Quote

Violence was almost an aphrodisiac for me.

I was one of those children forced into fighting at the age of 13, in my country Sierra Leone, a war that claimed the lives of my mother, father and two brothers. I know too well the emotional, psychological and physical burden that comes with being exposed to violence as a child or at any age for that matter.

I was a very violent kid. I think movies and writing and art have been a way of channeling this.

My people have been sucked into the violence because some feel they have to retaliate, and some feel they have to protect themselves.

The foundation of my beliefs is the same as it was when I was 10. Non-violence.

I grew up in a culturally radical home, where strong emotions were forbidden.

I've always been strongly on the side of non-violence.

Unfortunately, man, a lot of places in America have to deal with unnecessary violence. Somebody like me who knows it firsthand and could relate... I had a best friend killed, plenty other friends killed. I been through it. I seen it.

My childhood was very difficult. I had every childhood disease and then some, but my parents didn't mollycoddle me. They left me to fight those battles on my own. I guess that was very Canadian, very stoic. But it's good. I had to become a warrior. I had to give up hope and find a substitute for hope that would be far more stable.