NAMES IN THE NEWS : Burn Victim, 12, Wins Praise
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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