much has been made of the warship named new york built from steel from the world trade center. officials with their usual hetoric said the ship would be ''pivotal in the war on terrorism.'' actually a warship is of little use against terrorists. terrorists' modus operandi is to sneak into countries and plot attacks clandestintly. buliding warships that are antiquated and of no use in the war on terror is more about the military industrial complex, not about fighting terrorists. it is mere symbolism, and a lot of things are just symbolism. the flight 93 memorial is symbolism. the goverment seized the property of american citizens in pennslyvania when it couldn't get a deal quickly enough. ironically the goverment did something very unamerican to sopposedly honor the meomories of the flight 93 victims. the goverment wanted the flight 93 memorial built by the tenth anniversary of the sept. 11 attacks because they are embarrased that the 9/11 memorial in new york won't be ready by the tenth anniversary. that's why they tried to run these american citizens off their land. well they got the memorial, but memorials are nothing but symmbolic. congress spouts platitudes about supporting '' our brave men and women in uniform'' and then votes to send them to war. we have enough symbolism. symbolism doesn;t mean anything. congress and the goverment should stop the meaningless gestures and do something concrete. all the bronze statues in the world aren't going to help sick homeless veterans.