The family members of one Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack victim were stunned and outraged during Wednesday’s name-reading ceremony in New York City when a girl at the podium, who was supposed to say their son’s name and move on, instead launched into a plea to President Obama about Syria.
The girl, Brittney Cofresi, deviated from script with this, The New York Post reported: “President Obama, please do not bring us to another war.”
She was supposed to simply say the name of the victim she claimed was her uncle, Sal Papasso Jr. But other family members at the event said Brittney’s a distant relative, at best. And they also said it was highly improper of her to use the Sept. 11 podium for personal political reasons.
“My mother saw her reading Sal’s name and said, ’Who is that?’ She had no idea who she is,” said Mr. Papasso’s brother, Tom Papasso, to The Post. “We were all stunned. It was completely inappropriate to use this day for that. It was not the time nor the place for a political statement.”
Compounding the family’s outrage was the fact the girl took to Twitter after the ceremony to brag about her newfound stardom.
She tweeted: “I’m famous guys honestly go look up 15-year-old girl asks Obama not to go to war while speaking at the 9/11 memorial.”
Brittney was a toddler when Mr. Papasso was killed in the South Tower at the World Trade Center at the age of 34.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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