To the Journal editor:

It’s been 10 years since Donald Trump entered the political landscape. It’s also been 10 years since I first started coming to the Upper Peninsula, a place that appealed to me because of the kindness and strength of Yoopers, and the vast and majestic beauty of Great Lakes, rivers and boreal forests.

The U.P. as I’ve experienced it is a libertarian and supremely tolerant place. Almost everyone I’ve gotten to know up here agrees on a big chunk of the important issues in life. Respect for nature/the environment crosses political lines, because being awed by Lake Superior is a universal experience. Personal freedom is a given; live however you want to live as long as it doesn’t harm me or prevent me from doing the same.

It’s a particular point of pride to have an off grid camp. Not trusting the government is an old past time for preppers. The first day of deer season is practically a holiday. It’s no big deal to get naked, take a sauna, and jump in the lake or the snow with your friends or neighbors. “Welcoming” doesn’t even begin to describe the attitude of most folks up north.

When I came here, I didn’t know a soul, and after visiting just two or three times, I had a community for life.

The U.P. is rural. The U.P. is independent. A good portion of the U.P. population has wanted to be the 51st state for decades. To me, the aggressive and authoritarian vision of government being laid out by Donald Trump just doesn’t match up.

I’m not that old, but I still remember when “conservative” meant that you were hesitant to make change, not that you would tear up every rulebook, throw out every convention, and rip apart the fabric of a nation that, while imperfect, has been operating pretty well for the past 60 years or so.

A thought that has popped into my head many times as I walk through the beautiful woods and wetlands in my adopted home: I just want power hungry politicians like Trump to keep their hands off of it. They don’t know this place, how beautiful it is, how wonderful the people are, what makes it great. I always say, I believe the U.P. is the best place on earth and I don’t want to change it.

That’s why I’ll be participating in the “Hands Off” protest on April 5. I’m hoping that others reading this may feel the same way.