by Jeff Pierson

U.S. Attorney Alice Martin was on local television news yesterday to announce the indictment of local photographer Jeff Pierson, 43, of Brookwood, Alabama.

He was charged with conspiring to transport child pornography in interstate commerce using a computer from January 2003 through 2004.

Since the story was not even news enough to the local bureau of the Associated Press to move a story, apparently, here’s the press release.

FLORIDA ‘CHILD MODELING’ WEBSITE OWNERS INDICTED FOR CONSPIRING WITH ALABAMA PHOTOGRAPHER TO PRODUCE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY.

CNetNews did run this story about the case today: Federal case may redefine child porn.

Here are the links to Pierson’s profile and solicitation and photography home page.

And here are some samples of his work.

This stuff may be fairly tasteless and appeal only to rednecks who like going to the races and driving fast cars.

But if this is the extent of what the Bush Justice Department has on the guy, then only in Alabama could this be considered pornography, and probably not even here.

Watch for a judge to throw this case out post haste.

Another loser case from Alice Martin.

That’s what you get when you put the Christians in charge of Justice…

I apologize in advance for this.

I said I would never stoop to running tabloid celebrity stuff on this Web site.

But hey, even the staid army guys over at the Associated Press A-wire must be incredibly bored tonight.

They moved this story for Thursday’s newspapers:

Britney’s Crotch Shots Take Web by Storm

It will be interesting to see how many so-called “family newspapers” run this story.

It’s a sure bet they won’t run the photos.

But since I once worked a stint for People magazine out of New Orleans and just once got assigned to the Britney beat back in her heyday, I don’t feel too ashamed to reprint this one photo here - especially since most of the Web sites now bragging about running them are getting so much traffic their servers are overwhelmed and you can’t get to them.

Don’t ask me who took them.

They are all over the Web on blog after blog.

The story has also already made Entertainment television and all kinds of cable news shows, although they covered up the crotch part.

And, the story is no doubt all over the European press, where they take a less than prudish approach to news anyway compared to the puritanical American press.

The story is that Britney and Paris Hilton have been out partying of late - wearing no panties. I think they do it as a joke to show how gullible the press is and how easy it is to get publicity - if you are among the idle rich and famous crowd.

You may find more by Googling “Britney Crotch Shots.”

Here are a few.

To the editor:

The newly passed anti-abortion law passed in South Dakota is grabbing headlines, as the media debate whether the newly revised Supreme Court will ratify it or not.

However, the greatest danger of the South Dakota law, which outlaws almost all abortions and reverses Roe v Wade, is as a stalking horse for the continued erosion of women’s reproductive rights.

While the movement for a rational and humane abortion policy is distracted by this battle, we may begin to see increased erosion of abortion rights by less draconian measures, but measures which gradually limit the rights of women to control their reproductive lives. These must not be ignored.

Having spent many years in the struggle for reproductive rights, I have seen the anti-abortion professionals close up and come to know some. They will be happiest just hacking at the rights of women slowly, because they will not lose their cause or their jobs. Women will suffer and the anti-abortion crowd will thrive.

Outlawing abortion will actually lose their jobs and their power. They do not really want that.

Pro-choice advocates should not be distracted from the quiet grinding away of abortion rights even during this time. Every battle, however small, must be fought and the enemies of women must be turned back.

Rev. Jack Zylman
Founder, Alabama Clergy for Choice
Southside, Birmingham, Ala.

To Benefit the Women’s Studies Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, there will be an exhibit and auction of modified Barbies produced by students in “Barbie,” a course at UAB. Students submitted a Barbie which represented how she felt about a hurtful incident.

There will be T-Shirts as witness to violence against women, in keeping with the National Clothesline Project, designed by students within the Family Conflict and Violence course at UAB will be exhibited and auctioned.

When: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2005, 5:30 TO 7:30 P.M.
Where: BARE HANDS GALLERY
109 RICHARD ARRINGTON BOULEVARD
(A.K.A. 21ST STREET SOUTH)

R.S.V.P. M. Wilson at 205.934.8685 or mwilson@uab.edu