In a rocky relationship going bad, the many wrongs accumulate over time and a single event can trigger an emotionally explosive reaction out of proportion with the event itself.
Gibson's case is such an event for me, but I'm fascinated by the bigger picture. The steady rain of obama's and his administration's many outrages has filled America's emotional reservoir and is putting a lot of pressure on our earthen dam.
While reading the comments here and elsewhere, I wonder if Gibson's case lessens that pressure or is it seepage from a growing weak spot warning US before the dam lets go.
Just something to ponder as I climb to higher ground.
The confiscation of musical instruments from individuals bothers me more, such as the seizure and destruction of wooden flutes or the confiscation of a 1948 Martin D-28 by customs from an individual musician because it was made using Brazilian Rosewood.
Brazilian Rosewood wasn't CITES listed until 1992. Brazilian Rosewood in a 1949 guitar isn't illegal.
The last thing I'll say about my outcome satisfaction is this:
The government had the emails and reports from Gibson employee Gene Nix stating that there was no legal source of Madagascar Ebony, and specifically that Roger Thuman was not a legal source. Nix testified to this as well.
About the only thing that Gibson had to do to reach a settlement was to pay a fine and to agree in writing that it had known at the time of purchase of Thuman's wood that it was illegal.