The Joy of Sax

      There aren't many people more thrilled than I am about the week-long inaugural festivities of President Clinton (See, that doesn't sound so bad, does it?)
      After 12 years of abstinence during the Reagan-Bush era, but now inspired by the new administration, I am planning to go to my local music store, buy a few reeds and cork grease, and resume saxual activity. I'm frightened by the possibilities, but I know it's the right thing to do.
       At one time, saxophones had defined the sound of the "Big Band"era, then were the driving beat in the beginnings of rock. But, during the Reagan-Bush years of deregulation, saxophones could no longer compete against instruments that were picked, plucked, and strummed, and became just another instrument whose sole purpose seemed to be to provide a musical bridge in high school marching bands between the ranks of trumpets and clarinets.
      Unable to get steady work as a rock saxophonist, I packed away my silver alto sax into its case and my golden tenor sax into its case--in keeping with the re-emerging American philosophy, I kept the cases separate. I assumed it wouldn't be long before the new administration would realize that its policies of the unregulated free market were destroying sax. But such was not to happen.
      Into the "me era,"a generation of Americans shoved music and the other creative arts out the back door while escorting greed into the front door. Then, when the administration declared family values were more important than problems created by Irangate and Iraqgate, the savings and loan debacle, unemployment, American corporations moving to other continents to exploit a whole new class of workers, a recession, wars in the Balkan, starvation in Somalia, and even a war in the Persian Gulf desert to defend the sanctity of oil in countries more sexist and racist than anything America ever envisioned, then turned its back on the suffering of the Kurds who didn't control oil, we knew sax was no longer important. But, secretly, I wondered how families could survive and regenerate themselves without a little bit of sax in their lives. Although the nation had committed numerous indecencies against itself, what the administration did those 12 years was nothing short of saxual harassment.
       While the Republicans were pushing family values, the people of Arkansas were quietly applauding (or at least tolerating) the rebellious Gov. Clinton's saxual escapades. But, most of us didn't become aware of Clinton's obsession with sax until he grabbed his instrument and a pair of shades and blew out "Heart Break Hotel"on the Arsenio Show . That's when I knew that I had to vote for Bill Clinton. Anyone that brave, who was willing to stand up for his beliefs, was going to get my support.
      So now I'm watching the inaugural festivities, listening to my fellow Americans honestly tell me about their saxual orientations, and hoping to resume where I left off a dozen years earlier. Only this time, I plan to buy a mute and practice safe sax.