Department Chaplain Father Mychal Judge was gay, as was > the copilot of the plane that flew into the Pentagon. No, according to John > Ashcroft's Justice Department, apparently some heroes are more equal than > others. > > This story is a must read. And pass it along to your friends. (Also, you'll > really want to check out the story online, as there are a lot of hyperlinks > in it to other good content about this issue, like John McCain's eulogy > of Mark Bingham, etc.) > > I just cannot express the depth of my anger. It's as though Ashcroft and > the Fund are suggesting that gay Americans did not suffer as much as > everybody else on September 11. I can tell you that for me at least, > watching the Pentagon burn outside my living room window is an image > I won't soon forget - regardless of what John Ashcroft and the 9/11 > fund think of me and my patriotism. > > Incredibly angrily yours, JOHN > > ---------------- > > 9/11 Fund to Discriminate Against Gays > About.com - US Politics > March 11, 2002 > by John Aravosis > > http://uspolitics.about.com/library/weekly/aa031102a.htm > > When Mark Bingham boarded the plane home that September > morning, he had no idea that within hours he would die a > hero. > > At 10:03 a.m. on the 11th of September, authorities believe > the 6-foot-5 rugby player from San Francisco was one of a > handful of passengers who brought United Flight 93 down in a > field in Pennsylvania. There were no survivors. Had Bingham > and his fellow travelers not acted, it is thought the plane > would have been flown into the US Congress. > > "It is now believed that the terrorists on Flight 93 intended > to crash the airplane into the United States Capitol where I > work, the great house of democracy where I was that day. It > is very possible that I would have been in the building, with > a great many other people, when that fateful, terrible moment > occurred, and a beautiful symbol of our freedom was destroyed > along with hundreds if not thousands of lives. I may very > well owe my life to Mark and the others who summoned the > enormous courage and love necessary to deny those depraved, > hateful men their terrible triumph. Such a debt you incur for > life." - (Senator John McCain's eulogy for Mark Bingham, > September 22, 2001.) > > But on today's six month anniversary of Mark's horrible > death, and the nation's greatest tragedy in decades, Mark > Bingham (in addition to other gay heroes of September 11) is > now officially being declared a lesser kind of hero because > he was gay. > > 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. And 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: > > "[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. > > That's a long-winded way of saying that if state law > discriminates against gay people, then so will Feinberg and > the 911 Fund. The problem for gay Americans who lost loved > ones on September 11 is that most states do not legally > recognize gay relationships, and the very few that do tend to > do so only for state employees, not for citizens at large. > And while a handful of cities do in fact recognize such > relationships, under Feinberg's formula, it's the state's law > that counts, not the city's. > > So, in the end, pretty much everyone who died - including > people who aren't even American citizens and were living in > the US illegally - will be honored by the September 11th Fund > as deserving of America's special recognition and thanks. > The sole exception will be gay and lesbian Americans, because > Feinberg and the 911 Fund wouldn't want to do anything > contrary to US law. (Unless of course it involves an illegal > alien who isn't even American - then apparently it's okay to > bend the rules.) > > On this six-month anniversary of the attacks on the World > Trade Center and the Pentagon, Kenneth Feinberg and the > September 11th Fund are telling the American people that > regardless of whether a gay man was one of the four heroes on > United Flight 93 who saved the US Congress and the White > House from utter annihilation, the 911 Fund plans to > discriminate against an American hero because most of the > country sanctioned such discrimination prior to September 11. > > If September 11 has taught us anything, it's that our > patriotism and love of country transcend our differences and > unite us all. It would be ironic if the generosity of so > many Americans in giving to the September 11th Fund were used > to further divide us as a people, and send the message to all > that some American heroes are more equal than others. > > I leave you with these words of Senator John McCain. > > "I never knew Mark Bingham. 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. > > "America will overcome these atrocities. We will prevail over > our enemies. We will right this terrible injustice. And when > we do, let us claim it as a tribute to our liberty, and to > Mark Bingham and all those who died to defend it." > > - Senator John McCain, Eulogy for Mark Bingham, September 22, > 2001.
