Four letters: Affordable health care, a letter to Sierra’s kidnapper, Gamma Alpha Chapter and a great Wlldflower Run

Every American deserves the right to affordable health care

Dear Editor,

Time to get serious about medical care for every American. The first essential step is to remove the 1-percenters from Congress.

Replace them with Senators and Representatives able and willing to represent the bottom 90 percent of Americans. Make Medicare available to every American immediately. Take half the defense budget to pay for this.

People who are happy with their medical insurance are free to keep it. Our medical care ranking, 191 nations 37, France 1, Italy 2. Compared to Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, United Kingdom we are dead last!

We must take a giant step toward excellent, affordable medical care for every American.

 Frank Crosby, Morgan Hill

An open letter to the person who abducted Sierra LaMar

Dear Editor,

This message goes out to the person who has taken Sierra LaMar:

I strongly feel that you are watching from a distance, and that you have heard Sierra’s family, friends and the community plea for answers. Only God and you know what has happened, and where she is. We have faith in our God, and know in our hearts that He will one day bring her home. 

If you have hurt Sierra, God holds her in his loving arms, and any pain you may have caused is no more. If you have taken her from this earth and her precious life, God has taken her home.

If you have held her against her will, and she is OK, please let her go. I feel that you are out there completely alone, and wondering what to do next. I can guarantee that you have closely watched the news, and even been online reading the thousands of posts via Facebook, Twitter, etc. Did you happen to watch the video that Sierra’s friend made? Now that you have gotten a glimpse into her life, you truly know how beautiful, young and full of life she is, or was. 

We have so many questions. Did you plan this? Was it random? What exactly happened that morning? Do you have family? I know that you must, and I’m wondering how you would feel if this were your daughter, sister, mother, niece or wife? Please take a moment and put yourself in Sierra’s shoes, and that of her mother’s. Surely you would want your loved one safe, and never put in the position in which you have placed Sierra. 

If your loved one were out there alone in some unknown location, possibly alive, possibly not, wouldn’t you want her found? Would you be able to sleep at night, eat, or even find the strength to breath? Did you see the pain in her mother’s eyes? She has lost her precious baby. Only you can give her the answers that she so desperately needs. I know that you don’t want to be caught, or spend your life in prison. I know that you don’t want to live eternally in hell. 

Let me ask you this. When you are caught, let’s say that you had a choice, and there are two people standing in front of you. One being God, and the other a judge. The judge tells you that you must go to prison for, let’s just say for 20 years, and God tells you that He will give you two options. He offers you the choice of eternal hell, or forgiveness by repenting and paying your dues ordered by the judge, allowing you to one day be with him eternally.

Which would you choose? Because, you see, you do have that choice. No matter what, whether it is sooner or later, you will have to answer, be judged and face the consequences of what you have done. 

Your choice is not in which of the two shall judge you, but in how you shall be judged. Do you understand? Please do the right thing. Bring Sierra home. Yes, many people will be angry at you, and some will never forgive you. But true forgiveness only comes from God, and it is HE that you should fear, no one else. 

If you regret your actions, and wish you could bring her back, do so. You know deep in your heart that you will not get away with this.

Law enforcement is looking for you, and God is watching you. If you do not regret your actions, believe in God, or care about your own future, we still beg that you do the right thing.

Please, please do not let Sierra’s parents struggle one more day to simply breath and push forward, not knowing where their baby girl is. Sierra is their child. There are no words to explain the bond between a mother and her child. 

When you took Sierra, you took a huge part of her parents. You took from all of us. I do not even know Sierra, yet my heart is breaking over this.

So you can imagine the pain her parents must feel. Go online, and watch the video of her mom pleading for her return.

Look into her eyes and feel her pain. Only you can prevent her from having to wait one more day. If you continue to stand aside, and attempt to hide, it will only be that much worse on you when you ARE caught. 

If you come forward, or at least let her location be known, it may help your case.

Trust me sir, judgment IS coming your way. You’re not stupid; you know perfectly well that forensics will eventually expose you. You know that it is coming and that there is no place on earth that you can hide. 

We beg you, please, please come forward, or make Sierra’s location be known. Please.

 Tami Fortino-Leonardini, Gilroy

Gamma Alpha members offer thanks for generous support

Dear Editor,

Gamma Alpha Chapter of DKG, an international honorary women educators’ society, is a local organization that has had two strong, decades-long purposes: supporting new teachers with annual scholarships and improving literacy in South County.

Recently, we were honored to learn that The Rotary Club of Morgan Hill and the San Martin Neighborhood Alliance both awarded grants to this Chapter. Their generous gifts will be used to purchase new graduated-level books and support materials for our weekly volunteer reading program at the Boccardo Family Center in San Martin.

Gamma Alpha members have been dedicated to this special literacy project since 2001. With the assistance of volunteers from the local high school Interact Clubs, the young residents at that homeless shelter develop both reading skills and, we are confident, a lifelong love of literature!

Gamma Alpha Chapter members wish to express their gratitude to these two benevolent, local organizations.

 Cindy Miller, Chair, Gamma Alpha Chapter

Thanks to everyone for another successful Wildflower Run

Dear Editor,

Members of AAUW-Morgan Hill wish to thank our community for its support of the 29th annual Wildflower Run. From the nearly 900 runners and their families who braved a chilly Sunday morning to the local business sponsors who contributed cash and prizes, we are grateful to all for their contributions to the Run’s continued success.

Special thanks go to Jamba Juice for donating the 900 smoothies that runners look forward to each year, the Family Wealth Consulting Group for their generous sponsorship, South Valley Endurance for providing chip timing and event consultation, and our 150 awesome volunteers. We also appreciate the Morgan Hill Times’ outstanding pre- and post-run coverage.

Proceeds from the Wildflower Run provide local scholarships for women and girls and support national AAUW programs, such as legal advocacy and educational grants and fellowships.

For details, including a list of this year’s scholarship winners, visit our website, wildflowerrun.org.

We are already planning our 30th Wildflower Run, which will take place April 14th, 2013.

We invite the community to once again come run with us! 

Elizabeth Mandel & Betsy Ding, Wildflower Run Co-Directors