W000521
Saturday, November 24, 2001 10:41 AM
Victims Comp Fund Comments
Dear Attorney General Ashcroft,
In response to your request for comments regarding the
Sept. 11th Victims Compensation Fund providing
assistance to those directly affected by the terrorist
attacks, I would like to tell you about my partner
, who died in the Pentagon attack; and how
deeply this has affected me.
loved and lived life with humor and practicality.
She was prior military (10 years U.S. Navy); she
completed her Bachelor?s in 1998 and was contemplating
starting her Masters. She had just completed a yearlong
mid-level management course the week prior to Sept.
11th. She belonged to Toastmasters. She loved nature,
valued friendship and was a terrific photographer.
and I were together 17 years and had figured that
we could celebrate our golden anniversary together. We
co-bought our current house and lovingly rehabbed it to
become our home. We co-owned a car, had joint bank and
credit card accounts and were the beneficiaries to each
other?s wills. We were in all respects, a true and
committed partnership.
Mr. Attorney General, it makes no difference whether one
calls a relationship a marriage (traditional) or a
partnership (non-traditional); the coming together of
two people, to love and laugh and cry together; to
provide constant support and camaraderie for each other,
to share the bills and heartache and good fortune
together; that is the meaning of a true relationship.
That is what and I shared. mother said
it best when she stated that had been married
twice before (conventional) and it didn?t work; yet it
worked for us. I am grateful for every minute of the
years we had together. For our partnership.
I am asking you, when defining the criteria for
compensation to the victim?s families, to recognize same-
sex partnerships as a valid and true relationship. I
sincerely hope your committee can be as open and
accepting as the Red Cross has been with me. I am
thanking you in advance for your
consideration.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment
University Park, MD