The New “Crime Wave” Panic and the Long Shadow of John Walsh
We are still living in the world that Walsh, and “America’s Most Wanted,” helped build: a paranoid populace that believes crime is everywhere and can only be solved through relentless policing.
As the host of Fox’s America’s Most Wanted from 1988 through 2011, Walsh would fuel the nation’s crime panic and reinforce his position as the country’s foremost proponent of harsh anti-crime measures. With its grim, gritty tone and dramatic reenactments of violent acts, the show sought to induce fear in the American public, alerting viewers to rare, sensational events and thus distorting their conceptions of crime and danger. Walsh’s status as a bereaved parent and a well-known anti-crime crusader also propelled him into the halls of power (despite his professed distaste for the “backstabbers in the world of politics”), where he bent the ear of every U.S. president from Ronald Reagan through Barack Obama
The Walshes pressured federal policymakers to pass, and President Reagan to sign, the Missing Children Act of 1982 and the Missing Children’s Assistance Act of 1984. These laws stemmed from the “stranger danger” panic that gripped the nation beginning in the early to mid-1980s. At the time, aggrieved parents, politicians, and talking heads claimed that 50,000 or more children fell victim to stranger abduction in the United States annually. (The actual figure was and remains somewhere around 100..
This needed to be said. Well done!
Foundation of The Police State being set with Unconstitutional, Punitive, Post De exFacto punishment. Adding to the circle of Walsh Acts
Im waiting on lawmakers to make it mandatory for all Registered citizen to get the covid injections or demand probation officers to push it on a person.. Making it a law claiming RSOs have to do it cause of all of the homeless RSOs
Biden as well signed on that bill
Walsh is just as guilty of underage dating
he anounced what he did on national TV
90 state lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct since 2017 amazing do as we say not as we do..
Then now we have this it will be washed under the rug as well
https://www.aol.com/news/arizona-lawmaker-resigns-arrest-child-112256309.html
when is the going to end…
Here’s a quote from Wikipedia for those who aren’t familiar with Walsh’s admitted sex crime for which he was never prosecuted:
“In his book Tears of Rage, Walsh openly admits being in a relationship with 16-year-old Revé when Walsh was in his early 20s and aware of the age of consent being 17 in New York.[30] Critics of the Adam Walsh Act have pointed out that, had he been convicted, Walsh himself would have been subject to sex offender registration under the law which he aggressively promoted.”
Since he also pushes the idea that sex offenders will repeat their crimes, we have to assume that he has other victims out there who he hasn’t revealed.
Gerald
They are not better than us, they just have not gotten caught. I often wonder how many police chiefs, Judges and other high ranking officials did something in their past and go away with it. Just look at all the people being accused of something like a Politician who when they were in college slipped something into a girls (Or boys) drink and took advantage of them.
I use to criticize the victims for waiting so long. Then I realized something things I saw when I was younger and didn’t speak up either. You become afraid for your job and at the time think “Who is going to believe me over an influential figure”?
Cherokeejack,
One thing that surprised during my prison stay was that several of the guards told me that they wouldn’t judge inmates because they, themselves, also did things in their past that merited prison time, but they never got caught. The corrections officers I dealt with for 12 years were mostly very nice people who spoke to me like I was a human being. Probably because their experiences working there showed them that most inmates, especially sex offenders, are good people who did something bad.
Gerald
The prison I was sent to, you had to be more scared of the guards than other inmates. A lot of North Florida prisons are in “Good old boy” territory. If it was not for the prisons, there would be NO jobs in those areas.
The guards would find stuff in your storage locker that was not there before because they planted it. I saw so many inmates get beaten by guards, 10 on one.
One guy who never bothered a soul and spent all his time to himself and reading his bible. He got a highlighter from the Chaplin (They were banned in your possession). During a “Shake” down of the dorm, they found his highlighter and he got sent to confinement for 3 days and lost 3 months of gain time.
I am sure I could have been sent to a worse one but I know there were better ones as well. Having said that, You’re in prison so it is not supposed to be a vacation. But when the guards act worse than the inmates, are they not as bad if not worse than those they are guarding?
Prison Guards are almost completely untrained, under paid and mostly hate their jobs. One of the top three worse jobs in America. So when they come to work, they are just as pissed off as you are in your cell. Divorces run rampant, suicides and Guards turning to crime are most likely. So the likelihood of violence perpetrated against inmates is probably 90% or higher. They know nothing about mental health, know nothing about identifying sociological problems which results to violence and dark ages treatment of the incarcerated. Point of discussion: “Be Nice to Prison Guards!
Hey Jack BTW my attorney told me to get my wife to mexico
and he can get her in go figure huh
That is awesome brother. I will keep your situation in my prayers.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future
Jeremiah 29:11
Well, as we’ve seen from time and time again, there’s no stature of limitations for sex crimes. People can pop out of the wood works 35+ yrs after the alleged incident and try to bring charges against someone.
The state in which Walsh currently lives can bring up the charges based on his own admittance.
Maestro
Having said that, it is a HELL-of-Ah lot harder to prove and prosecute cases from that long ago. And as far as statue of limitations, I think that was also recently changed to no time limits.
When I was in counseling, the counselor told me that a lot of the old cases that come to light are years later when the victim/accuser seeks counseling for drug/alcohol addictions and they spill the beans during a session. I guess the counselors are then required by law to report that.
I am amazed the “controversy” section on John Walsh’s encyclopedia is still up. I created that section and added most of what is currently in that section. Wikipedia has a lot of backstage politics and some people are well-protected. Lauren Book had her page well-protected, they kept removing anything negative I posted even though it was coming from legitimate local media.
Time for Americans to stand up and speak out before the government takes every citizens freedom away. Shouldn’t matter what your political and religious views, age, sex, economic status, criminal/non criminal record, geographic region and other circumstances to be able to see what’s happening. As a former Republican I’ve never been ticked off at both sides of the aisle, media sensations of a rare story broadcast 24/7, citizens claiming to be religious while being the opposite outside of church, and continuing division of this country based on fear. We are becoming a police state.
Brandon
they are gone already
Not even on the registry off 2006 did the same stupid Walsh done, I canr even Petition my wife from another country
9 yrs of marriage and the Kicker they claim I may pose a risk to my wife
BUT I have our daughter here in US living here with me she is 7 yrs old
this country DGAF about my daughter, if i posed such a risk.to my wife as they claim then why do I have my/her daughter????? all punishment
punishing me and my child by keeping there mother away and barred from this country as long as she is married to me… or I die then its not an issue at all
#Experenced
I have a “radical” idea that might work but you would have to run it by a lawyer. What if the two of you agreed to get a divorce. This would be on paper, the two of you could probably then live together since she met the obligation of “Not being married to you”.
Just a thought if you really want to get her back. Just odd, like you said it is ok for your daughter to be with you. What I am thinking is your daughter was born here but your wife wasn’t?
They gave my buddy a hard time getting his wife over from Australia. They ended up ending their relationship since they would not let her over. The thing is, he is a decorated Marine and never been arrested and not on the registry.
But here is the kicker. Not picking on any race but, they let migrants from the South of us to come through by the 1000s and give them housing, food, and more. But guys like you cannot even get your legal wife over here?
The things that happen to us should be on the show “The Twilight Zone”. Just freaking Bizarre .
Cherokee Jack
My daughter Was born In the Philippines! a filipino citizen and a US citizen by birth..of US citizen I had to file all the papers at US embassy Phils.. to finalize her an american citizenship then get this Bureau of Immigration Allowed me to take her back to the US
I ran the Anulment Idea past her just as your thinking she totally refused
Im not blacklisted from the Phils but Im ready for them to pull there shit Then i get ahold of the BI comissioner and ask him which social media would he like me to post allowing a sex offender to take a child out of the phils…we will see how far this sht will go…
I dont lay down for NO body..USAF veteran
and since the registry I refuse to display the american flag anywhere
this is not the country I served …
so tell me just how Fked up this system is huh..
Experenced
First off, thank you for your service to the country.
Secondly, know you are not alone. I was shocked to see how many Registered citizens living in the woods are veterans. Not because the VA is not helping them, but they are NOT allowed to live anywhere.
For the LOVE of God, how can a judge NOT call that punishment. When you are banished to the woods? I do not work (I am disabled) but if it was not for my loving parents, I would be living in the Sex offender resort in the woods as well.
“claimed that 50,000 or more children fell victim to stranger abduction in the United States annually. (The actual figure was and remains somewhere around 100..”
I can see how this number is confusing but I can see how it could have been a mistake. Here let me help open your eyes.
Just remove the 1 and replace it with a 5. Then add two more zeros AND a comma. Now you have a…………………………Wait a minute .
Ok yeah nice try inflating the numbers (Sarcasm)
Congress believed Walsh when he said America’s streets were “littered with mutilated, decapitated, raped, strangled children” and hinted the actual murder numbers were in the millions.
Victim advocates like Walsh and the Books have no business influencing public policy. These people are schizo, yet due to their exalted status, legislators and courts cowtow to even the most absurd delusions of the exalted victim cultists.
The Online registry is the highest form of over-policing America ever trotted out. It’s disgusting how law enforcement worships and looks up to John Walsh like some saint or hero. All these security theater jobs with inordinate budgets wouldn’t exit without his decades of fear and hate mongering.
John Walsh is basically a variation of Mike Lindell before there was a Mike Lindell. Both loudmouth showman and cultish figureheads that used charm, lies and manipulation to gain fame and fortune.
CAN WE PLEASE KEEP POLITICS TO A MINIMUM IN THESE COMMENTS? NO ONE USED TO CARE WHAT PARTY YOU SUPPORTED UNTIL 2016! CALM. DOWN. ABOUT. IT.
Politics have always been divisive. Maybe some folks just didn’t notice how just how much until 2016 but it has always been there.
Politics are also a part of what Anti-Registry activists have to deal with regularly. Political alignment determines the arguments we use when dealing with a legislator. It is also the reason we have different philosophies, strategies, and goals in this movement.
Political alignment even affects our desire to revisit Smith v Doe (go look at all the major rulings in SCOTUS starting with Kansas v Hendricks to the present and you’ll quickly see which side is more favorable to us and it isn’t the conservatives).
Your reaction tells me who you vote for. I can assure you that your political party will not be the one to give us what we’re seeking in this movement.
Meanwhile back at the Batcave.
A 19 year old female in Florida was just arrested on sex trafficking, and many other charges related to the GOP Political scandal.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/teen-arrested-in-connection-with-gop-strategist-s-alleged-sex-trafficking-scheme/ar-AANjQjp?ocid=msedgntp
There needs to be class action lawsuits, against the various justice departments, of those with the same crime who got punished against those with the same crime in government and/or public figures, such as Walsh, who did not.
This guy is headed to cop hell, a total wannabe cop TV reality show bullshit artist. We are all sorry about his unattended son that probably ran away from this ass, Throw some leather clothes on this too short to be a cop and what do you have? Cable Networks have profited in the millions and he created a genre that in effect booster Megan’s Law with his screaming on-air scumbag approach. He is richer than rich with his syndicated shows that do nothing to help anybody anywhere! The dark production design, (repeat) those stupid clothes and the fact he’s going to come through my TV and arrest me is a joke beyond a joke. The best thing we can all do is to ignore this creep because I assure you his ending won’t be a happy one.
JEV-True Confessions
I recall in the early years of the Adam Walsh case that I felt incredible pain for John, Reve and the rest of the Walsh family. I certainly enjoyed watching America’s Most Wanted which Walsh appeared born for. I always felt that this was Walsh’s mission in life, but in the intervening years I have grown to feel that Walsh is only feeding his own ego and only cares about himself.
The record reflects that Reve left 6 year-old Adam alone in the store for more than an hour and a half and then delayed calling the police. You can leave a teenager alone in a store for an hour and a half but not a first grader. Adam’s death was the combination of an opportunistic predator and parental neglect. Society in their empathy and respect for the Walsh’s are willing to overlook parental neglect because ultimate responsibility falls on the killer. However, the developments over the last few decades allow me to look back and view the entire Adam Walsh episode in context and I believe it is finally time to call out John Walsh for his ego and the Walsh’s parental neglect and responsibility in Adam’s disappearance.
First, the Walsh’s sued Sears for Adam’s disappearance and society overlooked the aspect of parental neglect which is understandable due to the incredible pain that any parent would feel in their situation. Leaving it there, it is fine for society to overlook the parental neglect, but developments indicate that it is no longer appropriate to overlook the issue of parental neglect and John Walsh’s ego.
The lawsuit gives the impression that the Walsh’s were more concerned about money than reliving the horror of Adam’s disappearance.
Sears stood their ground. They deposed Jim Campbell who stated that he was boning Reve for the 2 years he lived with the Walsh’s and that John was into pot and cocaine.
I don’t know if it is true or not, but someone has been recently posting on the internet that John had CPS take his daughter’s kids and demanded that they live with him on his “private island”.
These developments paint John in a different light. At first it appeared that John had incredible courage in his fight against crime because he had to relive Adam’s disappearance on a daily basis. But in his fight “against crime”, John conveniently overlooks those who are the greatest generators of violence in our society, the street gangs and narco-terrorists. If his drug use was or is true, than he is or was a part of the problem by supporting these narco-terrorists.
I don’t know if many here recall the ordeal of Terry Jo Duperrault or not, but her story was as big as Adam’s when I was younger.
The Dupperrault family decided to charter a sailboat in Florida one winter. They had the incredible misfortune of drawing Julian Harvey as their charter boat captain. He had pulled a series of high dollar insurance scams over the last 2 decades and took out a large insurance policy on his wife that paid double if she died in an “accident”. He thought it was convenient to have this family as witnesses to his wife’s “accidental drowning” so brought his wife along as a “cook”. Harvey assaulted his wife and tryed to throw her overboard but she fought back. The father below heard the commotion and went topside where he was murdered also. Harvey decided to kill all of the witnesses and scuttle the boat. He killed 11 year-old Terry Jo’s mother, brother and sister after killing her father. He intended to kill Terry Jo as well but was busy scuttling the boat. He had Terry Jo hold onto the rope holding the lifeboat. As he got ready to kill Terry Jo, she let go of the rope. Seeing the lifeboat drift away as the boat was rapidly sinking forced him to jump in the water to get to the lifeboat that began to drift away saving Terry Jo’s life. Terry Jo had the presence of mind to unhitch a styrofoam ring strapped topside. She drifted for four days without food or water in this lifering until a passing boat saw this semi-conscious child in the middle of the ocean in a lifering surrounded by sharks. The boaters pulled her aboard and radioed the Coast Guard who flew her to a hospital. After she regained consciousness she explained to the police what occurred on the boat.
In the intervening years she made clear that she didn’t want to be viewed as a “victim” and didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for her. She refused interviews and only stated that she wanted to move on with her life.
I have thought about this little girls presence of mind and attitude through the years. Adam’s disappearance made me think of her 20 years later.
She witnessed her parent’s, brother’s and sister’s murders at age eleven. John Walsh suffered the tragic loss of a child as an adult. She quietly moved on with her life. John became the crusader of “justice”. I supported John’s quest for justice when I was younger. But looking back and viewing everything in context, I see now that John’s “quest for justice” only feeds John’s ego. While I support taking violent criminals off of the streets, John’s overlooking the most violent and dangerous criminals is not “justice” but John’s wallowing in self-pity. If it is true that John was into cocaine, etc. and this guy was really boning his wife, he was so wrapped up in John that he even failed to see that this “friend” that he took into his own home was boning his wife for 2 years. If it is true what they are posting on the internet that John had his grandchildren taken from their mother, he comes across as controlling and manipulative.
Terry Jo moved on past an incredible tragedy in her life at age 11 without seeking counselling and successfully grew past this tragedy. I no longer view John Walsh as the champion of justice. I view John Walsh like a manipulative snake oil salesman. His whole life has been all about John not about victims or justice. If it is true that he now owns and lives on a private island, then he did well as a result of Adam’s murder. John and Reve at least received some compensation that that couldn’t get from the killer and I am happy for the both of them.
But 11 year-old Terry Jo showed more maturity in her response to tragedy than adult John. John is understandable bitter but it is time for society to see that John is either using this tragedy for financial gain, vengeance, or both or that John is in serious need of psychological counselling so he can finally move past this chapter in his life.
I don’t hate John Walsh as a person; however I don’t like him using what happened to his son to pass laws on a group of people who had nothing to do with his son. How many children are living in poverty because of the Adam Walsh Act? Why not use his influence to lift families out of poverty and help at risk youth to get out off the streets? Would you want your sons legacy to be creating more problems and harm?
The Broward county cops then only had one suspect and it was the 17 year old GIRL security of Sears who had taken Adam out she was off duty no uniform then Adam went missing, she knew the mall she was the security guard she was allow to leave then she came back dressed up as a security guard to help with investigation and is when she reveals she had kicked out Adam. In another story a girl name Alissa 15 year old killed a little girl she shocked her to dead.. so little people kids do kill and that girl came back to the scene. Then the lead detective was made fun of for accusing a 17 year old old for killing Adam Walsh. John Walsh made up a bigger story to be famous he knows the killer is free and his daughter knows it is why he wants to take her children to control her
I agree and I also believe he has used his sons death as a financial gain for himself. He’s a millionaire worth well over $8 million dollars now and continues making money. He really needs to stop now. He’s done enough damage to those who had nothing to do with the death of his son.
John Walsh is a human being who survived a tragedy. Why are people blaming him (IF his wife was having an affair)? Blame the victim?!! Stop judging him!! We weren’t there and some people lie!! Did Reve leave Adam alone for an hour and a half? Did she want to end her marriage? We really don’t know. They stayed together and had three more children. He helped create a television program (to support his family). They brought a lawsuit against Sears that was dropped or dismissed. He became somewhat famous like many “celebrities”. Stop idolizing people and there won’t be “celebrity status” like they’re better than everyone else because they have “fame and money”. Their son was murdered. They are the victims. Stop blaming people who are victimized.
(MODERATED: BE RESPECTFUL IN YOUR LANGUAGE OR YOUR COMMENT WILL BE REJECTED IN THE FUTURE). He sends Americans on crusades that are detrimental to all Americans. You need to worry about the weird Uncle more than a stranger. He is self serving. Financial gain is his only motive. He us a true scumbag.