What sort of reality do people who circulate this stuff live in? I can only imagine.

Here is the full text of an e-mail I received today from a Grandma aged person I know. I don't fault this person because I honestly feel that age is a real obstacle in having an open-mind, but I can imagine that there are plenty of younger people out there who still live in a complete fantasy world of patriotic idiocy, sensationalism and mindless sentimental gestures.

Here is the email:

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Subject:USS New York

Here SHE is, the USS New York, made from the World Trade Center !

USS New York

It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center

It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists . It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft. (...continued)

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite , LA to cast the ship's bow section When it was poured into the molds on Sept 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there."

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up." "It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."

The ship's motto? "Never Forget"

Please keep this going so everyone can see what we are made of in this country!

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I can't get over the "designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists" part! Needless to say, I did not "keep it going".

After looking for a link to embed the picture (which was in the original email) I found a comment that said this photo is not even of the USS New York, it is actually the USS San Antonio. The USS New York is still under construction, but I guess when there is an opening for sappy, patriotic propaganda, you just can't wait for something as insignificant as a fact!