A Savage Betrayal Of Humanity: Radio Host Michael Savage Says Autistic Kids Aren’t Sick…”Just Brats”
by Steve and Ryan Young
I’ve written for years about the problems I’ve had with talk radio, and did so, for the most part with tongue tucked firmly in cheek. I’ve even had my own show in L.A. so In some way, I’ve been a part of the problem I write about. I do get ticked off, but rarely does anything said on talk radio ever cause me to lose my sense of humor. Until this past Wednesday.
On his syndicated talk radio show, The Savage Nation, Michael Savage (real name: Michael Weiner), the third most listened to talk show host behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, and a bomb thrower like no other, called the disorder known as Autism, “a fraud” and “a racket.”
He went further.
“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.”
(Full audio at: http://mediamatters.org/items/200807170005?f=h_top)
There’s so much I wanted to say, not only to pound some actual knowledge into whatever Savage uses for a brain, but also to defend those families who have been besieged by the heartbreak and hardship of living with someone, especially their children, with Autism.
I wondered how Savage might feel it were his child who was constantly being met with disapproving stares from strangers who recommend that “if your child can’t behave maybe you shouldn’t take him out in public.” And how he might feel if the knew that it is going to happen every single day.
But as I began to write a note to Savage, I realized that it would be more appropriate to have someone who knows full well the devastation felt of not only hearing the diagnosis of your child as autistic, but having to live through the day to day sadness, frustration and pain you feel when it hits you that your child may never have what most would consider a typical life. For that I turned to my son Ryan…
From Ryan…
Mr. Savage,
My eight year old daughter Rebecca has a diagnosis of Autism.
Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior. That diagnosis in itself may help define a set of Rebecca’s symptoms, but it far from defines who she is any more than insensitive or mean-spirited totally describes you.
Rebecca can be sweet, funny, happy, sad, angry, silly, frustrating, irritating, gentle, kind or any number of other adjectives you’d use to describe a typical eight year old, though brat is not one that her doctors have used to describe her. That usually only comes from those ignorant of her condition.
When Rebecca is having a meltdown or dealing with any other upsetting moment in a public place, we are almost always met with judgmental glares from onlookers who are thinking, boy, if that was my child… or who might even say, “If you can’t control that child, keep her home!” G-d forbid these people ask if there anything they can do to help you. It’s something every parent of an autistic child has had to deal with most every day.
If you don’t understand Autism, its very easy to say or think such things. I probably did too before my wife and I had Rebecca, but I never went on a radio show, where millions of people believe I am some sort of authority, to label innocent children as a moron or idiot. That you supposedly hold master’s degrees in medical botany and medical anthropology makes your actions even more shameful.
Imagine, Mr Savage, if you lacked the ability to express your feelings, thoughts or needs. Imagine if this were your child. Would you want your child smeared for something they had no control over? Many children with autism lack the capacity to verbalize their feelings instead act them out. This is not how they act like a putz. This is how they communicate.
Being her father, I see Rebecca’s many challenges, stressors and unexpected events that challenge her ability to get through each and every day. As parents, her stressful and frustrating moments become OUR stressful and frustrating moments. What loving parent doesn’t cheer when their child succeeds or aches when their child is hurt, frustrated or upset?
Because the world challenges Rebecca so incessantly it would be easy to want to keep her home, insulated from the world, protecting her against the whirlwind of circumstances that at once can delight her one moment or upset and anger her the next. But ours is a life built on “that which does not kill you, can only make you stronger.” With each challenge Rebecca meets head on, she can learn and grow, hopefully adapting to the world, one step at a time. With each fall that she rises from she learns to walk a little stronger; gains confidence, and actually learns to become the best Rebecca she can be.
What no parent of a special needs child wants is to be pre-judged or isolated and kept in the shadows so that people like you don’t have to look at a child with a disability. We want and need support of those around us and hope upon hope that our child be treated with compassion and understanding.
This week, you Mr. Savage, have made that a little harder.
Sincerely,
Rebecca’s Proud Dad, Ryan Young
For more information on Autism, go to: Autism Speaks at www.autismspeaks.org
Ryan Young is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York. His dad is author of “Great Failures of the Extremely Successful…Mistakes, Adversity, Failure and Other Steppingstones to Success.”
Comments
4 Responses to “A Savage Betrayal Of Humanity: Radio Host Michael Savage Says Autistic Kids Aren’t Sick…”Just Brats””
Leave a Reply
There aught to be a law or two.
Presidential candidates shall take sanity tests.
Talk show host shall take humanity tests.
Or they must swear an oath to do no harm. The old saying says ‘…and words can never harm me.’
But they sure as hell can and do hurt.
Just like the rest of us, Savage can think and say whatever he wants in private. But he, and all the others, hold a public trust and get to have their say on our airwaves.
Until there’s a test for common sense and civility and laws against lying on air, there’s not a damn thing we do about them — and sure as hell their neocon friends at the FCC aren’t going to do or say anything — except for us to tune them out and publically berate them any way we can.
First, it’s confession time. Whenever I see someone’s kid howling his or her little head off, I get irritated too. Having read about your little girl, I’ll try my best not to. Thank you.
Now I’d like to introduce you to a young(ish) man named Stephen Wiltshire. This young man, autistic since birth has astounded the World with the one ability he’s got to relate to us - drawing. I implore you, go to http://www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk, and stand back in wonder. Put Stephen on your grossly overrated friend Mr. Savage’s show, with some of these drawings, and see him shrink - morally.
Did *savage* reply?
Ray,
Sure did. So did his fans. See today’s column: Savage Hiding Behind Hyperbole.
SY
You put what us parents go through in words that cannot be expressed more prefectly. Even more so i think you capture what Rebecca may feel. My Michelle has Aspergers, on the spectrum of Austism and she can articulate a lot of how frustrated she feels, she knows she is different and all the years of trying to make my circle into /fit a square and beat off the stares of her melt downs etc. is horrifying but you know now that i know what it is it…i find it funny. Her insight to the world if funny….down to her pronounciation of words, literal interpretations of things, forget metaphors “raining cats and dogs” she is looking in the sky expecting to see cats and dogs fall of the sky.
What is so hard to sit back and watch is their lack of social ability and where do they fit in this word and will they ever be able to. Social interaction is just foreign to them, it is like watching them listen to someone speak a foreign language and reptition and constant pattern training is all you can do to try and get them to function. there are no drugs to cure this, there are so many different levels…..Oh how i wish i could just toss it off and say “yeah i am a bad parent, blame me, if she was raised by you, she would be perfect..” to whomever was judging her/me because then that would mean she wouldn’t be so isolated and alone.
Don’t fire Michael Savage, his delivery sucks but he only stated what others don’t say but think because of their ignorance. Instead ask him to come sit in our shoes and then make a judgement because he is a very educated man who made a really uneducated comment. He could actually help all of us with is PHD in Nutrician, there is a link with diet and progress for our children.
His compassion could be used in a good way to help this cause.
Don’t let our frustrations of this hard journey we all have to ride force out a potential hidden ally…..let’s kindly ask him to help us, he actually has done us a huge favor. His intent wasn’t to hurt anyone.
Please consider this, we need to look at the bigger picture and surely not judge Dr. Savage like our children are judged every day for a behavioral / outburst fit. It was a meltdown guys ok? We all know about those and we certainly don’t want our kids kicked out of places, fired etc. Let’s embrace and try to educate….believe me before i knew what michelle had i thought she was misbehaved too and i was the worst parent in the world.