This is a copy of an email Brian Majeski, Music Trades Magazine, sent me. It is great and has me scratching my head.
Why Are The Feds Gunning For Gibson, And Is This Any Way To Stimulate The Economy?
THE SIXTH AMENDMENT to the U.S. Constitution declares that “the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial,” and must be “informed of the nature and cause of the accusation.” Based on their conduct in raiding the Gibson Guitar Company, agents from the FBI and the Fish and Wildlife Service could stand a refresher course in the law of the land. In November 2009, Fish and Wildlife agents, accompanied by a heavily armed FBI SWAT team, stormed Gibson’s Nashville plant and confiscated ebony fingerboards that had been imported from Madagascar. On August 24, 2011 the Feds gave an encore, rushing into Gibson factories in Memphis and Nashville with weapons drawn to confiscate ebony and rosewood from India. The urgency of this “shock and awe” display of enforcement power would suggest a serious crime had been committed. Yet nearly two years after the first raid, no formal charges have been filed, leaving Gibson management to ponder what exactly they stand accused of.
Continue reading Great Article On The Crazy Interpretation of The Lacey Act At Gibson Guitars