Friday, September 26, 2008

Walking with Nicholas

It was a brilliant fall day outside today, so Nick and I took a walk down to the playground. He was so happy to get out of the house that he was flapping and running the whole way! He loved watching his shadow on the pavement and I loved watching him become so animated. His whole body was enjoying the moment, and I managed to catch some good pictures.






This was seriously one happy child! Hands were flailing and the air at the park was filled with Nick's happy bantering. It was a lovely afternoon!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

More Outrage....

It is sad that in today's world, people still find a way to blame autism on the parents. According to this guy, if you just tell Nick to stop acting like an "idiot" then everything would be fine. That Autism today is like Asthma years ago...everyone has it so they can get more money. HUH?? More money??? Is that what he thinks we get??!! What is even worse, is that this guy broadcast this show all over the country. I can't even think of the words to type how I feel right now. I feel like he might as well have called Nick an "idiot" or "moron" right to his face. People who know nothing about autism should keep their mouths shut. We have enough to deal with without people secretly "blaming" our "bad" parenting. These kids are NOT "idiots". Why he would even say this about children in the first place?

This just makes it that much harder for the public to see past the myths of autism. Here is the article that I am talking about:

http://mediamatters.org/items/200807170005?f=h_top

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.



Mr. Savage should have listened to his father.

Here is the LINK to sign a petition to FIRE Mr. Savage