When children are abducted by strangers or non-family members the majority of them will never be reunited with their families; they will never come home. In law enforcement it is generally felt that if a missing child is not home within the first 72 hours the likelihood that they will ever come home is greatly diminished. With each passing day that likelihood becomes even more and more remote. In fact it is believed that 75% of all children who are kidnapped and murdered are killed within three hours of when they were taken! With this in mind time truly is of the essence when it comes to abducted children. As part of the coping process Elizabeth's family joined the chorus of voices calling for a nationwide early intervention public alert system for stranger-abducted children called the Amber Alert System.

Named after kidnapped and murdered Texas girl Amber Hagerman, the Amber Alert program has been credited with the safe return of several abducted young people in states that have adopted it. In one very high profile case, an Amber Alert that put out a description of two missing California teens, their suspected captor and his car saved the girls from certain death at the hands of a brutal convicted rapist. It was the very first statewide Amber Alert put out in California and it was an unmitigated success. Since then there have been several successful Amber Alert returns and the call for a nationwide program grows louder with each happy reunion. Even the United States Senate and President Bush are behind the idea.

What does a nationwide Amber Alert Program mean for the average teen? It means a better chance at surviving an abduction and quicker public awareness of your plight. Amber Alerts work by sending up to the minute information about missing children and teens across major roadways, highways and transportation systems using flashing road signs. When the lights on an Amber Alert sign are flashing the general public will know that an abduction has occurred and can read the details on the sign as they drive by and/or tune in to a local news station for more information. It also entails notifying media outlets and ensuring that the news is put out within the first few hours of an abduction. This rapid public release of crucial information can make a life or death difference for an abducted person.

As of Elizabeth's return the nationwide Amber Alert proposal sits in Congress waiting to be voted on and Elizabeth's father took the opportunity to call for the bill to be passed in to law. While obviously overjoyed by his daughter's safe return, Ed Smart pleaded with Congress to think of the thousands of other children who are still missing, or will go missing, declaring that they deserve a fighting chance at coming home. He renewed his family's call for the immediate implementation of a nationwide Amber Alert program. As one of America's youth you have a vested interest in this program being implemented. Add your voice to the call; follow the easy instructions on the Elizabeth Smart home page to be heard. Simply download, print and sign the letter on the Elizabeth Smart Amber Alert page and then find your senator on the list provided. It is easy, it will take less than 5 minutes, and it will make a difference!