Texas High School Cheerleaders Defend Their Annual 9/11 Tribute Routine

What do you think about this performance?

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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On Friday, there were a number of 9/11 tributes held all over the country. Hopefully, you were able to attend or watch a few of them and remember that day. But no matter how many of them you saw, we promise that you didn't see a tribute like the one in the clip above.

Every year since 2002, the cheerleaders at Lumberton High School in Lumberton, Texas have put together and performed a special 9/11-inspired routine. This year, someone filmed the tribute—which featured news clips from 9/11 and even some audio of President George W. Bush—and put it on Facebook. Since then, more than 24 million people have watched it and, while some people have applauded it, there have also been plenty of people who have been flabbergasted by what they've seen. It is admittedly a little bit strange to see a 9/11 tribute done like this.

Now, the cheerleaders themselves are defending it to those who think that it is insensitive.

"We do this because we believe it is very important to honor and remember the first responders, those who gave their lives, and those who still mourn the hole left by lost loved ones," Lumberton cheer sponsor Lauren Sheffieldtold E! News over the weekend, before addressing both the positive and negative reactions the video has received. "It is certainly never anything we could have ever imagined. We are totally humbled that something we work hard on, year after year, can make such a huge impact. One of our cheerleaders Rachel Richard put it perfectly: 'This wasn't a way for us to show off. It was a way for us to use our skills in honor of our country.'"

Check out the video above to see the full routine. Do you think this a tradition worth keeping around?

Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.

[via Uproxx]

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