April 7, 2010
Charleston flash mobbers prepare to outdo Westboro Baptist Church (Video)
Chip Ellis
Volunteers learn the steps for a "flash mob" dance in the parking lot of Covenant House that they'll perform several times this weekend as a positive alternative to the visit by a Kansas church group.
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Click here to read about the "Stop the Hate Rally" being held at the Capitol.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A hundred or more people -- families with small kids, businesspeople, retirees -- gathered Wednesday evening to train for what might be Charleston's first flash mob.

The group will make its debut Thursday afternoon at the Capitol, performing a dance to "Take Me Home, Country Roads."

"I hope you have your dancing shoes on," Amy Weintraub said as she greeted folks in the parking lot of Covenant House, the nonprofit group she directs.

Weintraub organized the flash mob, and decided to aim its first performances at people from the Westboro Baptist Church, a fringe group known for its anti-gay protests at schools, churches, soldiers' funerals and other events. The group has said it is coming to Charleston this week.

"Many of you understand it was important to offer a counterpoint to some of the hate that will be coming to the Kanawha Valley," Weintraub said. Others worried that offering an alternative would raise attention to the church group's efforts.

Once Charleston found out how many people might join the flash mob performance, they refused to issue a permit to stage a counter-protest, Weintraub said. "Police were very concerned about any direct contact. They said there is no way you can contain your group to a city sidewalk."

Instead, police issued permits to the flash mob at the same times, but at different locations, as the church group, she said. "Every time the hate group will be gathered, we will be doing something. It just won't be right beside them."

Jeff Johnson, a choreographer and Covenant House board member, taught the simple steps to the dance. "If you can do the electric slide, you can do this," he said.

And within a half-hour, they were: Four steps to the left, four to the right. Arms to the front, up, higher, overhead, hands to shoulders, overhead, out to the sides and down. Repeat. Then a second 16-beat sequence.

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Posted By: Dawg (4:47am 04-10-2010)
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LOL, this is stupid. Just put a good old fashion "Beat Down" on these people.

Posted By: Carrot Cake Man (6:59pm 04-09-2010)
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The Westboro cult used to go to San Francisco to try to disrupt the funerals of well known gay and lesbian Americans.

NPanhandle is right. The media in San Francisco reported the Westboro people had flown in and out in first class. SOMEONE is giving them a lot of money.

Considering that authorities in California, Maine and Washington State are investigating churches for violating campaign finance laws in hate votes there after preliminary investigating shows these churches committing criminal collusion to hide their secret, illegal activities, I'd say there's a good chance Westboro is being financed by churches that have the same antigay goals.

Posted By: Leroy Lipship (3:50pm 04-09-2010)
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To say this about miners at this time of great loss by the surviving families is just as low as you can go! Them doing this at a young Veteran's funeral is for sure as low life as you can get. If the cameras were not running, I'm sure that a few of us Veterans could take care of the problem and they would not want to come to WV ever again!

Posted By: NPanhandle (11:38am 04-09-2010)
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I have found that most people who just want to "ignore" the Westboro Baptist Church often share the same sentiments as WBC. They feel guilty about it, so they want it to just go away.

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