In politics now, Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams says leadership, not followership, is needed to protect our democracy.

Secretary Adams remarks came yesterday as he received the John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in Boston.

The award from the Kennedy family recognized Adams for his role in expanding voting rights in Kentucky and fighting conspiracy theories about election fraud.

Adams said the threat to public servants today is not just political, but physical.

In his book Profiles in Courage, Senator Kennedy's observations are timeless, such as the various pressures we elected officials face in making decisions.

What seems quaint 68 years on is that now more than political courage is needed.

Today, when we refer to courage in our public servants, be they secretaries of state, county clerks, poll workers, school board members, even public health officials and practitioners.

We refer to physical courage, the courage to risk physical harm in order to serve the public.

I have not received this award for that reason.

There are others who have risked far more than me.

I would like to think I've been given this award to celebrate a happy ending and to mark an example others should follow in order to keep the American experiment in self-government alive.

Secretary Adams also praised Kentucky voters for rejecting many conspiracy theorists running for public office.