To the editor:

Thank you, DMG, for your Jan. 19 editorial supporting peaceful protest. I read it while riding one of the four buses that took women from the U.P. to the Women’s March in Washington, D.C.

When we arrived at the metro station at the end of the Orange Line, we encountered our first crowd, queued up for tickets. The spirit was friendly, polite and excited. Any doubts I might have had about this adventure had dissipated by 9 a.m.

Once crammed onto the train, I chatted with a young Chinese woman, an au pair who arrived in the U.S. in June. She wanted to join the march downtown. “We can’t do this in China,” she said. Alone, “Pippin” was a bit apprehensive, so I invited her to become an honorary Yooper. She was grateful, and I was proud that our group was suddenly a bit more diverse.

The L’Enfant Plaza metro station was packed, but we finally were able to waddle to the escalator. Someone ahead shouted, “There’s no room up here!” When the escalator stopped, someone started singing “This Land Is Your Land,” and I started to cry.

Out on the street at last, too late for any of the speeches, we followed the crowd (there really wasn’t much choice) moving slowly, if at all, for the next few hours. I have seen a photo of the march taken from the top of a building, but I wasn’t near any of the landmarks in that picture. I wonder how many of us were really there.

The happy, friendly spirit continued, and by the end of the day, my cheeks hurt from smiling. One of the marchers from Marquette had made two cardboard maps of the U.P. which attracted quite a bit of attention.

My favorite chant was “No hate, no fear — immigrants are welcome here!” and Pippin, grinning now, shouted with us.

A young boy with a clear voice, sitting on his dad’s shoulders, sang out, “What does democracy look like?”, and we responded, “This is what democracy looks like!”

The spirit we felt in Washington was generated in cities and towns around the world, and I invite you to help keep the positive energy alive. Match your talents with your interests, get involved! There’s nothing like working together on some good project to break down the walls that have divided us.

Carolyn Peterson

Houghton