Michael’s Autism Savagery: Long Island To Join San Francisco Protest

Autism activists in Long Island are set to join a San Francisco protest Sunday against radio host Michael Savage's derogatory remarks on autism. The protesters are expected to assemble in their hundreds outside Savage's home base radio station, KNEW, to press for his removal.

State Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington), the organizer of the protest; Evelyn Ain from Oyster Bay; and John Gilmore from Long Beach, executive director of Autism United, are to be present at the meet.

Johnson, who has introduced legislation to acquire a count of autism cases in New York State, said, “We’re gathering a lot of people from all across the country to rally and continue putting pressure on the company that syndicates this gentleman to remove him from the air.”

Ain, mother of an autistic son and publisher of a magazine on autism, commented, “Everyone is…outraged about it.”

On July 16, Savage had stirred up a national controversy with his remarks describing autism as a ‘racket’ and a ‘fraud,’ and alleging that "in 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out." He had even linked the children’s behavior to bad parenting.

With autism becoming a common malady and one in 150 children being afflicted with it, Savage’s comments sparked off reactions of no mean proportions. Autism spectrum disorders range from severe to mild defects in communication and social behavior, and in many cases include retardation.

ADA Watch and the National Coalition for Disability Rights have also voiced their demand that Michael Savage be fired for his attack against the disabled.

Reacting to the protests, Savage later said that his remarks were "taken out of context." He said his criticism was only of doctors and drug companies who over-diagnose children with an eye on monetary benefits, as well as ‘fakers’ who pretend to disability mainly out of greed.

In an interview published online at wnd.com, which is linked to Savage’s web site, he admitted to attacking only the ‘falsely diagnosed cases, the misdiagnosed and the outright fraud artists through a bold parody.’
However Savage’s explanation could not curry much favor with parents of children with autism and milder disorders like Asperger's syndrome.

"He backed off a little bit in recent days, but he did say what he said," commented Joanna Jaeger, board president of Parents Helping Parents, a San Francisco-based community for parents of disabled children.

Jaeger added, “His attitude that he's doing us a favor by exposing this fraud is ridiculous. People are not rushing to join this club because it's so much fun, or because you get a big gift bag upon your child's diagnosis."