One more American patriot's voice from January 21

On January 25 I published the personal stories of three people who participated in the January 21 Women's March.  Here is one more, also writing of the experience -- who was there, what it was all about, what went on during the march, and what happens next?

Paula from Oregon -- marched in Portland, OR:

I went alone [to downtown Portland] because my March companion got sick.  Hoped to see someone I knew, but didn’t happen although many of my acquaintances later said they were there.

[I wanted] to let our new President know that all people should be treated equally and respectfully.

It was amazing!  More people than I expected; I’ve read estimates of anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000.  Being Portland, unfortunately there wasn’t much diversity, but there were lots of families and I did see a Native American group.  (I later heard that the NAACP advised to not march.) The police were super friendly – some wore pink knit hats or roses on their lapels.  They waved, took photos with marchers, and told use to have fun.  It was peaceful and friendly, although a bit loud at times with drummers.  Despite the steady rain, I had a great time and felt camaraderie.

What's next? For me – to continue letting the President and elected officials know my views.

Cops and kids at #womensmarchpdx

Equality and respect for others -- that works for me.  I get the same message from the stories in the earlier post on the Women's March.  If we had a hundred of these stories, or a thousand, or a hundred thousand, I am sure we would hear that message from all of them.