Re “Parkland’s sorrow, and its strength’’ (Page A1, April 1): Nestor Ramos’s commentary was heartbreaking, but out of this tragedy may come something truly remarkable.

I went to the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., because I had to be there. To be counted. To offer support.

What I unexpectedly found was a sense of optimism that our democracy just might survive. The atmosphere was one of good will, and I came away with the belief that reasonable people can change things — young and old together — with our vote and our demand for accountability.

Ramos describes the views of Sandi Davis, a sociology teacher with a daughter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School: “One of the most potent and underacknowledged messages to emerge from Parkland is that people who disagree on how best to prevent gun violence can work in parallel.’’

There was no hostility that I saw at the march, no demands that gun owners give up their right to bear arms. There was also no vitriol from students in Ramos’s article — only intense sadness and a determination to change things.

Parkland students are promoting democratic action through unity. We should elect those officials who will represent their values and enact sensible gun laws — laws that are desired by the majority of Americans.

Susan Shelton

Falmouth