Protests Planned Against Savage's Autism Comments

[Force Commander]

From http://www.allaccess.com

TALK RADIO NETWORK's MICHAEL SAVAGE has landed in hot water again with liberal watchdog group MEDIA MATTERS FOR AMERICA, with the organization condemning SAVAGE for his remarks about autism on JULY 16th.

SAVAGE is quoted by MEDIA MATTERS as saying that autism is being used by parents to excuse bad behavior as "the illness du jour." "I'll tell you what autism is," he said. "In 99% 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.'"

AUTISM UNITED and the NATIONAL AUTISM GROUP are organizing a protest outside the studios of SAVAGE's NEW YORK affiliate, BUCKLEY Talk WOR-A/NEW YORK, on MONDAY. In addition, the President of the advocacy group ADA WATCH and NATIONAL COALITION FOR DISABILITY RIGHTS, JIM WARD, called on TRN to fire SAVAGE, saying, "As America prepares to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on JULY 26th, people with disabilities, parents, family members, friends and advocates across the nation are outraged over SAVAGE's latest attack on people with disabilities. His despicable assault on children with autism -- calling them 'frauds' and 'brats' -- is rightly being condemned as hateful and bigoted. But it is just the latest of SAVAGE's numerous and painful attempts to demean and disenfranchise people with disabilities."

[Big Media]

What an idiot. Ignorance is forever, in his case.

[fearpeddler]

I think he may have gotten autism confused with ADD.....

[Uncle Shishkabob]

As Bugs Bunny would say" What an ultra maroon, what an ignoramace!"

[Arp2]

I think he may have gotten autism confused with ADD.....

Indeed.

I'd say, in Savage's use of figures, he's got it backwards. A son of a very close friend is moderately autistic, and, in a typical month, I'll personally interact and work with up to 110-120 autistic children. They're real. 99% of them are completely real (maybe 1% just needs to be smacked upside the head and told to look people in the eye and firmly shake their hands).

ADD / ADHD......you'll never convince me of that. Heck, I've probably given "it" to myself in the last 10-20 years!

Those folks -- myself, included -- need to be gently reminded or firmly told, "You sit yourself down and do the hard stuff. Do the hard things, do them until they're completed, and do them often. TV isn't real, magazines aren't real, and, by god, the internet's not real. There is no magic; there is no easy success. It's not interesting or exciting enough for the media to show it to you, but big and good results come from long and deliberate preparation, dedication, and consistency."

[Lester]

ADHD is very real. They had to create a new name for it, because the ADD label (and its drugs) were handed out like candy to kids that didn't need it.

ADD = Bogus
ADHD = Legit. I've seen it at work.

[ashton]

Lester, I'm glad YOU commented on it. Because of your location, you are lucky enough to be in the ADD epicenter of the world, according to my college professors.

North Carolina has a diagnosis rate of near 20% of school aged boys. In reality, that number should fall a little closer to 2%. While I realize that the percentages should vary by a little bit here and there, the simple fact of the matter is that it's overdiagnosed. Firmer parenting and allowing the teachers to do their job with discipline would go a long way towards ending taxpayer expense in treating these kids. Unfortunately, we live in an overpermisive society, where the kids have no personal responsibility. I think every classroom should be equipped with a ruler-carrying nun.

[AmpedNow]

I'm torn on this whole ADHD thing...

There is no question that I would've been doped up on meds if I was a kid now. I was very hyperactive, and had a hard time sitting still anywhere. I made straight A's in elementary school, then hit and miss in middle school. Not because I didn't grasp the material; I just got bored with most of it.

I had issues, but I guess I still turned out ok overall.

But they didn't have all of this drugging going on, either. Back then, you had to be really sick to even take an aspirin, never mind prescription drugs...

I wonder if in many cases, they just don't want kids to be kids anymore, because parents and teachers don't want to deal with their hyperactivity.

If you listen to Savage, that's pretty much how he feels, only he goes a step further by saying it's an indoctrination conspiracy.

I don't know much about autism, so I have no comment on that.

[Big Media]

My oldest is rowdy as hell. He is always bouncing off the walls, yakking at the jaw, running like a cheetah, and dancing like he has ants in his pants. The kid never stops. I think he even dreams of bouncing off the walls, yakking at the jaw, running like a cheetah, and dancing like he has ants in his pants. He stays in trouble, too. He is constantly being called down by his teachers.

But he also has top notch grades. He has won the Principal's Award for Academic Excellence two years in a row (Kindergarten and 1st Grade). On top of all of that, he started Kindergarten a year before he had to.

Granted, I am a proud papa, but still, if we had him hopped up on Ritalin or something, I am betting his academic performance would be 1/10th as well as it is Ritalin-free.

So... I dunno.

The bottom line is that when parents see a hyper kid, they automatically assume she needs to be medicated. I don't get that.

I will also add that my brothers and I grew up drinking Kool-Aid and Nestle Quick. We had to survive on two or three Pepsis per week (not seven or eight per day).

[The People's DJ]

The bottom line is that when parents see a hyper kid, they automatically assume she needs to be medicated. I don't get that.

Because thats what parents have been told. Hyper kid=medicate.

[Bob Campbell]

Seems like Savage's remarks were much worse than what got Imus canned. Does Savage get away with it?

[AmpedNow]

Seems like Savage's remarks were much worse than what got Imus canned. Does Savage get away with it?

Considering he's one of TRN's cash cows, yes.

[Ace Purple]

1420 WHK in Cleveland dropped Savage last week as a result of the controversy.

[herdgirl72]

I'm with you KRock...if there was the ADHD diagnosis when I was in school, I would have been on
meds faster than you can say meds.

Especially since my Kindergarten teacher used to call me Pogo Derrier.

[Rock]

I think his hyperbole was terrible, and I was pretty much disgusted with Savage's comments. I felt the same about Imus. I didn't want Imus canned, tho...I'm getting really worried about the thought and speak police creeping into the airwaves. I've always fallen back on the adage..'Of course I believe in free speech, how else are we to tell who the idiots are?'

[Bob Campbell]

Today's useless fact. Huntington is one of the world leaders in the study of autism. There is a woman doctor in Hungtington (naturally I can't remember her name, I'm retarded, not autistic) who is a pioneer in the field.

[Cameron]

I think you're giving Savage TOO much credit. I think he thought he was talking about ADHD. Not to defend him...but either way...kinda' idiotic.

[genlock]

Nice avitar picture.
Where is the tower located?

Get your own tower up?