Conservative Shock jock and Autism denier Michael Wiener, also known as Michael Savage.
Usually I don’t like to get on and blog about outrage sparked by some shock jock or tv host, who makes provocative comments that are either made to garner attention, but I make an exception here.
Michael Wiener, better known the listeners of his conservative Nationally syndicated talk show as Michael Savage, has been known before to enter fields with often outlandish and course remarks. In 2004, his MSNBC weekend talk show was canceled after he told a caller that he hoped that they would “get Aids and die”. He has sounded off and made fiery statements against Gays, called liberalism a mental disorder, said those who speak out in the war on terror should be jailed, and has made various offensive remarks against Muslims, immigrants (particularly Mexicans), and other groups.
But now the Conservative shock jock has entered that familiar territory when he called Autism “a fraud” and that autism “in 99 percent of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out.”
The following is a bit of the transcript of a June 16 broadcast where he made the remark, as documented by Media Matters.org.
Media Matters:
Now, the illness du jour is autism. You know what autism is? 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.”
Autism — everybody has an illness. If I behaved like a fool, my father called me a fool. And he said to me, “Don’t behave like a fool.” The worst thing he said — “Don’t behave like a fool. Don’t be anybody’s dummy. Don’t sound like an idiot. Don’t act like a girl. Don’t cry.” That’s what I was raised with. That’s what you should raise your children with. Stop with the sensitivity training. You’re turning your son into a girl, and you’re turning your nation into a nation of losers and beaten men. That’s why we have the politicians we have.
Thats great. Going after children that have a mental disorder that they were born with and that cause those afflicted to face daunting challenges every day. What next is he going to call Cancer a scam? Maybe that quadriplegics are just wheel chair bound because they are too lazy to get up?
What a loser. Autism is very real and it is a disorder that in a variety of ways affects as many as 1 in every 150 children born.
Since then the autism community has responded. Here is how the Autism society of America reacted in a statement.
This week, talk show host Michael Savage made inaccurate and derogatory comments about autism on his radio show, calling the condition “a fraud” and the result of a lack of parental discipline. Mr. Savage’s unsubstantiated comments reflect the misconceptions of over 50 years ago that autism was caused by “refrigerator mothers” or unemotional parenting, which have been completely disproven by the scientific community. Autism is a neuro-developmental medical condition that requires early identification and lifelong treatment. For over 40 years, the Autism Society of America has worked tirelessly to educate people on the nature of autism spectrum disorders, the services and support families need, and the tremendous potential of people on the autism spectrum. We are dismayed that these grossly inaccurate remarks would be aired in any platform, much less on a nationally syndicated show. We will continue to work with families, people with autism and the broader public to raise awareness of autism spectrum disorders.
Here are some facts on Autism.
Michael Wiener, (Savage), ladies and Gentlemen, proof that Darwinism can work in reverse.
Parents and advocates for the disabled have also reacted with strong protests and some have even called for his firing from the Talk Radio Network. One station in Mississippi has already cancelled his show over the remarks.
But Wiener, I am sorry I mean “Savage” last night responded to the protests and criticism of his comments on his website, and remains unrepentant.
Michael Savage:
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.”
Just as some drug companies have over diagnosed “ADD” and “ADHD” to peddle dangerous speed-like drugs to children as young as 4 years of age, this cartel of doctors and drug companies is now creating a national panic by over diagnosing “autism, for which there is no definitive medical diagnosis!
Many children are being victimized by being diagnosed with an “illness” which may not exist, in all cases. Just a few weeks ago doctors recommended dangerous anti-cholesterol drugs for children as young as 2 years of age! Without any scientific studies on the possible dangers of such drugs on children, corrupt doctors made this controversial, unscientific recommendation.
Increasingly, our children are being used as profit centers by a greedy, corrupt medical/pharmaceutical establishment. As the brother of a severely disabled person who suffered and died in a New York “snake-pit” of a “mental hospital,” I know first-hand what true disability is.
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.
In the same broadcast in fact before the comments cited above, he called autism “a fraud, a racket, and went after minority children with asthma. Really classy.
SAVAGE: Now, you want me to tell you my opinion on autism, since I’m not talking about autism? A fraud, a racket. For a long while, we were hearing that every minority child had asthma. Why did they sudden — why was there an asthma epidemic amongst minority children? Because I’ll tell you why: The children got extra welfare if they were disabled, and they got extra help in school. It was a money racket. Everyone went in and was told [fake cough], “When the nurse looks at you, you go [fake cough], ‘I don’t know, the dust got me.’ ” See, everyone had asthma from the minority community. That was number one
MY TAKE: One point, Savage does raise an interesting issue about children being misdiagnosed and over medicated. But nonetheless his comments were heartless and offensive. After all, he said 99 percent of kids with Autism are brats. In other words, they somehow brought this on themselves, and that the existence of Autism is a myth pushed by a craven nexus between the pharmaceutical and medical industries for profit.
I am torn on whether this lunatic should be taken off the air or not. If the Talk Radio Network fires him, he looks like a martyr of free speech for his misinformed and moronic listeners. If you hire Michael Wiener, you know what you are getting. A Xenophobic racist, homophobe who cares nothing for people and who would probably thought Schindler’s List was a feel good comedy. Besides he may be stupid, but even stupid speech is protected. However there have to be standards. The rest of the radio and broadcast community needs to know there are standards and that facts matter. Also, he is on the public airwaves and the Talk Radio Network may want to consider whether it is worth it to continue being associated with this jack-ass who stoops so low and peddles so much disinformation.
Boxothoughts 
Mother of Boy with Aspergers Humiliated and Expelled from Class by Teacher, Allegedly Threatened
Published Mayam09 9, 2008 Autism/Aspergers Syndrome , Commentary , education , stupidity Leave a CommentA follow-up on a story I blogged about last year but amidst all the helter skelter in life didn’t follow up on as much as I should have. Last year around this time Alex Barton, a 5 year old kindergarten student with Aspergers syndrome, was publicly humiliated by his teacher when she had her students engage in an abhorrent exercise where they voiced what they didn’t like about Alex and voted 14-2 to expel him from class.
Following complaints by the Alex’s mother Melissa Barton to the school, the teacher Wendy Portillo was placed in a non-teaching role before being placed on one year suspension and then having her tenure yanked. A bit of a slap on the wrist for such a blatantly stupid and bullying act if you ask me. But supposedly Melissa Barton was recently threatened by another parent at the school.
Now if the allegations by Mrs Barton are true this just goes to show how low parenting has devolved to the level that some parents are just as immature and unrestrained in their behavior as their children. But even if this woman didn’t threaten Mrs Barton, all legalities aside, not fair to our school? What about young Alex, who has a social disorder that already likely makes him feel ostracized, was publicly humiliated and shamed before his class, by both his peers and the supposed adult enshrined with caring for each and every student’s welfare? I don’t know about moist, but it would seem that Mrs Barton did the school a service. After all would you want a teacher who instead of ingraining the values of civility in young children ,actually encourages such childish conduct? who acts not as the adult amongst the children but a chief bully amongst them? After all if she did it to one child she would likely do it to any other, including your own child.
Related Items: Check out the Justice for Alex Barton site and blog.
