Host of TV's "America's Most Wanted" Recognized for Political Courage

WASHINGTON, DC--The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), kicking off its annual winter meeting this weekend in Washington, DC, honored victims' rights advocate John Walsh, host of the TV's "America's Most Wanted," as the recipient of the 2012 Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award for acts of political courage. Walsh was recognized for serving as a driving force behind major child protection efforts in the U.S. during the past few decades, including the adoption of new federal laws and the creation of national resources designed to assist victims of kidnapping, homicide and sexual exploitation. Walsh was nominated for the national award by Nevada Secretary of State Ross J. Miller, who is also serving as the president of NASS. 

In accepting the award, Walsh exhorted the nation's Secretaries of State to "saddle up and make a difference." Walsh recounted grisly cases in which serial criminals victimized children, and shared his extreme frustration in tracking down those who perpetrate such crimes.  He advocated for tougher laws and harsher penalties for sexual offenders and other criminals who commit violent acts involving children.

"Although John Walsh's extraordinary achievements were sadly born out of the tragedy of losing his own child, he found a way to transform his deep loss and grief into a positive, powerful commitment to advocating for the safety of all children," noted Miller. "We are recognizing John's ability to give voice to the most vulnerable amongst us through his role as an undisputed trailblazer for victims' rights - he will never give up the fight to find missing and exploited children and bring them home to their families."   

Following the abduction and murder of his six-year-old son Adam in 1981, John Walsh made it his life’s mission to help missing and exploited children. He founded the Adam Walsh Resource Center to campaign for legislative reform, which later merged with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. His lobbying efforts led to the creation of two federal acts that created a national database on missing children and a 24-hour, toll-free hotline to report missing children or sightings. His television show, “America’s Most Wanted,” has helped capture 1,184 fugitives during its 25 seasons on air. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act revised a national sex offender registration system and created tough penalties for sex offenders who did not follow procedures after their release back into society.

NASS established the Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award in tribute to the former U.S. Senator from Maine, who jeopardized her career by speaking out against the red-baiting tactics of Senator Joseph P. McCarthy. Recipients of the award are recognized for similar acts of political courage, uncommon character, and selfless action in the realm of public service. Former recipients include former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Civil rights heroine Rosa Parks, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

A complete list of Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award winners can be viewed here:

http://nass.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=134.

Founded in 1904, NASS is the oldest, nonpartisan professional organization of public officials in the U.S. Members include the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and Puerto Rico. NASS serves as a medium for the exchange of information between states and fosters cooperation in the development of public policy. The association has key initiatives in the areas of elections and voting, state business services and digital archiving, as well as several well-established awards programs.

For more on NASS, please visit www.nass.org.

###

For more information on the National Association of Secretaries of State and its members, click here.