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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Michael Savage at it again; This time against children with autism

I wanted to give you a heads upon a rally and press conference today in NYC hosted by national autism groups against right-wing talk radio host Michael Savage. Savage, who is one of the most widely listened to talk radio hosts in the country, recently claimed that autism was a “fraud in 99% of cases,” and that the children needed to “cut the act out.” Here are the details on the protest, along with a release on Savage’s remarks. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Brandon Hersh
Press Assistant

Media Matters for America202.471.3205 Office
202.527.0190 Cell202.756.4101 Faxbhersh@mediamatters.orghttp://www.mediamatters.org/

Media Matters for America is a progressive research and information center dedicated to monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the media.



National Autism Group and Angry Parents to hold Press Conference today in Manhattan to announce rally and protest in City of San Francisco for July 23, 2008,

Autisms Groups will call for the Firing and Boycott of San Francisco Based Conservative Radio Jock Michael Savage Evelyn Ain of Autism United and Angry Parents will hold a press conference on July 21, 2008 at 2pm (EST) in NYC outside WOR Radio Studios located at 111 Broadway in Manhattan calling for the firing of San Francisco based National Conservative Radio Jock Michael Savage and asking for a boycott by parents of children with autism of all stations carrying his signal. Mr. Savage outraged the autism community by saying 99% of children suffering with autism are brats and morons on his national syndicated radio show. They will be announcing a national protest in San Francisco California on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 with autism groups and parents across the nation outside of Savages hometown. Over 2 million children and adults have autism. 1 out of every 150 children are diagnosed with autism today.

(TODAYS PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT IS 7-21 AT 2PM IN NYC (10AM PST)
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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 18, 2008
CONTACT
J. Jioni Palmer (202) 471-3205
jpalmer@mediamatters.org

Top Radio Host: Autism Is “A Fraud, a Racket”
Host Michael Savage Mocks Those Living with Autism and Smears Minorities with Asthma
** For Audio/Transcript of the remarks, CLICK HERE **

Washington, DC – Media Matters for America today condemned nationally syndicated conservative radio host Michael Savage for incendiary comments directed at those who live with autism and their families. During the same broadcast, Savage, the No. 3 talk radio host in America, also attacked those in “the minority community” who suffer from asthma.

“What Michael Savage said was foolish, mean-spirited, and hurtful,” said J. Jioni Palmer, spokesman for Media Matters. “It’s unfortunate he would use his radio program to make fun of and belittle these kids. Instead of ridicule and cheap shots, the children suffering from autism and asthma and their families need support and compassion.”

During the July 16 edition of his show, 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. 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.’ ”

Savage also stated: “[W]hy 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.”

Talk Radio Network, which syndicates The Savage Nation, claims that Savage is heard on more than 350 radio stations. The Savage Nation reaches at least 8.25 million listeners each week, according to Talkers Magazine, making it one of the most listened-to talk radio shows in the nation, behind only The Rush Limbaugh Show and The Sean Hannity Show.

** For Audio/Transcript of the remarks, CLICK HERE **
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Media Matters for America is a progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media. Media Matters is the first organization to systematically monitor the media for conservative misinformation every day, in real time. For more information, visit http://www.mediamatters.org/.

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Full transcript:

Savage on autism: "A fraud, a racket. ... In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out"

Summary: 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. 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.' "

On the July 16 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Michael Savage claimed that autism is "[a] fraud, a racket." Savage went on to say, "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.' " Savage concluded, "[I]f 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."

Savage also stated: "[W]hy 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."

Talk Radio Network, which syndicates The Savage Nation, claims that Savage is heard on more than 350 radio stations. The Savage Nation reaches at least 8.25 million listeners each week, according to Talkers Magazine, making it one of the most listened-to talk radio shows in the nation, behind only The Rush Limbaugh Show and The Sean Hannity Show.
From the July 16 edition of Talk Radio Network's The Savage Nation:

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.

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.

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