NAMES IN THE NEWS : Burn Victim, 12, Wins Praise
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NEW YORK — The wife of Mayor David N. Dinkins praised burn victim David Opont for “showing more courage than people twice your age” by refusing to take drugs.
Opont, 12, suffered second- and third-degree burns in March when a neighborhood bully tied him to a pole in an abandoned garage and set him afire when he refused to smoke crack, authorities said.
His accused attacker, a 14-year-old, has been charged with attempted murder, kidnaping, assault and robbery.
On Sunday night, at a fund-raiser for David at Manhattan Community College, Joyce Dinkins praised the young man for standing up and saying no.
“True, you are just a child of 12,” she said. “But when you refused to take that poison drug into your system that fateful day . . . you took one giant step into manhood.”
Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, of “The Cosby Show,” was the master of ceremonies Sunday. At one point, he embraced David and told him: “David, you’ve got my respect, man.”
David had his own words of encouragement: “I’ve got a message for all the children who are growing up. Have courage to just say no to drugs.”
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