He had them put a similar bumper sticker on their cars and gave them suction-cup versions of the sign to use whenever they travel in someone else's vehicle. Talk show hosts and TV networks are rushing to do segments on the judge, many fretting over the civil rights of offenders. An attorney on Nightline wondered if we would someday force shoplifters to post signs. Anyone who says such a thing should be made to visit the filthy canal where Elizabeth Byrd's body was found. Shoplifters don't steal the lives of children.
Sex offenders do.
Even so, a judge shouldn't be deciding which category of criminals must post signs in their front yards, a state legislature should. Particularly in a place like Arizona, which consistently ranks at the bottom of most national surveys when it comes to the welfare of children. We don't house our kids properly or educate them well or safeguard their health. The least we can do is to protect them from predators. Nine sex offenders are listed in the ZIP code where I live.