Living Hero, Sir Patrick Stewart. Chelsea H.

For my first living hero profile I'd love to tell you about my favorite actor, Sir Patrick Stewart. I was first introduced to his acting through the television show Star Trek: The Next Generation where he played the captain of the U.S.S Enterprise. As I got older I decided to look him up on the internet to see what kind of movies he was doing at the time and it was then that I found how cool he really is. He is a member of Amnesty International and speaks out publicly about domestic violence issues. He also came forth about being in a home where his father beat his mother, Patrick often pushing himself in the middle trying to protect her.
 “Our house was small, and when you grow up with domestic violence in a confined space you learn to gauge, very precisely, the temperature of situations. I knew exactly when the shouting was done and a hand was about to be raised – I also knew exactly when to insert a small body between the fist and her face, a skill no child should ever have to learn.”

-Patrick Stewart on The Legacy of Domestic Violence,

 The Guardian, 26 November, 2009

It is a sad reality that domestic violence is still such a prevalent issue, but it gives me hope to see organisations like Amnesty International doing their best to change the world.