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Topic: Now The Gibson Guitar Raids Make Sense
alleoops Joined Sat 08/06/11 Posts: 10832	Mon 05/27/13 04:08 PM
IRS Scandal: The inexplicable raid nearly two years ago on a guitar maker for using allegedly illegal wood that its competitors also used was another targeting by this administration of its political enemies. On Aug. 24, 2011, federal agents executed four search warrants on Gibson Guitar Corp. facilities in Nashville and Memphis, Tenn., and seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. One of the top makers of acoustic and electric guitars, including the iconic Les Paul introduced in 1952, Gibson was accused of using wood illegally obtained in violation of the century-old Lacey Act, which outlaws trafficking in flora and fauna the harvesting of which had broken foreign laws. In one raid, the feds hauled away ebony fingerboards, alleging they violated Madagascar law. Gibson responded by obtaining the sworn word of the African island's government that no law had been broken. In another raid, the feds found materials imported from India, claiming they too moved across the globe in violation of Indian law. Gibson's response was that the feds had simply misinterpreted Indian law. Interestingly, one of Gibson's leading competitors is C.F. Martin & Co. According to C.F. Martin's catalog, several of their guitars contain "East Indian Rosewood," which is the exact same wood in at least 10 of Gibson's guitars. So why were they not also raided and their inventory of foreign wood seized? Grossly under reported at the time was the fact that Gibson's chief executive, Henry Juszkiewicz, contributed to Republican politicians. Recent donations have included $2,000 to Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and $1,500 to Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. By contrast, Chris Martin IV, the Martin & Co. CEO, is a long-time Democratic supporter, with $35,400 in contributions to Democratic candidates and the Democratic National Committee over the past couple of election cycles. "We feel that Gibson was inappropriately targeted," Juszkiewicz said at the time, adding the matter "could have been addressed with a simple contact (from) a caring human being representing the government. Instead, the government used violent and hostile means." That includes what Gibson described as "two hostile raids on its factories by agents carrying weapons and attired in SWAT gear where employees were forced out of the premises, production was shut down, goods were seized as contraband and threats were made that would have forced the business to close." Gibson, fearing a bankrupting legal battle, settled and agreed to pay a $300,000 penalty to the U.S. Government. It also agreed to make a "community service payment" of $50,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation — to be used on research projects or tree-conservation activities.

Conrad_73 Joined Sat 09/29/07 Posts: 22488	Tue 05/28/13 12:32 AM
IRS Scandal: The inexplicable raid nearly two years ago on a guitar maker for using allegedly illegal wood that its competitors also used was another targeting by this administration of its political enemies. On Aug. 24, 2011, federal agents executed four search warrants on Gibson Guitar Corp. facilities in Nashville and Memphis, Tenn., and seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. One of the top makers of acoustic and electric guitars, including the iconic Les Paul introduced in 1952, Gibson was accused of using wood illegally obtained in violation of the century-old Lacey Act, which outlaws trafficking in flora and fauna the harvesting of which had broken foreign laws. In one raid, the feds hauled away ebony fingerboards, alleging they violated Madagascar law. Gibson responded by obtaining the sworn word of the African island's government that no law had been broken. In another raid, the feds found materials imported from India, claiming they too moved across the globe in violation of Indian law. Gibson's response was that the feds had simply misinterpreted Indian law. Interestingly, one of Gibson's leading competitors is C.F. Martin & Co. According to C.F. Martin's catalog, several of their guitars contain "East Indian Rosewood," which is the exact same wood in at least 10 of Gibson's guitars. So why were they not also raided and their inventory of foreign wood seized? Grossly under reported at the time was the fact that Gibson's chief executive, Henry Juszkiewicz, contributed to Republican politicians. Recent donations have included $2,000 to Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and $1,500 to Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. By contrast, Chris Martin IV, the Martin & Co. CEO, is a long-time Democratic supporter, with $35,400 in contributions to Democratic candidates and the Democratic National Committee over the past couple of election cycles. "We feel that Gibson was inappropriately targeted," Juszkiewicz said at the time, adding the matter "could have been addressed with a simple contact (from) a caring human being representing the government. Instead, the government used violent and hostile means." That includes what Gibson described as "two hostile raids on its factories by agents carrying weapons and attired in SWAT gear where employees were forced out of the premises, production was shut down, goods were seized as contraband and threats were made that would have forced the business to close." Gibson, fearing a bankrupting legal battle, settled and agreed to pay a $300,000 penalty to the U.S. Government. It also agreed to make a "community service payment" of $50,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation — to be used on research projects or tree-conservation activities. Government by Blackmail!

Sojourning_Soul Joined Fri 02/13/09 Posts: 10767	Wed 05/29/13 10:51 AM Edited by Sojourning_Soul on Wed 05/29/13 10:51 AM
Gibson guitars are as American as apple pie and baseball..... Guess Holder and Obozo are not.....

Conrad_73 Joined Sat 09/29/07 Posts: 22488	Wed 05/29/13 11:38 AM
Gibson guitars are as American as apple pie and baseball..... Guess Holder and Obozo are not..... actually what the DOJ claimed was,that Gibson bought the Wood from a Poacher through a Middleman,despite that Gibson had an Affidavit from the Local Government that the Wood was legit! Seems the DOJ,especially under Dem Guidance hasn't learned a thing from Waco,Ruby Ridge and other Incidents! Seem to think that it is absolutely OK to send in militarized SWAT-Teams just to serve a Searchwarrant,then get pissed when it backfires ,like on Ruby Ridge and Mount Carmel!I still remember those Soundbytes on TV,when those Goons went to "collect" Elian Gonzales to "re-unite" him with his Dad!

HotRodDeluxe Joined Sun 05/06/12 Posts: 2743	Wed 05/29/13 04:35 PM Edited by HotRodDeluxe on Wed 05/29/13 04:39 PM
Overpriced pieces of junk.

Jeanniebean Joined Wed 01/30/08 Posts: 40028	Wed 05/29/13 07:50 PM
That same kind of harassment was used against Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. The government should fear the people... not the other way around. Jerk wads.

JustDukkyMkII Joined Fri 11/12/10 Posts: 1462	Thu 05/30/13 02:18 AM
The government should fear the people... not the other way around. I hope everyone lets that sink in a bit...They should then realize that the government DOES fear the people, and the Bank is the real government. It is the banksters' fear of the people that has been motivating the actions of their lackey "governments" as of late, including (along with many others) the government of the US (a "service" corporation). The people should NOT fear the government, for the simple reason that they OWN it!...It is THEIR PROPERTY. It is well past time to stop acting like children of the state (because the state has turned out to be an abusive parent)...Those of you who are intelligent, rational adults are the proper parents of the governed, and it would seem that the body most in need of that governance is the state itself. So quit acting like frightened angry children rebelling against an abusive parent and start acting like the wise and just parent of the state that you are! It's time to give that little bully you created a swat on the *** and tell it to smarten up! You are CREDITORS of a bankrupt DEBTOR government in receivership! (It couldn't exist without you because you can foreclose at any time). You are Creditors to the banks that rob you daily of your natural wealth and abundance (and have done so for ages). The government's bank debt is FRAUDULENT and a theft of the natural wealth of your Nation. TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE!...They know damn well who you are...They have been living in fear of the day that you would find out yourself. So now that you know who you are, you don't need protests or petitions, you don't need riots in the streets and you don't need Armed Marches on Washington* to preserve a right you always had and still have...What you need is an ACCOUNTING from your PUBLIC SERVANT, the USA, because the profits of the major corporations and Banks are YOUR MONEY...You are the creditors of ALL of them thru money that was stolen from you by bank fraud. The massive national debt is money that is owed to you. It was stolen from your nation using fraudulent bank "loans." You can take charge of your country by first telling your "government" who you are (a creditor of it) and then telling them what they'll have to do to earn the PUBLIC TRUST again. *(This has me worried...It has all the makings of a staged incident started by infiltrated provocateurs to impose martial law and "temporarily" suspend the Second Amendment...Don't fall for it.)

Conrad_73 Joined Sat 09/29/07 Posts: 22488	Thu 05/30/13 02:33 AM Edited by Conrad_73 on Thu 05/30/13 02:48 AM
Overpriced pieces of junk. It's the principle of the matter,not the Guitars! Government needs to be taught not to send armed Goons after Citizens merely to serve a Search-Warrant! It sooner or later will have tragic consequences,as seen in more than one instance! I still can't see why each Agency needs it's own Private Army! Other Countries use the local Lawenforcement! I would take a dim view if the Taxauthority would invade my Home at 4AM with Goons armed to their Teeth just because I didn't file,or didn't pay my Taxes! Ridiculous! anyone remember this? http://frontpagemag.com/2011/humberto-fontova/elian-gonzalez-when-eric-holder-earned-his-spurs/ or this? Mount Carmel,Waco,for those who might have forgotten!