Are you angry at Michael Savage for his ignorant and silly remarks about autism? Do you have time and energy to spare to provide him with a bit more attention? If so, you may want to take a look at Cindy Sue Causey's blog "Six. Almost Seven." which includes a fair amount of information about what folks are doing to protest Savage. And you'll certainly want to know, according to a press release recently sent out by mass e-mail:
Evelyn Ain of Autism United and Angry Parents will hold a major press conference on July 21, 2008 at 2pm in NYC outside WOR Radio Studios located at 111 Broadway in Manhattan calling for the firing of national conservative radio jock Michael Savage and asking for a boycott by parents of children with autism of all stations carrying his signal. Mr. Savage outraged the autism community by saying 99% of children suffering with autism are brats and morons on his national syndicated radio show.Quite honestly, I'm hoping no one actually takes part in any of these events or protests. The guy is successfully baiting an entire community - and in so doing, he's getting exactly what he wants: our time, attention, and advertising revenue. Instead, take the time and energy you would have spent on Mr. Savage, and lavish it on your child with autism!They plan on also announcing a national protest in San Francisco California on Tuesday, July 21 2008 with autism groups and parents across the nation outside of Savages hometown.
I’m not 100% sure what the appropriate response to the comments of Michael Savage, but I’m pretty sure that it’s not to ignore him.
There are one too many people in very powerful positions who think exactly the way that he does and if this gives people the opportunity to attempt to educate certain people as to the reality of autism spectrum disorders, I think we might even want to consider it a blessing that Michael Savage expressed his opinions in public, rather than some others who harbor such feeling but only express them behind closed doors if at all.
It’s very hard to sit back and do nothing at all , when this “person”(for lack of a better word” attacks your child , it is people like him who make other people “act out” towards our kids . for every one person who knows he is a jackass , there are a couple who believe what he says .
These are companies that advertise on Talk Radio Network, the company that is proud to bring you Michael Savage.
This is as per this link:
http://www.talkradionetwork.com/pg/jsp/adinfo/clientlist.jsp
These are the companies.
ABC
Acura
American Express
Ancestry.com
Boca Java
Bochringer
Bosch
Campbells
Citrix
Consolidated Resources
Direct Buy
Dish Network
Ebay Motors
Efax
General Motors
Gallo Wines
Hoover
Legal Zoom
Marshalls
Nautilus
Nivea
Outback Steakhouse
Prudential
Purina One
Simon & Schuster
Staples
Subway
Texaco Chevron
United First Financial
Volkswagon
I sent a few e-mails tonight to his sponsors and the personnel dept. at WOR radio, as well as one to him personally “as an undeserved courtesy,” the latter bounced. I didn’t waste a lot of time about it but I found it actually increased my available energy to respond.
Peace,
Kathy E.
Nothing will change if no action is taken. He may get publicity and ad revenue with the extra attention but his audience will only get correct perspective if enought people speak out, especially if he’s taken off the air.
The irony here is that, even as you say we should ignore the issue, you’ve taken the time to blog about it. By your own argument, you should have spent that time with your children. I hadn’t heard of the issue or even Michael Savage until your blog post. You made the time to speak out about something important to you. Isn’t that the same thing that the activists against Michael Savage are doing? Maybe nothing will change even if they do take the time, but you can guarantee no change if no action is taken.
Of course, Josh is 100% correct… ;-> grin.
But I do think there’s a difference between taking a few minutes to blog and traveling across state lines to attend a rally.
Maybe some good will come of all this after all if Savage really is pulled from the air.
It’ll be interesting to see what the outcome is: I’m still absolutely shocked that Don Imus was canned over his “hoes” comment… I mean Don Imus, the grand old man of shock radio, being canned over ONE obnoxious comment!
Lisa (autism guide)
You would get more traction if you assembled the emails of those advertisers above so people could direct their disatisfaction at the people that matter, the ones with the money…
The action to take is to have a webpage where all the Sponsors of Savage’s show along with weblinks to those sponsors and phone numbers are easily available. It would be easier for people to respond if the information and links were right in front of them. This email with links of sponsors could then be emailed to some of the larger autism websites asking them to take action.
Michael Savage should not be able to pollute our airwaves with such idiotic rants.
Freedom of speech. If you dont like it, turn it off. He was giving his opinion. I highly doubt anyone is going to take his opinion as medical fact.
Unfortunately Mr.Savage has the right to freedom of speech, no matter how ignorant or insensitive his remarks are. I believe that just as Mr.Savage has the right to say the things he says, people have the equal right to not listen.
Instead of going on a crusade to boycott and/or protest dozens of companies, give your time and energy to your child!
Savage’s show is the worst on the radio. I suspect most of it is just an “act,” but he spews more hate and venom than any other show I’ve ever listened to. I can’t switch it off fast enough – and I’m a libertarian/conservative who might agree with some of his opinions. But mixed in with ignorance, hate, and his persecution complex, it can’t be stomached.
What would be gained by ignoring someone calling your disabled kid a moron and a brat and to just slap the kid around? You should ingore that????????????? Where is your brain?????? Your dates are also wrong.
I am personally boycotting Outhouse Steakhouse. IN these tough economic times, I don’t need to spend50 on a steak to the wallets of people who support vulgar, inane, haters like this SAVAGE. You get what you deserve for ever listening to that garbage, garbage in, garbage out, now poor kids are to pay the price for this atrocious Hitler.
Yeah, sure it’s just an act. Calling an autistic kid a moron is just an act. And Howard Stern is just an act, and all the haters in the media, they’re all just acts. Get your act together and boycott, protest and disable this show.
I’m boycotting Outhouse Steakhouse too. Who wants to eat their dinner in an outhouse anyway?
My kid’s attention comes first, but I’m at work and she’s at camp. Yes, Mr. Savage of course has the right of freedom of speech, exactly as we do to contact these companies. He has a lot of listeners and some of them don’t know, or don’t know they know a parent or a kid with autism. Or they may be parents who are coming to grips with their kid’s condition. They may take his parenting advice, and not get help elsewhere. I doubt these companies would have bankrolled him had they known he was going to say something like that. I’m not saying he should be keelhauled (out loud), but I would like these large companies to know who they’re being associated with.
WHen you eat your dinner in an outhouse it smells.”
Any day now Savages show is going to be turned into a series of shrieks and unintelligible moans. That will be his new show. That’s the sound of sponsors dying out. That’s the sound of a man whose power of speech has been replaced by autism.
He is called a national conservative radio talk show host. This has become synonomous with hatefulness, bigotry, ignorance, and arrogance. And anything to get the spotlight and more money regardless of the truth or who gets hurt.
I read that his son owns ROCKSTAR energy drink and his wife is the CFO. That would hurt him and family directly……Tell all to boycott that drink…….
There’s no way he’s married
I’d like to meet him in the Octagon
I think people should protest against all the offensive and lieing things those shock jocks say, in the hopes that they get finally removed off the air waves. People like Savage should not be given a microfone, let alone a whole show to spew their prejudice and ignorance.
I once happened on him while looking for traffic info. Seriously, after a few short minutes of listening to his particular brand of hate speech it became clear that he, and I’d imagine many of his regular listeners, need professional help. Giving Michael Alan Weiner (his real name) this amount of attention will only encourage him to make more objectionable and outrageous statements. I agree with Lisa on this one.
“Freedom of Speech” exempts Savage from prosecution for his idiotic views. It does not exempt him from all repercussions… like angry letters or boycotts of his advertisers.
Same as I am fully capable of loving and caring for BOTH of my children- one autistic and the other not- I am also fully capable of both providing love and attention to my kids while loudly denouncing this man’s repeated attacks and ignorance.
I find your advice to be cowardly and disingenuous.
Sorry Lisa, on this one your wrong. We are our children’s parents, and no one will care nor protect our children like us – Nor give a damm.
Allof us have been through hell as you know, fighting against an establishment of pharma and Savage and such, which must be shut down with this type of disgusting comments and attitudes.
Unless we all take action, and make the point that his behavior is unacceptable, it will continue. Then you will only have yourself to blame, for not taking the appropriate action. Not fighting back, fails our children.
We are guardians of our children and will not take any crap from anyone – Failing them, is not an option, PERIOD!
When will people develop the guts to fight back in a real way? It just shows what you are willing to go to bat for.
Lisa,
I have to say I agree with you. Savage is nothing but a parasite who thrives on controversy, and this is hardly the first time he’s been at the center of a flap like this (he’s baited gays and others viciously in the past). He’s such a non-entity (and has such a small listener base — although who these people are i really don’t want to know) that i think he’s just best ignored.
Toni – It seems to me that the issue is not “guts.” Unless you’re planning to actually confront Savage face to face, there’s no issue of bravery versus cowardice involved with this issue.
Rather, IMHO, the issue is one of resources. As parents of kids with disabilities who are also trying to make a living, care for other loved ones, manage schooling, therapies, and so forth, our “extra” time, money and energy are sorely limited.
I have no problem with folks boycotting companies, sending out emails, and so forth.
But it seems to me that any discretionary days or dollars we have available should NOT be spent to draw further attention to a ridiculous person whose comments are intended simply to bait us and “call us out.”
Surely most of us have far more important ways to spend our time and money.
Lisa (autism guide)
While I am mindful that “when you wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty and the pig likes it,” I am not going to get out and protest. Instead, I am going to write to the sponsors and ask that they stop advertising with the program and I will stop using their products until they do. That and write letters to the station saying you are going to switch off their station until they stop carrying Savage.
P.S. I would like to see Savage tell Doug Flutie and Dan Marino that their sons are frauds with bad behavior being caused by poor parenting. Something tells me Savage wouldn’t have the guts….
I believe in free speech but when a radio commentator makes such derogatory, inaccurate, bigoted comments against our children, then it is up to the rest of the community to speak for those children who can not speak for themselves. Autism is a serious condition and I for one will fight for the respect and understanding my child and children like him deserve.
The sad unfortunate fact is that if we do nothing, people will listen to what he has to say and think it is OK to believe him. Free Speech is a constitutional right, slander is not.
Respectfully, I couldn’t disagree more with the editorial.
Some things are so outrageous, they are worth our time, energy, and money to fight against, as individuals and as a community. Attempting to hold Mr. Savage, and the radio stations which pass along this drivel, as actually *accountable* for last week’s actions … is one of them.
Just beacause Michael Savage has a B.A., education and sociology; M.S., medical botany and medical anthropology; Ph.D., nutritional ethnomedicine doesn’t make him an expert in autism.
Hmmm, this Savage guy was more likely being introspective when labeling others Brats and Morons. I think those two adjectives fit him better.
Stick it to Mr. Savage. He has asked for it and it is a rule of thumb that to get some mules attention you have hit them in the head with a 2X4.
Whoever here has said things like “It’s freedom of speech, live with it”, I guess those are the same kinds people who if somebody calls their own children, or wives, or whatever things like “moron, idiot” or other more colorful terms will just take it meekly and walk away. It’s their prerogative to be as weak as they wish but I’m a man. I don’t take that … where my family is concerned.
wow! I really can’t believe this many people have such strong opinions on a radio show they only heard one paragraph from. Dr.Savage has a brother who was mentally handicapped and has always been a huge defender and contributor to causes for these unfortunate people. but since you knee jerk lemmings didn’t actually listen to the show let me help you out, he was criticizing the dirty doctors who have turned autism into a cash machine industry and expanding the diagnosis wildly beyond what real children afflicted with this disorder are. so please either get informed or get your heads out of your butts!
Ric The quote from the NY Tmes: “On the July 16 installment of his program, which is broadcast every weekday, Mr. Savage suggested that “99 percent of the cases” of autism were a result of lax parenting. He told his audience: “They don’t have a father around to tell them, ‘Don’t act like a moron. You’ll get nowhere in life.’ ” Among the other admonitions he felt children with autism should be hearing, he said, were: “ ‘Straighten up. Act like a man. Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot.’ ” doesn’t support your view.
ric,
A quote from the show:
nearly every child with autism as a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out.
I couldn’t care less if he calls doctors misdiagnosing children with autism brats. Such a statement would be ignorant, if he’s claiming most such diagnoses are inaccurate, but ignorance is certainly an American right (maybe a virtue in the current political climate, hence the success of such talk show hosts.) If he choses to insult nearly every child with autism in such callous way, he’s crossed the line into pathetic.
I wrote to the following:
Radio Shack
AFLAC [a heavy advertiser]
Michael Savage
WOR-Radio [Buckley Broadcasting]
Governor Crist
Representative Legg
Senator Crist
We’ll see what happens as they read this:
Dear Michael Savage Sponsor or Supporter: I am the mother of a brilliant, but hard-to-reach son who has autism.
We have learned that your company sponsors or supports Michael Savage’s radio program.
On a recent program, he attacked children with autism, claiming that autism was a fraud and a scam.
He went on to say: “I’ll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out. That’s what autism is.”
Savage also used offensive terms to describe autistic children, such as “idiots”, “morons” and more.
He called autism a “fraud” and a “racket”.
The funny thing is: if my son could, “cut the act out”, he would.
I’ve seen him struggle against tears, trying to understand the world around him, and trying to understand why he acts the way he does, and why, in his own words, his brain won’t quit pretending to be stupid.
He can mathematically add measurements in his head for the required materials of a building site – but he can’t seem to figure out how to build it.
He can strategically plan how to use a football player’s strengths, but he can’t seem to understand the game.
He can recite the best jokes from the airwaves, but can’t seem to understand what makes a joke funny.
He can phonetically read the physician’s desk reference library, but can’t seem to remember to brush his teeth, wash his hair, change his clothes, or tolerate “different” foods.
He’s brilliant – and yet he constantly is in anguish in the belief that he is “stupid”.
The child has no guile, and is often susceptible to others around him.
This year, he enters high school in a rural town, and has already had many challenges just to get there.
There are other peers of his whom will not be attending a public high school, but in “reward” for his academic excellence, he will be subjected to the many sensory overloads that, for a young man with autism, cause a near physical pain.
Loud music. Crowds. Bright lights. An unexpected scent will cause my son sheer panic, at the most inopportune time.
My son will be entering high school. This is going to be terrifying to him, to me, to my ex husband, to my husband, to his stepmother, each.
No absent fathers in his life; rather, there’s a whole community who are trying to help him to get a normal life.
Some “act”, eh? And my son is just one of the estimated 150 kids within the autistic spectrum, plainly lucky to have the ability of speech.
This is not an “illness du jour”.
This is my son, and many other sons and daughters across the US.
We parents and family members of an individual with autism will not tolerate Savage’s offensive conduct.
We respectfully request that your company take steps to make sure Savage acts more responsibly.
If you sponsor Savage’s show you must act to make sure he respects individuals with autism.
At the very least, Savage could take a mere hour of his time to pre-educate himself on a topic before representing the radio show he is on, the sponsors who are on the show, and the states he broadcasts to?
Or are each of the above yet more companies whom have to be dismissed?
Autism affects 1 in 150 children in the USA.
Each of those children has a circle of family, friends and supporters who share the concerns of their child.
For every child with autism there are at least 10 family members and friends who share that child’s concerns.
When you consider this request, please keep in mind that as many as 1 in 15 Americans will be watching your decision and how you react will have a powerful impact on their opinion of your company.
We hope and trust that you will do the right thing.
* * *
So, yeah – maybe the heat generated from his action is nothing more than shining a bright spotlight on an otherwise mediocre radio “talent”; however, perhaps stepping forward to those who would financially be supporting his statements might well cut off such insensitivity to the lives of our sons and daughters, and may lead to more awareness of the concerns of people within the autistic spectrum – and might eventually lead to active awareness and participation in the lives of the estimated, maligned 1.5% of this nation.
Just a thought…
The k_car, that was beautiful.
FYI Aflac has already announced they’re removing their advertisement from Mr. Weiner’s, er, Savage, program.
proud parent,
your response affirms my point, you took the one sentance out of context when he was again, pointing to the fact that dishonest doctors paint the majority of these kids as autistic when they in fact are not. he clearly states that autism is real but again his point is that it is wildly over diagnosed to an insane amount of kids who are not autistic.
listen to his show tonight…the whole show, and see if you don’t understand that he was not attacking austism but dirty doctors.
Typical conservative shock jock spin doctoring. The ahole isn’t man enough to apologize, so instead spins several statements that can absolutely in no-way be taken in any other context other than him calling our kids morons, idiots and brats, so he backpeddles and tells everyone he didn’t say what he said. And all of the conservative morons applaud him. Good little monkey, ric. Want a peanut?
What a jackass! Who the hell does he think he is?! Who made him an expert on Autism?I have a 7 year old son with Autism who does have a father around. He is the idiot and he needs to educate himself on the subject before flapping his yap! I’d like to stick my size 5 right where the sun don’t shine and shut him up!
ric,
Even if 99% of his show is 100% accurate (from what I HAVE heard it seems likely that the opposite is the case), it remains that he said what he said about 99% of children diagnosed with autism. He called them brats, morons, etc. He used those terms to describe the kids, not the doctors. And now, you want me to dignify him by listening to his show? Seriously, now he back peddles and says “I was only talking about bad doctors”. These comments aren’t talking about doctors. Your saying I’m taking them out of context? How can a statement “99% of children diagnosed… are brats” be taken out of context? Nothing said before or after (except maybe if he said “some morons say that 99% of children…”) can modify such a bold statement. How can such a statement possibly be defended in a civilized society?
As parents with a son with PDD we are outraged at the utterly stupid, hurtful and ignorant comments made by this foolish man. I think letting him get away with this would be a huge mistake. Can you imagine how many parents have been made to feel as if they are bad or neglectful parents by people like him who don’t have a clue what they are talking about? We all have so many challenges raising and caring for our children without letting fools insult us and our children and making it that much harder to have our children accepted and treated like human beings. I am appalled that anyone would suggest that we ignore him. This kind of insensitivity and stupidity must be challened and addressed. Walking away is too easy.
What he did and said was terrible and this is one parent’s perspective:Savage’s remarks hurt and also spread mistruths
Many feel the same way!
99 percent of incensed people are mad because there may be some truth in what is being said. He isn’t bashing autism or the autistic. He is bashing the autism exploitation machine and that is exact what it throwing a fit too. the exploitation machine is angry so lets all get hysterical!! the heck with the truth. some cows are sacred you know
Sorry, trying again: Savage hurts parents”
Sorry, people will have to click on my name to see my experience with misconceptions about autism and children who are special needs.
dave,
Did you listen to what the moron actually said? Here it is, verbatim:
“I’ll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out. That’s what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they’re silent? They don’t have a father around to tell them, ‘Don’t act like a moron. You’ll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot.’
So, you support the notion, and believe me, it is little more than an idiotic notion from a coward behind a microphone, that 99% of our kids are somehow “faking Autism?” That they are just brats, morons and idiots? Wtf? You couldn’t possibly be that stupid, could you be? Judging by your comment, probably so. And what is your excuse. Didn’t your daddy call you a moron enough growing up? Imbecile.
While the man can sound a bit abrasive, Mr. Savage in this case was simply telling it like it is, sort of like Jonathon Swift did when he wrote “A Modest Proposal”. He did not in any way try to deny that autism is an actual illness. What he said was that autism is being over diagnosed as an illness and that some people (unscrupulous doctors and some patients) are using the diagnosis to milk the system to make a buck. Mr. Savage leaves himself open to attack because he refuses to sugar coat the truth for anyone. His many detractors who hate his conservative politics look for every opportunity to quote him out of context, and stupid people fail to listen to what he is really saying many times. The man is a brilliant satirist although in this case he was not being satirical but only making the point that statistically the number of children who truly have autism is being inflated. Before you jump on the eliminate freedom of speech bandwagon, listen to what the man really says.
Hi Lisa,
Some weak-kneed folks argue that what Mr. Savage said is okay under the guise of Freedom of Speech. Perhaps we can exercise our freedom of speech and inform readers that Mr. Savage is actually a child molester? The feds are supposed to be checking his personal laptop for pornographic material as we blog.
Spread the word around, after all it is “Freedom of Speech” to speculate what an oversized imbecile does in his spare time.
Cheers,
Simon.
We are the family you may have heard about from Utah with 6 Autistic children.
We were in ‘People’ magazine this last Febuary and were featured on Good Morning America, Inside Edition and Larry King. We have our own website, a blog and our own line of t-shirts. AND… a documentary about our family, will be shown this fall on the Discovery Health channel.
We KNOW Autism. Our children are NOT morons,
idiots or just in need of a good spanking!
Michael Savage is obviously extemely ignorant and has NOOOOOO idea what he has bitten off by making these comments on Autism.
In fact he has made ME so mad that I created 3 t-shirts to go with our current line-up. They point out exactly what I’m sure you feel… just like me. Check them out here:
http://www.cafepress.com/autismbites
We are the family you may have heard about from Utah with 6 Autistic children.
We were in ‘People’ magazine this last February and were featured on Good Morning America, Inside Edition and Larry King. We have our own website, a blog and our own line of t-shirts. AND… a documentary about our family, will be shown this fall on the Discovery Health channel.
We KNOW Autism. Our children are NOT morons,
idiots or just in need of a good spanking!
Michael Savage is obviously extremely ignorant and has NOOOOOO idea what he has bitten off by making these comments on Autism.
In fact he has made ME so mad that I created 3 t-shirts to go with our current line-up. They point out exactly what I’m sure you feel… just like me. Check them out here:
http://www.cafepress.com/autismbites
William,
Michael Savage’s comments are more than merely ‘a bit abrasive’. Without any research or supporting evidence, he labels 99% of autism diagnoses as ‘fake’, suggesting whimpy fathers are to blame. This sounds too much like Bruno Bettelheim’s ‘refrigerator mother’ theory which fell apart in later years (Bettelheim was later exposed as a fraud after he committed suicide).
When my son was first diagnosed at 4, the incidence rate was quoted at 1 in 10,000 & my son was in classes with mostly Downs kids. Now autism has passed Downs as the most common disability & our school district has had whole classes solely for autism & these kids are hardly ‘fakes’. Considering the hoops parents have to jump through to justify coverage of therapies & related services, meds, etc, there’s easier ways to scam a buck.
Additionally, many school districts have spent large sums fighting IDEA & other laws in court. They’re telling parents that they can’t/won’t accommodate their kids but refuse to pay for a private school that could. They want the tax dollars that the enrollment brings but won’t apply it to a school that could actually help.
Savage is hardly a ‘brilliant’ satirist & I’ve heard plenty so don’t even deign to lump me in with the ’stupid people’ who aren’t ‘listening to what he says’. A ‘brilliant satirist’ wouldn’t feel the need to stir up controvery or ratings attacking those who aren’t able to speak for themselves. Only a bully would.
I’ve never seen a topic hot like this!I do miss him, he was a good man! I remembered we have a nice conversation on a celebrity and millionaire dating site called wealthymingle..com. But now…What a shame!
Maybe I was living inside a bubble, but I never had heard of Michael Savage (Michael Weiner) before in my life. This guy hates everybody basically! Should we waste our valuable time and energy rebuking his remarks when he really wants the revenue attention like this will get him? Don’t get me wrong- what he said was hateful and ignorant. But there are more important points to be made elsewhere: like demanding better access to healthcare and education for our children with autism in our communities.
William,
I feel a need to pull out hand puppets here, but I have a feeling that for you, they wouldn’t work. Judging by your comments, and those of a few others here, I can almost unequivocally say that 99% of the people who follow Savage and believe in the garbage he spews are idiots and morons. Including you. He said what he said. It wasn’t satire. It wasn’t taken out of context. And you sir, are an absolute idiot. I’m not going to requote WHAT HE ACTUALLY SAID here for the whateverth time. For idiots like you who blindly follow moron pulpits like Savage, it really doesn’t matter. I could only hope that someday your life is truly impacted by Autism in some way and you may have a glimmer of hope of understanding our outrage. Until then, go to hell.
Hello,
I’m an Aspie*, happily married to an NT.
I see some good points all around.
Yes, indeed some people have much to gain by making sure more children are diagnosed with autism. With that incentive will come biased judgment, and inevitably some errors, perhaps even a few cases of cold-blooded dishonesty. Denying that helps no one.
On the other hand, it seems Mr. Savage has some difficulty expressing empathy towards autistic and Aspie children and those who love them.
He has a hard time phrasing his words in ways that persuade people to see things his way instead of holding demonstrations and calling for his firing.
He even expects others to address autistic and Aspie children in ways many, if not most or all, will find offensive.
As I’ve posted, he just might be a repressed Aspie himself! =|8-}/2
Cheers,
Jeff Deutsch
(*) An Aspie has Asperger Syndrome (AS), considered a less severe form of autism. An NT, short for neurotypical, has neither autism nor AS.
It’s amazing that so many of Mr Weiner’s (aka Mike Savage) listeners are such lemmings that they can try so hard to defend such statements. “Uh, oh, my hero said something really stupid this time. There must be some kind of insightful intellect behind his idiotic words”. Man, one really needs to creatively stretch those words to make them seem to mean what Mr. Weiner and his apostles want them to mean, that he was merely commenting on a parasitic medical industry. My only conclusion to how Mike Weiner and 99% of his listeners can be such morons is that their daddies were weak, effeminate non-men who wouldn’t bring out the belt when it was really needed. Note I’m only talking about 99% here, I’m sure there’s a small minority whose intellectual deficiencies are merely genetic.
Bravo proud parent, bravo. Wonderful satire. You should get a radio show. At least you would be attacking those who deserve to be attacked, not disabled children and their parents. And you would be doing so with intelligence, not ignorance. Unlike Mr. Savage and his mindless lemmings. My son’s mind was taken away by a devastating disorder. I wonder what excuses lemmings like ric, dave and William have?
As a side note, I have been actively campaigning via email to get Mr. Savage’s sponsors to remove their financial support from his program and also to get our local station to pull his show from their lineup. Nationally, Home Depot and Radio Shack have already sent out responses to emails saying that they never intended their ads to run during his show, and are making sure that they do not run on his show any longer. We will eventually hit this moron in his wallet.
Please, please, please, Bob…share that email contact list if you will.
You can’t get an idiot to stop spewing garbage. And sadly, you can’t get stations to stop airing him if he woos listeners. But you can get him pulled off the air if advertisers realize this will affect their reputation and their bottom line.
While it is comforting to reach out to each other when faced with such hurtful and inflammatory remarks, our time is best spent reaching out to advertisers to show our size and impact as a community. If we do this more often, we will, like all other advocacy groups, yield more power politically, socially and educationally to the benefit of our children and our families.
Steph
Commenters – I’m always glad to have readers exchange views with one another, and of course you’re very welcome to make your opinions of Mr. Savage known!
But please, please avoid flaming one another by calling people “lemmings” and “idiots.”
At this point, I’m leaving all the comments up, but will need to take down any further personal attacks.
Thank you -
Lisa (autism guide)
Lisa,
I apologize for lowering myself to the level of Mr. Savage and his “followers” by resorting to such tactics. Those “followers” who have popped in here to share their opinions have a right to those opinions. No matter how baseless and misguided they may be. Being emotionally invested in the topic, I responded to them emotionally. Ditto heads exist at every level. I am not going to blindly follow anyone, left or right, based on their overall political slant. I am proud to have a mind of my own with the ability to read and hear what someone actually says. But who am I to judge others without that capability? Perhaps they are disabled, just like my son, but to a lesser degree? In that case, I would feel awful for belittling them. So yes, I agree, I should not have resorted to Savage-like name calling. Of course, he gets paid millions of dollars to use those tactics against disabled children on a national stage, but that is the problem of his employers, not ours. Our job is to make them see that problem.
Here is a list of sponsors that has been circulating via an email:
Buckley Broadcasting/WOR Radio
General Phone Number: 212 642 4500
111 Broadway 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10006
Home Depot
public_relations@homedepot.com
(770) 384-4646
Sears
Sears Public Relations And Communications
(847) 286-8371
contact through their website:
http://www.searsmedia.com/tools/inquires/feedback.htm
Radioshack
Media Relations_
Riverfront Campus _Mail Stop #CF7-130_300 RadioShack Circle _Fort Worth, TX 76102-1964_
Phone: (817) 415-3300_
Fax: (817) 415-2585_
E-mail: media.relations@RadioShack.com
AFLAC
1-800-99-AFLAC (1-800-992-3522)
Laura Kane, 2nd Vice President External Relations Aflac Incorporated_1-706-596-3493
Mechell Clark_
Media Relations Manager_
1-706-243-8004
news@aflac.com
Budweiser
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
One Busch Place
St. Louis, MO 63118
Email through their site:
http://contactus.anheuser-busch.com/contactus/email.asp
1 800 DIAL BUD
(1 800 342 5283)
Fyi, Radio Shack’s message letting everyone know that they never intended to support Michael Savage:
“Thank you for your email to RadioShack’s Media Relations Department. We appreciate and share your concerns.”
“We would like to emphatically state RadioShack was not and is not a sponsor of the Michael Savage radio show. In fact, our agreement with the radio network airing his show specifically excludes his program (along with several others) as one on which our commercials may appear. The fact that one or more of our ads did run on the July 16 broadcast of this show was in direct violation of our advertising contract with the network. The network has admitted their mistake to us and apologized for the confusion they have created. Likewise, we are investigating whether any other radio stations who air the syndicated version of the program may have violated our advertising contracts and instructions. If so, we will demand a proper remedy.”
What happened to my other message with the contacts listed?
OK, maybe I’ll try the contacts list again without my backhanded apology attached. As it appears that said apology has been censored, unlike Mr. Savage on his national forum.
Buckley Broadcasting/WOR Radio
General Phone Number: 212 642 4500
111 Broadway 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10006
Home Depot
public_relations@homedepot.com
(770) 384-4646
Sears
Sears Public Relations And Communications
(847) 286-8371
contact through their website:
http://www.searsmedia.com/tools/inquires/feedback.htm
Radioshack
Media Relations_
Riverfront Campus _Mail Stop #CF7-130_300 RadioShack Circle _Fort Worth, TX 76102-1964_
Phone: (817) 415-3300_
Fax: (817) 415-2585_
E-mail: media.relations@RadioShack.com
AFLAC
1-800-99-AFLAC (1-800-992-3522)
Laura Kane, 2nd Vice President External Relations Aflac Incorporated_1-706-596-3493
Mechell Clark_
Media Relations Manager_
1-706-243-8004
news@aflac.com
Budweiser
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
One Busch Place
St. Louis, MO 63118
Email through their site:
http://contactus.anheuser-busch.com/contactus/email.asp
1 800 DIAL BUD
(1 800 342 5283)
Perhaps one of autism’s ‘accepted’ markers, is severe emotional over-reaction?
If so, that would mean that there are far more afflicted, than even the latest reports would indicate.
To those who have had to deal with real autism — I salute you!
Certainly, your level of compassion is surpassed only by your patience, and love.
But, having taken careful note of the statements made by Michael Savage, I’m now curious — exactly, where was he in error?
Medical diagnoses can be wrong — and often, are.
Certain real maladies, for lack of accurate testing, might just as readily be over-diagnosed, as entirely overlooked.
And, those same misdiagnoses often equate to
additional funding…
for schools, pharmaceutical developers/providers, various agencies, organizations, and yes — the wrongly diagnosed themselves, their families, and caregivers.
While necessary for the optimum care and development of the truly needy, the amount of funding is also regionally based upon the numbers of afflicted;
and individually — upon the severity of the affliction.
Therefore, I find it extremely hard to believe that — at any level of care, and for any particular malady known to science…
the potential for fraud is non-existent.
And, potential — whether for good or ill, will most often breed relative results.
So, again —
exactly where was Michael Savage in error?
Jolou –
if Savage had spoken as respectfully as you have, there would be no issue. of course there’s always a potential for fraud and misdiagnosis. and there’s no doubt that some small percentage of people diagnosed with autism are not truly autistic – or that some parents are cheats.
But that’s not what Savage said. instead, he attacked parents (particularly fathers), suggesting that if only they applied more discipline their children would not be autistic. He also stated, in essence, that 99% (virtually ALL) families with autistic children are actually con artists attempting to defraud the American public.
Quite a difference in what you and he have to say!
Lisa (autism guide)
Kinder gentler Bob about to respond ….
Had Mr. Savage’s words matched what you just said, jolou1, he would not have been in error. However, his words did not even come close to matching your much more carefully thought out post. He said, unequivocally, that 99% of our kids are faking it, and called them brats, morons and idiots. That is what he said. How that magically implies much softer, and more noble, expressions is truly beyond comprehension. Actually, he led into his tirade by attacking minorities and implying that they used asthma to receive welfare …. is that where you hitched your wagon to his nobility?
I just don’t get it. How can anyone not see what he actually said? How can anyone believe he is somehow fighting for the greater good by insulting children with a very real and heart breaking disability and their parents? Keep on spinning gold yarn out of poop if you want to, but I’m going to continue to call Savage out for what he is.
So, I’ll give you chance, alou1, please provide actual quotes from Mr. Savage that back up your much softer interpretation of his message. Not excluding his inflammatory statements, of course, which would not be fair. And one more question: Why do you feel a need to defend him?
As to your lead-in, with the “severe emotional over-reaction” line. That was just a pure cheap shot. Plain and simple. Why did you find that to be necessary? Put yourself in our shoes, then say that again. You put yourself on Savage’s level with that line. Congrats on that. It also diminished the rest of what you had to say, just like Mr. Savage diminished any real “helpful” message he may have had by insulting every single one of us like he did.
ric: the very fact that you insulted everyone with your own name calling shows that you are a true fan of this despicable show and you learned well.
At least one radio station so far has displayed human decency and done the right thing. From Autism Link:
The Super Talk Mississippi radio network has canceled The Savage Nation because of comments syndicated host Michael Savage made about autistic children last week.
Steve Davenport, president and CEO of Super Talk’s parent company Telesouth Communications, confirmed The Savage Nation had been dropped from the network’s lineup as of Monday.
“It was just horrible what he said,” Davenport said Monday.
“When you talk about people in politics, business people, that’s one thing. But when you talk about defenseless children, that’s another.”
Savage, a controversial conservative commentator, said during the July 16 broadcast of his show that autism is a “fraud, a racket. …
“I’ll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out. That’s what autism is.
“What do you mean they scream and they’re silent?
“They don’t have a father around to tell them, ‘Don’t act like a moron. You’ll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot.’ ”
Davenport said, after he had read an account of Savage’s comments, “I made the decision that we weren’t going to tolerate that.
“To say that 99 percent of children with autism are frauds, I just don’t know where you come up with that.”
For his part, Savage has issued a clarification of his comments on his Web site, michaelsavage.com.
It reads, in part: “My comments about autism were meant to boldly awaken parents and children to the medical community’s attempt to label too many children or adults as ‘autistic.’ …
“Increasingly, our children are being used as profit centers by a greedy, corrupt medical/pharmaceutical establishment. …
“To permit greedy doctors to include children in medical categories which may not be appropriate is a crime against that child and their family. Let the truly autistic be treated. Let the falsely diagnosed be free.”
The network has received at least 75 to 100 e-mails condemning Savage’s remarks, Davenport said. “And that doesn’t count the phone calls.
“I think this was the thing to do. I couldn’t see any way not to do it.”
I have to comment again, after reading all the comments. My son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS. When I first read the quotes by Michael Savage, I was angered. But then I did what educated people should do and research both sides of the story before getting all angry. You’re falling into the media trap of reacting to a small bit of information, not the entire truth. The whole point of Mr. Savage’s rant was to bring to the public’s attention the over-diagnoses of Autism. Just like ADD & ADHD, and the children who are over-drugged because of these diagnoses. I believe my son was misdiagnosed as being PDD-NOS. How can you accurately say a toddler has PDD-NOS? As my son is getting older, it appears that he only has Develomental Apraxia. Hopefully he won’t be stuck with a label that is not accurate. This is what the intention of Savage was, not to mock children with Autism. Please, people, get the entire facts before you go on crazy rants. Knowledge is power, but just a tiny bit of information can make people dangerous. You’re all wasting your time focusing on needless anger. Instead, try listening to Oprah’s classroom topics and read The New Earth, by Eckart Tolle. It’ll do you a world of good.
Lynn,
I think you are really missing the boat here on several levels. First and foremost, you bought Savage’s “retraction” hook, line and sinker. What were his exact initial words? That Autism is overdiagnosed? Or that 99% of Autistic kids are brats, morons and idiots? Go back and look at them. He followed a bigoted preamble about asthma, slamming minorities, with the latter assertion, not the former. Then, only because he isn’t man enough to apologize, he back peddled to the “noble” fight against misdiagnosis. And even admitted that the “99%” may have been a little high, calling it “hyperbole.”
Next, you went off on a tangent claiming we were going on “crazy rants.” Excuse me? What started this whole thing? Well, a crazy rant, heard by thousands of people, by someone getting paid millions to go on crazy rants. And get our facts straight? What facts, exactly, has Michael Savage presented to support ANY of his initial crazy rant? None whatsoever.
Finally, many of us who have responded here are living the reality of Autism. I’m happy for you that you may be in the clear. But what I think you are really failing to recognize is the Michael Savage’s words very well may hurt our kids a great deal. I already find myself explaining my son’s behavior at times to total strangers in public places, and sometimes they are understanding, sometimes they aren’t. What I really don’t need is some coward behind a microphone spreading misinformation and shaping more people towards believing that my son is just a brat, moron or idiot. Can you even grasp this concept? I would hope so. That is why I think it is worth some time and energy to try to educate people. I know for some, like Savage and his devout followers, it is probably a waste of time. But for others, like you?
Alarm in people’s heart. I’ve never seen that like this before I saw some pics on wealthymingle..com. You may want to see that. Go with your friends.
You said: “Surely most of us have far more important ways to spend our time and money.”
I, for one, can think of no more glorious way of spending precious, fleeting Time and Money than on being part of any movement which helps shed enlightenment on that ALL Persons shall be treated with Dignity and Respect..
Peace and best wishes from Talking Rock..
Because autism doesn’t have a physical appearance, nor does it have an actual medical test there will always be misunderstanding about behaviors seen with or without Savage. My feeling were not hurt over his comments, nor are they hurt in the public. Some people will be open-minded, some wont. I don’t spend my days too much caring about others peoples opinion, made pubic on the radio or at Target. I’m not out to change any one’s mind about what autism is, more so when the person cant be confronted face to face. Savage is a shock jock and anything he says should be expected to be just that. I’d doubt he really feels this way, it’s an audience grabber and look, it sure grabbed many all over the place.
Autism is a hot media topic and this Savage fed in on it, plain and simple. Anyone who consistently listens to that show will already have their pre-set opinions and anything any of us offer wont change their mind.
If one looks at it another way, his public opinion is sparking the word autism, and we may not always like what is said but the word is out there. As much as we’d like a perfect world for our family and our children, there’s always always going to be a “savage’ out there that we encounter. Showing our combined strength and composure when these things come out in the public is what people are going to remember.
Web Petition to Fire Savage
Just erase this text below for the petition
Amendment 1 – Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Its the 1rs amendment to the us constitution. I guess we should start deleting all kinds of stuff from the us constitution whenever someone says something we disagree with. If a pro life person says anything a pro choice person disagrees with they should require that they be fired and vice versa.
I listen to alot of AM Talk Radio..From what I’ve heard it is really the only last hope for free speech..FM radio is all controlled by large radio conglomerates. They control the music, who’s on and pretty much anything that’s said..Now Walmart actually screens artists music and has them make changes..There are cameras pretty much everywhere now..You can be tracked by your cell phone, by a signal that it sends out every few mins..The Government can actually send a signal to your sell phone turning the receiver on using it as a microphone to invade on your privacy.. you can be tracked by your mobile gps..your pet probably has a microchip embedded in it..and if you have your pet with you..then you pretty much do too..i could go on and on about how our freedom and the US Constitution have been all but completely destroyed..and now to make things worse lets all sign a petition against a man who was exercising his 1rst amendment right to practice free speech. Maybe we should join the protesters in front of his radio station..but that would be a little odd because our right to ” peaceably to assemble” is covered under the 1rst amendment as well.
It seems to me that Americans know all of this stuff and we feel beat down, broken , abandoned and angry..We know our Government is corrupt and doesn’t give 2 cents about us..So of course we have become so thin skinned and frustrated that we need an outlet..Its like siblings..when the parent punishes one he is mad and takes it out on the other because it would be pointless to attack the parent.
What i find most interesting about the whole Michael Savage ordeal is that I would be willing to bet that the majority of the people sending the emails around or signing the petition have never even listened to his show..So honestly what good will it do You to get a show taken off the air that you have never and will never listen to anyway?
I have listened to his show and will continue to listen to his show..If You have ever listened to his show alot of what he talks about is protecting our freedoms as Americans, protecting our borders, maintaining our language and culture and protecting our families. and ironically he is being petitioned for it, by people practicing the rights he is fighting for.
That my friends is why our country is going to Hell in a hand basket. and I have a 4 yr. old daughter who has Autism.
sincerely
John W. Fox
John Fox, it’s obvious you listen to “alot” of AM talk radio, and not just because you think “alot” is a real word. You also misinterpret the First Amendment, which prohibits Congress from passing a law that infringes on free speech. How is writing a letter to a station manager, or boycotting a sponsor, the same thing as passing a law? Maybe Rush can answer that one for you.
The best answer to offending speech is more speech. You seem to believe the opposite. No surprise coming from a man who thinks the government can turn your cell phone into a hidden mic.
Lisa,
Your comments are those of an uneducated person in regards to autism.Do you know anything about it? As a parent I think everyone should support Evelyn and Autism
United. As a parent of a beautiful son with Autism, OCD, PDD, ADHD I’ll do what ever it takes for our community to be heard.
Melanie Farris
Proud Mother of Daniel Silberman
A good solution:
Talk Radio Network, the employers of Michael Savage, should devote a 24 hour period completely to autism awareness across all networks and affiliates that carry Michael Savage. Autism Awareness Day on TRN should be devoted to autism nonprofits and qualified speakers with a background in autism awareness.
Please sign the petition and tell your friends!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/autism-awareness-day-on-talk-radio-network
This petition will help to combat the misinformation that Savage has supplied nationwide.
I think most people do not understand what Savage is trying to do. He is using a shock tool to bring truth to a deplorable condition.
But Americans can’t seem to stand the truth. Acura was listed as a sponsor. I just sent an email to let them know I have been an Acura driver for 12 yrs, and I am proud of their sponsorship of Michael Savage.
Joe E.
freedom of speech does not give sixties rockefeller beatniks like michael wiener savage the right to hog the am air waves as he and the likes of shawn hanatwit do. this is all made possible by clear channel and its handmaiden the federal communications commission.
this is nothing but nazi tyranny of the air waves. the air waves belong to the public and we should have a wide variety of views.
perhaps savage would like to see all the autistic dead as hitler
wanted all such handicapped dead. savage is a neo-con trotskyite
nazi.