WASHINGTON — Elizabeth Smart didn't say anything Wednesday as she received the National Courage Award from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. She played the harp instead.
A filled-to-capacity hall on Capitol Hill listened in silence as Elizabeth — now much taller and a year older than when she was rescued — performed.
The performance took courage, but "America's Most Wanted" TV host John Walsh said it was nothing like the bravery she showed during the nine months she was kidnapped.
"America doesn't know how brave this young lady is. She kept herself alive," said Walsh, who himself had a son who was kidnapped and murdered.
"Mentally, physically, she's been through holy hell. This is an incredible young lady," Walsh said, noting she could have given up, especially when her captors were questioned by police out of state and she still was not recovered.
Walsh lashed out at people who said she should have tried harder to run away. He said those do not understand the courage required just to keep alive in her situation, which the award recognizes.
"When I heard the media saying, 'Why didn't she run away, why didn't she go somewhere,' I felt, how abusive and how exploitive is that? What if somebody told you, 'I got in your house and took you out at knifepoint. I'll kill you if you tell anybody, and I'll come back and I'll hurt your family?' " he said.
Walsh added, "This young lady put up with that for nine months and kept herself alive. She's one of the bravest people I've ever met, and now she is an advocate for other children."
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, was with Walsh to present the award.
The annual awards breakfast, which also honored numerous law officials who helped recover missing children during the year, helped mark the 20th anniversary of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
It was also used to launch a new public service announcement campaign by the center to help prevent online exploitation of children by pedophiles and others.
One spot asks parents if they know the meaning of common acronyms used by children while on the Internet. The center said it hopes that acronyms like POS (parent over shoulder), PAW (parents are watching) or LMIRL (let's meet in real life) shock parents into realizing how little they may know about their children's online activities.
"These advertisements will give parents the knowledge they need to learn how to talk to their children about the dangers and ensure safer, more productive online experiences," said Ernie Allen, president of the center.
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