Guest View

RRecently, our community has been hammered by several highly

Ask an American about the connection between love and politics,

A historical, significant act doesn't burst on the scene in one day. It begins with a germ of an idea deep in the crevices of the human heart. The right kind of heart connected to hundreds of other hearts ready to do good for strangers.

 Have you noticed how airplane travel has changed in the past few years? I'm not just talking about the new security restrictions and full body searches we submit to every time we fly the friendly skies, although that aspect has certainly livened up our flying experiences.

Most of us, perhaps all of us, can think back to a time when we needed a second chance to get something right. Whether it was a first attempt at love, a driving test, or a term paper we wrote over, we needed a second chance to get things right. Heck, even the national pastime doesn't record an out on the first strike - they give each batter three. So why is it that we are so quick to throw our personal possessions away at the first sign of wear? Doesn't our stuff deserve a second chance too?

I need to take a break from writing about substance abuse and its prevention in our community. It's hard, though. I read about the number of DUIs in Gilroy. I read about the heartbreak suffered by the family of Juan Sarmiento, an addict who killed himself and was first reported as homeless and then his family clarified that he wasn't. The armories are open and focus is given to people who are homeless, many of whom struggle with addictions. There's news of arguments or violence that require police intervention, all related to alcohol or fueled by some drug use. There's so much to write about.

As the summer heats up, so does the music scene. Pop-rock superstar Kelly Clarkson and the billboard-busting group Maroon 5 are releasing new records, which have been highly anticipated by international fans. But by far the summer's greatest event for die-hard rock fans is the revival of the Smashing Pumpkins in their new album Zeitgeist. The band's first album in seven years came out on July 10. Fans remark that the album strays away from dealing with inner conflicts, a common Pumpkin theme, and instead has explored current global situations, most notably with their single "Doomsday Clock" that criticizes people for ignoring atrocities initiated by world leaders.