Michigan Report

By Kevin Martin

While visiting her sister in Cheboygan, Michigan, Barbara Cummings of San Diego joined the local peace movement
at the biggest event in Northern Michigan. Every year tens of thousands of people arrive in two small tourist towns.
On the north side of the Straits of Mackinac (in the upper peninsula of Michigan), in St.Ignace, and on the south side of the straits in Mackinaw City (in the lower peninsula). They gather to walk the Mighty Mack Bridge which spans the straits,
which separate the two Michigan peninsulas. This is THE annual Labor Day event.

This year the estimate is 57,000 persons walked the five mile span from St.Ignace to Mackinaw City. Barbara and her sister,
Karen Martin of Cheboygan were in the first wave of walkers, following close behind the Governor Granholm group.

At the end of the walk were members of several Northern Michigan Peace groups. They were there to protest the war in Iraq, and to show desire for IMPEACHING the criminals in the White House. In the photo is Barbara Cummings getting a "high five" from one of the 57,000 walkers.

In addition to hundreds of thumbs up, peace signs, "thanks", and "wooos" some of the specific comments included:
"Impeach Bush, torture Cheney", "Impeach Bush then hang him at the White House", "you people can't handle prosperity",
"drop the BIG one", "shot 'em all", "I fought for your rights to do this, and I'd take them away in a minute if I could", "you're gonna end up wearing a burka" and in addition several of the National Guardsmen, present for security, whispered to Barbara "love your shirt, and the message" (Barbara wore her Impeach Bush-Cheney shirt).

About 20 protesters from far and near were standing in place from 7AM to almost noon. All were from the baby-boom generation or older. The group included attorneys, PhD.s, retired civil servants, Vietnam Veterans, and working class folks.
All committed to the peace movement. As usual the media chose to ignore the presence of these committed persons. All local newspapers had been advised of the peace groups' plans, none showed up to cover it.