VOA常速英语:从好莱坞演员到充满激情的活动家

Something that has inspired me for many years is the Martin Luther King, Jr. quote which is “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.”And being of service is, I think our greatness.

Well, I went to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and when I graduated I always knew that I wanted to go acting school after college, and that was kind of my deal with my parents.I would go to college and then I could go to acting school, which I did.

When I first moved to Los Angeles, it was the early nineties, struggling, like most of my friends were at that time.

I also felt really strongly that I wanted to get involved in something in my community because I felt really disconnected.

There were two guys who had a similar desire and a great idea for a project and the three of us did it and it was called voices…we called it voices in Harmony and we designed and worked with at-risk teens on a mentoring theatre program.

You know, then I got the “West Wing” and continued to do voices in Harmony through that entire time.

And, one summer, I went to South Africa and volunteered and, as a result, I had the opportunity to go to somewhere else too,through International Medical Corps, and I choose to go to Northern Uganda because I’ve been working with teens and there was a child soldier issue.

And I think that experience opened my eyes to the effects of war on communities, I get emotional thinking about it,but that really inspired me to feel like we actually have the ability to make change, all of us do if we work together.

I’m Senior Director of Justice for Vets and our mission at Justice for Vets is to put a Veterans Treatment Court within reach of every veteran in need.

And I think if we say, and use the words, that we honor our veterans,thank you for your service and we are a grateful nation, those must be backed up by actions.

Tommy Rieman served in Iraq, shot several times, eleven shrapnel wounds, he used his body as human shield to protect his men.He refused to be carried off until everyone else was, returned home as, obviously, hero.

President Bush acknowledged Tommy in the State of the Union address and the entire time Tommy was struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.His family life fell apart, his wife left with the children.

After a night of heavy drinking and pills, he drove his truck into a tree and survived.And during the time a Veterans Treatment Court opened in North Carolina,the first one in Harnett County, which was several hours form where Tommy lived.

You know, in that program, Tommy received the accountability, the treatment, the structure, a mentor and he was able to get his life back.

I think our country owes our military veterans to embrace them when they come home,and when I say embrace them when they come home, I mean be there for them with programs that work for them and for their families.

When the opportunity to play a deeper meaningful role came along,when I got involved in Justice for Vets and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals,which is the parent organization of Justice for Vets, I jumped at that chance.

And I think it’s very rare in your life when an opportunity presents itself where you really can participate in something that is having a profound, deep and meaningful impact on people’s lives.