Columnists

I love summertime when the weather calls for relaxing on the patio with friends, sipping a chilled glass of wine and watching families of hummingbirds at the feeder.

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Blood plays an important role in Christianity. The Gospels report that when Jesus of Nazareth shared the Last Supper with his disciples he took a cup of wine, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them all to drink from saying, “This is my blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Almost all Christian communities celebrate the ritual of Holy Communion following the commandment he gave, using wine or grape juice to represent blood.

As you and your friends and family get set for the Independence Day celebrations here in the South Valley, I hope you’ll take a moment to think about the great American experiment we are a part of today. The word “experiment” to describe our republic is a fitting one. Many of the leaders who founded our nation were scientifically astute and understood the principles of carrying out tests to prove or disprove revolutionary ideas – including political ideas.

Charles Dickens began his “Tale of Two Cities” by reflecting that “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. He writes of that past and offers only comparisons to his own time.

All the emotional and intellectual energy in this spring’s primary election campaign focused on congressional and legislative races, where a rare combination of new rules and new district maps produced some entirely new kinds of results, with many upcoming runoff races featuring intra-party battles pitting Democrat against Democrat and Republican vs. Republican.

Controversy flared anew last month when a Dutch newspaper announced that the late Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, her husband Prince Bernard, and Queen Beatrix’s late husband, Prince Claus, were all baptized posthumously (after their deaths) into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the LDS or Mormon Church).

As the South Valley gears up to party hearty for America’s 236th birthday bash, you’ll find plenty of activities in the region for the Independence Day celebration. We at MHAT-19 (Morgan Hill Access TV, cable channel 19) wish you a joyful holiday as you spend time with friends and family members celebrating the history and culture of our nation and the incredible freedoms we enjoy.