How to Handle Michael Savage's Ignorance about Autism: Expose It or Ignore the Idiot?

Question

A pretty good editorial on the subject appeared here:

http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=1293

I agree that he needs to be exposed.

Answer 1

As the mother of an autistic son I was deeply offended by his comments and they most certainly were not taken out of context.  He is just trying to cover his butt.  I used to enjoy his radio program but I will no longer listen to his show.  He is one of those people who thinks that he knows everything about everything when in fact he doesn't know a single thing about Autism.  My son is 12 and not toilet trained.  He isn't a brat and he doesn't belong in a mental institution.  He has no idea what it is like to be the parent of an autistic child and I can guarantee you that I am a much better parent than he is.  I think his show should be canceled.

Answer 2

As the mother of two children who have autism, I could not agree with all who believe Michael Savage--and those who share his ignorance about and intolerance toward individuals and families that are affected by autism--need to be held accountable for the unnecessary pain and suffering they cause our families. When a member of the media is responsible for spreading hateful rhetoric, often the best approach for dealing with their offensive behavior is to write letters to the syndication company that sells the show, the stations that carry it and the sponsors pay its overhead. This strategy has worked well with regard to the Savage situation--I have read that Aflac has pulled its sponsorship and a group of radio stations in Mississippi has dropped the show from its lineup. I am hopeful that parents and other supporters of people who have autism with keep applying pressure to stations and sponsors...and more will cancel their contracts with Savage and his bosses. If someone you care about who has autism or another disability personally experiences prejudice, discrimination or other acts of hatred, please follow the steps in this article to confront and combat such unacceptable acts:

http://autismassistance.blogspot.com/200...

Answer 3

It is remarkable that as a person whose livelihood involves the media that he missed all of the news for past years as to what autism truly is.  It's unfortunate that he has such a loud voice in promoting false labels and stigmatism.  Perhaps this experience will lead him to become better informed and to apologize.

Answer 4

I totally, 100% agree with you. He's a rotten man who should be exposed for what he is....in my opinion, he's a total hate-monger, for saying what he did about these poor kids. He should be fired from his job, as well.

Answer 5

He should be exposed because he's perhaps the worst demagogue on the radio, if not the one with the largest audience.  The man has no sense of decency at all.  On the other hand he thrives on controversy and his diehard and rather ignorant supporters would no doubt rally around him.

Answer 6

In regards to his comments on Autism, I agree with his point. Take a look at the statistics in "The prevalence of autism" in the Journal of the American Medical Association 289. Here is a graph:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:US-au...

Obviously the number of kids diagnosed with autism has increased significantly in the last ten years - the question is why? Is it doctors (who also serve on the boards of major drug companies) pushing a purely subjective disease for their own purposes? I though liberals hate the big drug companies , wouldn't they like listen to what Michael Savage has to say? I guess not, after all they are liberals, they only believe what the mainstream media tells them.

Also, one of the most disgusting things out of this whole ordeal is this group of hate mongers called Media Matters of America, who is spearheading the assault of Dr Savage's free speech. How many other shows on radio (especially these morning shock jocks) make fun of peoples handicaps? Where is the outrage with these people? It is not there, because most of them are liberals. Media Matters are using autistic children as a pawn to attack a conservative host.

Answer 7

The dude is clueless. He has no idea about the travails that parents of autistic kids endure. Nor does he understand what the kids themselves must go through. Next he is going to say that people with clinical depression need to snap out of it. I'm going to ignore him.

Answer 8

Hello I am a mother  to a 31 year man who   has Autism, and i don't know this Michael Savage is but I would like to  tell that most people  with Autism are very nice people. I also work with people who has Autism and let me tell you something people like this "Idiot, Fool, Nut " Michael Savage  gets my blood boiling. Hope I didn't' offend any one out there but this is a subject very close to my heart.

Answer 9

Exposed. Hes very ignorant, once he even said that Bush JR will go down as the best president ever.

Answer 10

I can't believe anyone could be that ignorant---I think he should lose funding, lose his job etc... I know there is free speech but if I worked at a hospital and cussed out a patient or called them a name---I would be fired---he was doing pretty much the same thing---his customers are the people who listen to his talk show.

I think most people are smart enough to know that these are the rantings of a fool---people aren't going to believe it just because he said it---if they do they are just as ignorant.

I feel like there are more cases of autism today because we are getting better at recognizing the symptoms, many disorders have similar characteristics, so they are being included in the autism spectrum.  I also think more studies are being done, doctors are more aware, and that before people were diagnosed as something else when it was actually autism.

EDIT: I do not have an autistic child however my cousin is and I know that my aunt has had struggles.  My son does however have a communication disorder as well as a few developmental delays (mostly brought on by the communication disorder--language is the basis of learning) and I know how hard it has been for me and how much easier it is getting after a few corrective surgeries that has enabled him with better speech so that he can learn, ask questions and communicate wants and needs appropriately--He definitely needs to be taught sensitivity and manners---he will be taught the lesson some way--God will make sure----I know---