| Dennis DeSantis • Patriot Act (2003) |
| for solo alto saxophone |
| Composers and politicians have a lot in common. Both are excellent at obfuscation, and at blaming the unconvinced layperson for not getting it. Both can fall back on dubious credentials in order to assist in the obfuscation. And both tend to keep claiming they were right, even after everyone else knows they were wrong. I try not to be that kind of composer, and I certainly tried not to be when I wrote Patriot Act. But the inspiration for this piece didn't fare quite as well. The “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism” Act (or USA PATRIOT Act, as it's more commonly known) is perhaps the single most insidious piece of legislation to hit America since the end of the Civil War. It doesn't really have anything to do with obstructing terrorism; it's just a convenient way for religious fanatics to wield absolute power under the guise of protecting us all from religious fanatics. To be fair, my piece doesn't really have anything to do with obstructing terrorism either. But at least it won't encourage terrorism, and that should certainly count for something. If you like this piece, read more about the Patriot Act and what it means for civil liberties. And if you don't like the piece, read more about the Patriot Act anyway—while you're still allowed to. Click here to listen. |
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