Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Attention . . . Autism

I really hate to cover this topic for a number of reasons. My heart just breaks for autistic children and their families and I hate to give Michael Savage any attention at all, since I am convinced he literally thrives on bad attention. Surely there's a diagnosis for this syndrome. This guy has been claiming to be persecuted for ages, now and then I read this . . . Persecution is the opposite of paranoia. If they are following you, it isn't paranoia. If you are just being mean, the reaction to it, isn't persecution. I've listened to talk radio to a degree and frankly, I prefer Alan Colmes and Mark Levin. I also have my contentions with both of them. I think Alan Colmes emphasizes his hate mail too much. What does he expect? He's basically the token liberal at a hot button, emotional, somewhat irrational, conservative "news" station. It's his job to be unpopular. Now, except for the 3rd grade bully style of name calling, Mark Levin makes some valid points right across party lines. I just wish he knew how much greater the impact would be, if he quit belittling with name calling. He does pick on himself from time to time, though, so I try to let it slide when he sounds like a chubby, belligerent 3rd grader that was chosen last for the team. Michael Savage, on the other hand is just boorish entertainment, for those that like that sort of thing. I think he really believes he is the reason and the focus that laws are being changed and he seems to truly believe that they are trying to silence him, so what does he do? He found a devastating topic and spewed stupidly on a subject that would only incite anger and inflict pain.

I read about this in several places, but I've included a couple of quotes from someone I gleaned to have a family member with autism.
>>Michael Savage spoke of autism and his comments made national headlines. On his nationally syndicated radio show, Michael Savage claimed that autism is "[a] fraud, a racket. ... 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."
The Michael Savages of the talk world thrive on controversy. It is the fuel that keeps their shows alive, and the spark that prompts more listeners to tune in and see what outrageous garbage will spew from their pie holes next. If Savage is pulled from this station today, he'll be on two new stations tomorrow.<<
Michael Savage has since, in my opinion, attempted to clean this up a bit by saying he was really after the pharmaceutical impact of false diagnoses, and there is clearly some validity to that. But why not rant about the questionable diagnoses of fibromyalgia or something his listeners can relate to. How many subjective syndromes do we have by now, with our pharmaceutical companies getting richer and more Americans on disability? Why autism? I've seen exhausted, devastated parents of autistic children that do not have a family of brats, they have a child that they cannot reach, and a child that cannot reach them.
In another article I read, Mr. Savage shared what his father would have told him if he'd displayed such symptoms as he mentioned. He said among many things his father would say, "Don't act like a moron." Maybe, Michael, even though you have not been diagnosed with autism, perhaps it's time to take the advice you said your father would have given, anyway.
Hopefully Mr. Savage will finally enjoy the reality of his self-fulfilling prophecy. Maybe he's finally accomplished the offense that will take him off the air. He's certainly been trying long enough!
Fair words are not to be looked for from a foolish man . . . A Proverb of Holy Scripture

No comments:

Blog Archive