A law to establish a national registry of sex offenders seems like a no-brainer and we applaud the Minnesota and North Dakota lawmakers who sponsoring it.

Today, Laura Walker, the mother of Dru Sjodin, will lead a rally in support of passage of the Children’s Safety Act, which includes Dru’s Law, favoring starting the national registry.

As you may recall, Dru was a 22-year-old student at the University of North Dakota when she was kidnapped Nov. 23, 2003. Convicted sex offender Alfonzo Rodriguez Jr. has been charged with her abduction and murder.

The rash of cases of children kidnapped since the first of the year, some found alive, others found dead, should be motivation enough to encourage passage of the bill.

More than likely, two issues may surface which could hinder its unanimous approval &045; money and personal rights.

Money is certainly in short supply every where, including in our national budget and setting up a data base of sex offenders, the subsequent follow-up to ensure they are registering and keeping track of their where-abouts will be costly. But the safety of our most vulunerable citizens must be a priority. As evidenced by the abductions of young children this year alone, parents &045; try as they might &045; can’t always protect their children from determined criminals.

Even if the bill passes, parents must continue to be vigilant, educating themselves about offenders living nearby and teaching their children age-appropriate safety tips. The law won’t replace parents doing their job to keep their children safe.

As for personal rights, whatever happened to the rights of law-abiding citizens? Their rights should supersede convicted sex offenders.

We hope to see lawmakers step up and protect children with passage of the Children’s Safety Act.