The Great Gibson Guitar Raid: Months Later, Still No Charges Filed

"They...come in with weapons, they seized a half-million dollars worth of property, they shut our factory down, and they have not charged us with anything," says Gibson Guitars CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, referring to the August 2011 raid on his Nashville and Memphis factories by agents from the Departments of Homeland Security and Fish & Wildlife.

The feds raided Gibson for using an inappropriate tariff code on wood from India, which is a violation of the anti-trafficking statute known as The Lacey Act. At issue is not whether the wood in question was endangered, but whether the wood was the correct level of thickness and finish before being exported from India. "India is wanting to ensure that raw wood is not exported without some labor content from India," says Juskiewicz.

Andrea Johnson of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) counters that "it's not up to Gibson to decide which laws...they want to respect." She points out that Gibson had previously been raided under The Lacey Act for imports from Madagascar.

This much is clear: The government has yet to file any charges or allow Gibson a day in court to makes its case, much less retrieve its materials. "This is not about responsible forestry and sustainable wood or illegal logging, this is about a bureaucratic law," argues Juszkiewicz, who testified last year before a congressional hearing convened by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). It is, he says, "a blank check for abuse."

About 6 minutes. Written, produced, and narrated by Anthony L. Fisher; shot by Joshua Swain.

Music: "Improvisation: Fast Blues in A" by Rev. Gary Davis

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• Category

  News & Politics

[MrSatanochio]

Making laws just for the sake of making laws. People who run this world are fucking retarded. I don`t care what country you are from, you all have stupid and illogical laws.

[THARN393]

the part at 4:20 proves this is a politically motivated raid!

Gibson isnt the only company using these woods.

msg to Obama and his cronies-

Fuck you you piece of shit Left wing Communist Cock suckers!

[DrHogfan]

would some of you liberals please explain to everyone here why this raid was a good thing???

[DrHogfan]

obumma & holder : two lowlife pieces of socialist $#!^

[TheRealEzzy]

This is just retarded. These people are making quality USA made instruments that brighten the lives of millions around the world. Give me a break!

[hunkatiel]

Maybe Gibsons can use the wood from the politicians heads.

[alexzapf123]

There is no way in h€// they are gona take my guitar

[anmoose]

Un-friggin-real! I feel like I've been off in a hole somewhere, because I was unaware of this until I just now stumbled into it. Gibson? One of the grandfathers of American guitars? Subjected to this sort of outright terrorism over the woods they've been buying legally for decades? A truly pathetic example of how purely corrupt our bureaucrats have become.

And I look to my right at my Les Paul sitting proudly on its stand. Am I going to be raided next?... For owning a piece of that rosewood?...

[hjuosh]

the really things is that the biggest enterprises are blowing the woods.

Fender, Gibson, Yamaha etc... :(

[fiddler phil]

Yea go bust another respectable American Company,take all the jobs away that you can and bring America down on its back,while china sends fake Guitars with Gibsons name on them,with made in U,S.A. stamped on them also,selling these copys for 3 to 400 dollars,all built with slave labor.This is just one example,I think most true Americans have took just about all the tyranny we can stand.Stand up for America and the Constitution,which was inspired by our God given Rights

[Honestamericanworker]

Incredble example of government  abuse.

[redcrs71]

The current state of the US is for fucking shit!! Want to take my Les Paul?? Better bring a fucking tank, bitches.