In a video uploaded to Facebook on Friday, the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a Texas high school cheer squad performs a routine set to "God Bless the USA" and various audio clips from Sept. 11, 2001.
At time of publication, the video had more than 20 million views on Facebook. Response to the video has been mixed -- some claiming the video is a touching tribute, others that it is offensive and tasteless.
Take a look at the nearly four minute routine below.
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));Cheerleaders 9/11 routine. So good, it'll make you cry.Posted by Crystalynn Petoskey on Friday, September 11, 2015
Lauren Sheffield, the Lumberton High School cheerleading squad's coach, told Buzzfeed that the routine is a tradition, having been performed every year since 2002.
Lumberton cheerleaders that performance was amazing! What a wonderful tribute to the fallen. So proud to be an American!! #NeverForget911— Sonja (@SonjaB__) September 13, 2015
lumberton cheerleaders 9/11 performance was probably the best thing I've ever watched!— Smalley (@_weslynsmalley) September 12, 2015
I just watch the Lumberton High School's Cheerleaders routine for 9-11, amazing job to all those girls and there director. U.S.A — ray.ray (@BldeanReagan) September 12, 2015
"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,” Sheffield said.
Those who find the routine uncomfortable or tasteless take issue with the use of news soundbites and speeches by President Bush about the attacks.
Is anyone else made really uncomfortable by that video of a cheer team using audio from 9/11....— Tatum Moleski (@tatummoleski) September 13, 2015
Just watched part of a video in which high school cheerleaders did a "tribute to 9/11." America, where tasteless tat passes for homage.— Elaine Liner (@LinerElaine) September 12, 2015
The YouTube upload of the routine by a channel with the name "Crystal Bloodsucker" also received some backlash, given the uploader's bizarre comments regarding negative response to the video.
Lumberton High cheerleader happy horrible 9/11 tribute using victim's voices is going viral, it's all about her. pic.twitter.com/Uw39Y1Zxk6— Peg (@IowaPeg) September 12, 2015
"My face is being shown all over American, and perhaps will also be shown all over to Japan soon. So anybody that has something bad to say, Fuck You All, I'm going viral," the uploader's comment read.
Members of the Lumberton cheer squad defended their routine on Twitter, saying that it was meant to honor the victims of 9/11. According to members of the team, the YouTube account does not belong to an LHS cheerleader. The video's uploader has since disabled comments on the video.
@IowaPeg the cheerleaders don't agree with this and purely did this routine to honor the victims& heros of 9/11.Sorry if this has offended!— anna (@AnnaFeathersto2) September 13, 2015
@IowaPeg this was not a cheerleader. We did not intend to offend anyone at all we have been doing this routine for years!— heather stanley (@heatherbstan) September 13, 2015
Mashable reached out to Sheffield, the LHS cheer coach, but she did not immediately respond to a request for comment.