Sidwell Friends deals with dark side of limelight

[TomCADem]

Source: Washington Post

When five anti-Obama, anti-gay protesters appeared in front of the school's Wisconsin Avenue NW entrance Monday morning, they were met by 150 Sidwell students waving signs ranging from "There is that of God in Everyone" to "I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It."

"I guess they think they can influence what we think because we're young and vulnerable," said Daniel Edminster, a Sidwell junior. "They can't."

The school, founded in 1883, taught children of three White House occupants before the Obamas: Theodore Roosevelt, Richard M. Nixon and Bill Clinton. Vice President Biden's grandchildren go there, as did Al Gore's son while Gore was vice president.

But in the 1990s, when Chelsea Clinton attended, Twitter and Facebook didn't exist to amplify and extend conversations. (There have been more than 175 tweets about the protests in front of Sidwell since Monday.) Nor did the Internet function as a gathering place for the political fringe to the extent that it does today.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/11/AR2009111126806.html?g=0

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This is just sad. Anti-gay, anti-Obama posters protesting in front of the school that is attened by President Obama's kids.

[virgogal]

1. The kids should always be left alone. Always!

[tanyev]

2. Sad, yes. But what's awesome is how the students responded.

:applause:

[euphoria12leo]

7. Truly awesome!

:applause: :applause:

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. Yes, love this picture

[KittyWampus]

15. little boy's sign says "The World Is Doomed". Great message for a kid. He didn't think that up.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. 150 kids faced down five assholes? Bring it on!

[noiretextatique]

4. the kids made them look like the hateful idiots they are

:toast: to the children for showing those idiots their hatred isn't working on them.

[pundaint]

5. Don't mess with the scions of political power

But that concept might be a little too subtle for those who feel that stoking hate is in service to their "love-based" religion.

[MiniMe]

6. Well, only Malia

Sasha goes to Sidwell Friends, but it is a different campus. Still, leave the kids out of it. I'm glad the other students supported Malia.

[PJPhreak]

8. I LOVE IT!! Phelps get Pwnd!!!!

Fantastic Job Guys,Love the signs!!



Grace Phelps-Roper, 17 years old, and her brother Luke, 7, stand with signs on Wisconsin Avenue as demonstrators from Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas group protest across the street from Sidwell Friends School. Students held a counter-protest at the same time.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

9. Is there no depths the Westboro Baptist Church won't stoop to?

[Lisa0825]

10. No. nt

[mrbarber]

11. Only five from the Phelp gang showed up?

That's a pretty meager turnout, even for me.

In any case, well done for the students, although part of me wishes we would just ignore the phelps. Anti-protestors only give them the limelight they so desperately seek. There real life trolls.

[hootinholler]

12. How do they fund travel?

They have a judgment in the millions against them in Md.

-Hoot

[quaker bill]

13. "that of God in everyone"

glad to see that they are still teaching basic Quaker tenets at this Friends School. We do enjoy the occasional protest / counter protest.