OT: What an appropriate name!

[X factor]

Dig this:


Radio talk show host Michael Savage, who described 99 percent of children with autism as brats, said Monday he was trying to "boldly awaken" parents to his view that many people are being wrongly diagnosed.

Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage's firing after he described autism as a racket last week. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," Savage said on his radio program last Wednesday.

Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a "national panic" by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate.

On his radio show last week, he said: "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, you idiot.'"

The government estimates about 1 in 150 children have some form of autism. But many experts believe these unsociable behaviors were just about as common 30 or 40 years ago and that the increase is mostly caused by a surge in special education services and a corresponding shift in diagnoses.

Wendy Fournier of the National Autism Association, a parents' advocacy group, said she was invited to speak Monday on Savage's three-hour program by Savage's boss, Mark Masters of Talk Radio Network, which syndicates the show across the country. A spokeswoman from Talk Radio Network did not immediately return a call for comment.

Fournier called Savage's comments "way, way, way over the line and cruel."


What a COMPLETE FUCKING IDIOT! I hope this jackass is fired post haste! If Don Imus lost his job for making what amounts to a joke??? Fire this prick, please!

[scarab]

its a FREE country, say what you want, dont listen if you dont want to hear it.


its pretty silly that ANYONE that is offended by free speech, but says nothing about our nations capital "washington redskins" is a joke.


live free, die free.

[TRAGChick]

Dig this:

On his radio show last week, he said: "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, you idiot.'"

Why was this *&*^ING MORON given a chance to SPEAK????!!!

HOW DARE HE SAY that an "absentee Father" is to blame....someone in my Family is dealing with a SEVERELY Autistic child...and they ARE Married!!

[larryfromnextdoor]

this Savage guy needs to HAVE to work with "challenged" youngsters as well as adults sometime for a living...

his delivery will change after just a few days.. he would never make statements like this again..

although Savage has been misinformed , i have noticed that ritalin seems to be given to children

way too soon and often.. that stuff just cant cure everything..

[Moon Beam]

On his radio show last week, he said: "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, you idiot.'"

Huge heaps this is!
What an ignorANUS.....go shit yourself to sleep Sir (not you X factor)

[Rhiannon]

go shit yourself to sleep Sir.

Wow, that's gotta be the best "f-off" I've ever heard, G.

[G.I.Jim]

I know I'm probably going to piss some people off here, as I know that some of you have autistic children, but I think that maybe he mispoke, or just misunderstood. While I don't neccessarliy agree with his statement on autism, I do believe that most kids (MOST, not all) with ADD, or ADHD are misdiagnosed, and just given medication like candy to make them zombies. I speak from experience...My nephews have BOTH been diagnosed with it since the age of 3 or 4, and are complete and utter little ASSES! I don't blame them though...I blame their lazy-ass parents, and a worthless doctor!!!

Both of them get yelled at and cussed at all day long, and are always threatened with "If you touch that again...I'll beat you're fucking ass!!!). The problem is...the "ass beating" never follows. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to beat kids...I'm saying they need their damn asses spanked and have consistent parenting, and 90% of these "Symptoms" will dissappear. They let them eat whatever the hell they want (chocolate pudding/cake for breakfast!). They feed them freaking sugar all day, then wonder why their so damn hyper!

The parents fight like cats and dogs with eachother EVERY damn day, and they cuss eachother out as well as my nephews. They have those two boys so screwed up, that they'll NEVER lead a normal life. They've both been kicked out of school a couple of times, and the youngest one accomplished this feat on his 1st day of school! The parents always blame the teachers for "Picking on them". They also think it's funny for my 6 year old nephew (the youngest of the two) to curse. If there were EVER a case for DSS to take away children...it's at THIS household. It really breaks my heart.

So back to what Savage said, I don't agree about the autism ( I really don't know enough facts about the disorder), but I agree 100% if he was referring to ADD and ADHD. Parents throw kids medicine at the first sign of bad behaviour, and use that as a "parenting" method, instead of just being a damn parent! JMHO.

[BobbyinTN]

Dig this:


Radio talk show host Michael Savage, who described 99 percent of children with autism as brats, said Monday he was trying to "boldly awaken" parents to his view that many people are being wrongly diagnosed.

Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage's firing after he described autism as a racket last week. "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," Savage said on his radio program last Wednesday.

Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a "national panic" by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate.

On his radio show last week, he said: "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, you idiot.'"

The government estimates about 1 in 150 children have some form of autism. But many experts believe these unsociable behaviors were just about as common 30 or 40 years ago and that the increase is mostly caused by a surge in special education services and a corresponding shift in diagnoses.

Wendy Fournier of the National Autism Association, a parents' advocacy group, said she was invited to speak Monday on Savage's three-hour program by Savage's boss, Mark Masters of Talk Radio Network, which syndicates the show across the country. A spokeswoman from Talk Radio Network did not immediately return a call for comment.

Fournier called Savage's comments "way, way, way over the line and cruel."


What a COMPLETE FUCKING IDIOT! I hope this jackass is fired post haste! If Don Imus lost his job for making what amounts to a joke??? Fire this prick, please!

FUCK HIM! He's a complete fucking idiot and the folks that listen to him are simply blood thirsty assholes who need a bad guy to lead them.

[mistiejourney]

Dig this:

On his radio show last week, he said: "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, you idiot.'"

Why was this *&*^ING MORON given a chance to SPEAK????!!!

HOW DARE HE SAY that an "absentee Father" is to blame....someone in my Family is dealing with a SEVERELY Autistic child...and they ARE Married!!

Oh, it used to be the mother's fault, you know.

I have seen autistic children in my ER. The amount of stimulation can be overwhelming for the child and a major stress on the parent. There are also varying levels of autism, and there are many functional adults who are autistic.

I believe that we are able to identify the condition better now that we used to.

And Savage crossed the line here. He has no idea what he is talking about.

[X factor]

I know I'm probably going to piss some people off here, as I know that some of you have autistic children, but I think that maybe he mispoke, or just misunderstood. While I don't neccessarliy agree with his statement on autism, I do believe that most kids (MOST, not all) with ADD, or ADHD are misdiagnosed, and just given medication like candy to make them zombies. I speak from experience...My nephews have BOTH been diagnosed with it since the age of 3 or 4, and are complete and utter little ASSES! I don't blame them though...I blame their lazy-ass parents, and a worthless doctor!!!

Both of them get yelled at and cussed at all day long, and are always threatened with "If you touch that again...I'll beat you're fucking ass!!!). The problem is...the "ass beating" never follows. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to beat kids...I'm saying they need their damn asses spanked and have consistent parenting, and 90% of these "Symptoms" will dissappear. They let them eat whatever the hell they want (chocolate pudding/cake for breakfast!). They feed them freaking sugar all day, then wonder why their so damn hyper!

The parents fight like cats and dogs with eachother EVERY damn day, and they cuss eachother out as well as my nephews. They have those two boys so screwed up, that they'll NEVER lead a normal life. They've both been kicked out of school a couple of times, and the youngest one accomplished this feat on his 1st day of school! The parents always blame the teachers for "Picking on them". They also think it's funny for my 6 year old nephew (the youngest of the two) to curse. If there were EVER a case for DSS to take away children...it's at THIS household. It really breaks my heart.

So back to what Savage said, I don't agree about the autism ( I really don't know enough facts about the disorder), but I agree 100% if he was referring to ADD and ADHD. Parents throw kids medicine at the first sign of bad behaviour, and use that as a "parenting" method, instead of just being a damn parent! JMHO.

Jim, I won't disagree about ADD- I do think that drugs are WAY over proscribed in many of these cases.
But Autism??? That's a totally different disorder.

[G.I.Jim]

I know I'm probably going to piss some people off here, as I know that some of you have autistic children, but I think that maybe he mispoke, or just misunderstood. While I don't neccessarliy agree with his statement on autism, I do believe that most kids (MOST, not all) with ADD, or ADHD are misdiagnosed, and just given medication like candy to make them zombies. I speak from experience...My nephews have BOTH been diagnosed with it since the age of 3 or 4, and are complete and utter little ASSES! I don't blame them though...I blame their lazy-ass parents, and a worthless doctor!!!

Both of them get yelled at and cussed at all day long, and are always threatened with "If you touch that again...I'll beat you're fucking ass!!!). The problem is...the "ass beating" never follows. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to beat kids...I'm saying they need their damn asses spanked and have consistent parenting, and 90% of these "Symptoms" will dissappear. They let them eat whatever the hell they want (chocolate pudding/cake for breakfast!). They feed them freaking sugar all day, then wonder why their so damn hyper!

The parents fight like cats and dogs with eachother EVERY damn day, and they cuss eachother out as well as my nephews. They have those two boys so screwed up, that they'll NEVER lead a normal life. They've both been kicked out of school a couple of times, and the youngest one accomplished this feat on his 1st day of school! The parents always blame the teachers for "Picking on them". They also think it's funny for my 6 year old nephew (the youngest of the two) to curse. If there were EVER a case for DSS to take away children...it's at THIS household. It really breaks my heart.

So back to what Savage said, I don't agree about the autism ( I really don't know enough facts about the disorder), but I agree 100% if he was referring to ADD and ADHD. Parents throw kids medicine at the first sign of bad behaviour, and use that as a "parenting" method, instead of just being a damn parent! JMHO.

Jim, I won't disagree about ADD- I do think that drugs are WAY over proscribed in many of these cases.
But Autism??? That's a totally different disorder.

I concur. That's why I said I don't agree with Savage's Autism statement. But...If he was referring to ADD, I couldn't agree more. I didn't hear his statements, and I really don't know enough about Autism (other than the fact that it sucks, and is devastating to many families) to make any assumptions.

I do think this country's got a serious problem on our hands when it comes to children. There are FAR too many kids out there without both sets of parents, and it's really starting to show! The government has made it so easy to get a divorce these days, that nearly everyone gets divorced at least once. Say what you will, but this casual lifestyle of "Ehh, I don't get along with my spouse anymore, so we're just getting divorced", is ruining this country. I believe we really started taking a turn for the worse, when the government said we could no longer pray in school.

I got off on a tangent, but I basically believe that parents aren't being parents anymore, and we're looking to the government as well as doctors to fix our bratty kids. I was spanked growing up, and I turned out fine. My son gets spanked when he acts up, and you know what? He's one of the best students in his school and wins a lot of awards. I'm very proud of him as he's very well behaved. He hasn't ALWAYS been so well behaved, and he really pushed our patience to the limit at times, but we've been consitent with him, and it shows. Again...JMHO!

[Babyblue]

It made me sick to hear this on GMA this morning.That was out of line.

[ProgRocker53]

I'll say the same thing I said about Don Imus.

No big deal.... free speech. Let the idiots speak, people.... reason should be enough to drown their voices out.

[jrnychick]

I think this guy was an idiot for making his comments on a subject that he is clearly uneducated about! I think part of the problem is that most people, unless they have someone in their family with an autism-spectrum disorder, do not really understand that different people with autism show different symptoms. Also the definition of what is considered autism has broadened in recent years. Kids who were seen by the general public as weird or eccentric are now found (in many cases) to have an autism-spectrum disorder. Many of those children are able to interact with others, so people don't get that they are autistic. People don't realize that you can't turn off autism like flicking a switch. The guy should be apologizing, and expressing that he should have educated himself a bit more before making such comments.

[epresley]

I'll say the same thing I said about Don Imus.

No big deal.... free speech. Let the idiots speak, people.... reason should be enough to drown their voices out.

I think what Proggy is saying is that most of these idiots end up showing their asses if given enough rope. This guy certainly did.

[Tito]

He should NOT be fired. It is his opinion.

He was on Larry King yesterday and he explained himself. He brought up some good points. He did NOT say autism does not exist.

[X factor]

I'll say the same thing I said about Don Imus.

No big deal.... free speech. Let the idiots speak, people.... reason should be enough to drown their voices out.

But the reality is that Don Imus DID get fired. And for something far less offensive, in my opinion. Free speech should not be used as a sheild to let douchebags like this guy spread their bile over the airwaves.
Once more - fuck him.

[ProgRocker53]

I don't think Imus should've been fired, and I don't think this guy should be fired either.

Now, if their amount of listeners were to suddenly plummet after remarks like this were made, THEN maybe there would be enough reason to fire these guys.

[Rip Rokken]

I've never liked Michael Savage -- he's just another bomb-throwing clown that I put alongside Ann Coulter. People like those don't do anything to benefit public discourse. There may be some truth to the notion that Autism is over-diagnosed, but his figures sound ridiculous to me. It's definitely a serious condition where it truly exists, though.

Now as for A.D.D., I agree with G.I. Jim that it's over-diagnosed for certain, by greedy docs, drug companies, and lazy-ass parents. No wonder their kids want to shell up or act out, with that kind of piss-poor parenting out there. As a parent myself, I know it's HARD to raise a child, and I mean "raise" in the sense of guiding them thru life -- not just providing for them. Quite often you like them best and think they are cutest when they are asleep. So many people just want to drug them to make them docile, and the same with the elderly -- it's a crime, in my opinion.

[X factor]

I don't think Imus should've been fired, and I don't think this guy should be fired either.

Now, if their amount of listeners were to suddenly plummet after remarks like this were made, THEN maybe there would be enough reason to fire these guys.

Not saying he "should've " been fired- I'm saying he WAS!
I don't disagree with you in theory,man. I'm just saying (to use an inappropriate metaphor) what's good for the goose, is good for the gander- the gander in THIS case being that ass-clown Savage...

[Arkansas]

If America wants this guy fired, then America needs to stop listening to him. Radio is a business. Low ratings mean no show. People calling for his head just got their chain yanked that's all. I wonder how many will stop listening to him?


later~

[X factor]

If America wants this guy fired, then America needs to stop listening to him. Radio is a business. Low ratings mean no show. People calling for his head just got their chain yanked that's all. I wonder how many will stop listening to him?


later~

So the man should have impunity to say whatever the hell he feels like while ON THE JOB, and being broadcast over the national airwaves???? Here's a short list of people who know that America/ and the broadcast industry DOESN'T opperate by those rules:

Rush Limbaugh
Issah Washington
Don Imus
Howard Stern
Bill Maher
I could go on , but why bother?

Other people have been given the heave ho for lesser offenses. That's all I'm saying!

I'll shut up now...

[conversationpc]

Michael Savage...For as educated as this guy is, he sometimes says the dumbest, most outlandish things. This is certainly one of them. He doesn't know a damn thing about autism. I've worked with enough autistic children to know that it's not a behavioral issue.

He is only about self-promotion. He's always talking about how educated he is, how many best-selling books he has, and how the ideas that other people are talking about were always his first and they got them by stealing them from him. He's a blowhard.

[Sarah]

So the man should have impunity to say whatever the hell he feels like while ON THE JOB, and being broadcast over the national airwaves????

Yes, that's free speech...

[Rick]

Michael Savage...For as educated as this guy is, he sometimes says the dumbest, most outlandish things. This is certainly one of them. He doesn't know a damn thing about autism. I've worked with enough autistic children to know that it's not a behavioral issue.

Agreed. I know several people that have autistic children. It's definitely not behavioral.

This Savage guy needs to educate himself on such issues that are definitely sensitive to the families and friends affected. Blurting out shit like that and not knowing what the hell he's talking about is very irresponsible.

[tammy]

Oh, boy...bet he is gonna get letters. I'll tell ya from first hand experience about having an Autistic kid 'cuz I have one who is low-functioning autistic. My daughter looks like a regular kid who is behaving horribly in public...she can't talk (has a few words you can make out but mostly just repeating what you say). A few weeks ago I took her & her younger sister to Disneyland with a Special Needs camp & two counselors helping. My daughter can't "wait" for ANYTHING and so she screams and bites her hand...she screams & trys to run away as I am checking into the hotel, she screams & trys to run away while we have to wait for the shuttle...she spent 45 min. crawling on hands & knees at the entrance of Disneyland making her weird noises 'cuz we had to wait for all the other families who were late, she yells & trys to jump off the train around the park cuz it isn't moving fast enough....yeah, it wasn't pretty & this is how it is all the time with her. Once she is on a ride she loves it & has a huge smile as long as it is moving fairly fast...the faster the better. So, yeah she appears to be a terribly behaved kid to passersby. We do everything we can...behavioral therapies, special ed, meds....she IS Autistic and that is what it is like. She may have other issues as well like ADHD or bipolar, but hard to tell with autism, we're trying to figure it out...she was adopted and we don't know about the birth parents & prenatal, etc.

[Lula]

at the risk of seeming over the top 'pc' i have a request. please remember, i'm a special education teacher and an advocate for children with special needs.

rather than saying "autistic child" try "child with autism" this way the disorder does not become the identity of the child.

thank you

oh, this savage man is shit!

[tammy]

I understand what you are saying Lu, but I think some PC things/labels get blown out of proportion. We have friends who were so against "the label" being applied to their son that they never got him into therapies or special ed....he's almost a teen and has Asperger's (at least, now they admit that to us, but not to anyone else).

[Barb]

Good news!


Savage Loses Advertisers

A group of seven Mississippi talk radio stations owned by Telesouth Communications has dropped Michael Savage’s nationally syndicated radio program over comments the host made last week suggesting that nearly every child with autism was “a brat” of inattentive parents. “Michael Savage’s comments about autistic children were beyond inexcusable and are unacceptable,” the station group said in a statement posted Tuesday on its Web site, supertalkms.com. The cancellation follows the decision on Monday by Aflac, the insurance company, to pull its advertising from the show. On his Web site, Michaelsavage.com, the host posted a letter on Monday in which he iterated the central point he said he had been trying to make on his July 16 program: that autism is too often misdiagnosed in the cases of children, or falsely diagnosed, at least partly as a means of wringing resources. “Let the truly autistic be treated,” he wrote. “Let the falsely diagnosed be free.” On July 16, Mr. Savage, above, referred to autism as “a fraud, a racket,” and asserted that what “99 percent” of children with autism most needed was a parent willing to tell them things like, “Don’t act like a moron.” Mark Masters, chief executive of Talk Radio Network, which syndicates Mr. Savage’s program to more than 350 stations, did not return messages left at his office seeking comment.


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/arts/ ... l?ref=arts

[Rick]

Good news!


Savage Loses Advertisers

A group of seven Mississippi talk radio stations owned by Telesouth Communications has dropped Michael Savage’s nationally syndicated radio program over comments the host made last week suggesting that nearly every child with autism was “a brat” of inattentive parents. “Michael Savage’s comments about autistic children were beyond inexcusable and are unacceptable,” the station group said in a statement posted Tuesday on its Web site, supertalkms.com. The cancellation follows the decision on Monday by Aflac, the insurance company, to pull its advertising from the show. On his Web site, Michaelsavage.com, the host posted a letter on Monday in which he iterated the central point he said he had been trying to make on his July 16 program: that autism is too often misdiagnosed in the cases of children, or falsely diagnosed, at least partly as a means of wringing resources. “Let the truly autistic be treated,” he wrote. “Let the falsely diagnosed be free.” On July 16, Mr. Savage, above, referred to autism as “a fraud, a racket,” and asserted that what “99 percent” of children with autism most needed was a parent willing to tell them things like, “Don’t act like a moron.” Mark Masters, chief executive of Talk Radio Network, which syndicates Mr. Savage’s program to more than 350 stations, did not return messages left at his office seeking comment.


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/arts/ ... l?ref=arts

Good. Maybe next time he'll think before he speaks. I get the gist of his letter on his website, but it wasn't put that way originally. I'm sure there are children misdiagnosed, but it's a hell of a sensitive issue with people who have a child with autism or are friends or family of the same.