The comments during his July 16 program that ignited the firestorm have been widely reported:

"[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.'"

Id speaks Out

Predictably, those comments offended and, in some cases, enraged. Now, I'm no expert on talk radio, but it seems to me that pressing buttons sort of goes with the territory. Talk radio personalities get to say what a lot of people think but don't say because they don't want other people to think poorly of them.

Being thought poorly of by large numbers of people is part of the talk radio show host's job description. All that negative energy stirs people to action. It sparks protests, which, in turn, rally defenders. The blogosphere buzz reaches a fever pitch, and even people like me start thinking -- and writing -- about an issue that otherwise might not have caught our attention. Hmm. That seems like a good thing.

So, for the sake of argument, let's just say that in his own inimitable way, this Savage guy has got more people thinking about autism, and that's ok. The question then becomes, how many has he influenced to agree with his outrageous point of view?

My guess: Virtually none.

Foul, but No Harm

Even people who believe that autism is over-diagnosed -- Savage's clumsy, after-the-fact justification for his remarks -- probably didn't come to that opinion due to his persuasive, uh, logic. It's a topic that seems worthy of intelligent discussion, which might be possible when the furor cools down, but Savage's rant is neither intelligent nor anything close to discourse.

For the most part, it seems that the incident has drawn people to angrily rebut comments that are patently ludicrous -- and to call for the firing of a guy whose raison d'etre is to provoke people into paying attention to him. Good for ratings, I'm sure.

Hey, Mikey

Since, like Savage, I have the right to voice my opinion, I have a few words for the man himself: Mike -- stop acting like an overgrown brat. If your father called you a moron when you were a kid, forgive him. Don't keep the cycle of verbal abuse going by using language designed to break the spirits of other kids -- autistic or not. You got somewhere in life, but instead of using your platform to make the world a better place, you're acting like a putz. Straighten up, Mike. Act like a man. Don't pick on children, you flaming idiot.

Now, for the rest of you, here's my advice, for what it's worth: Chill. Savage got to have his say. Now, give him the attention he deserves. Pity the fool.

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From N.H.:

Michael Savage is right and it has happened to my grandson. He is no more Asperger's than the man in the moon.

One visit to a child psychiatrist in CMH and he was not only diagnosed with it but was put on Risperdal. In eight months time he has been presribed .25mg Risperdal increased to .5 mg when he couldn't sleep (a side effect of Risperdal), Prozac, and 20mg of Strattera.

He was only 6 years old. He was fine until all the drugs. Now I am told he has so many behavior disorders he is a mental wreck. I can't seem to convince the parents it is the drugs causing his problems. The doctor has them completely snowballed. He caters to the 'affluent.'

From "Anonymous":

I like Savage and I listen to him, he is at times bombastic but generally correct in matters, he has a reported IQ of 150, he has 20 books published, 4 NY Times bestsellers, and as a pariah from everyone of the alphabet networks, he still has a massive and devoted audience of 8-10 million weekly or more.

He is a breath of fresh air. I have an IQ of 138. I wait to hear him each night. His talk show beats the drivel found elsewhere. He is not against autistic children, he is not against legal immigration, and he is not against Muslims.

Listen to him. Listen to July 23 which was about autism.

Make up your own mind. If you have one.

From "Autistic Dad":

He goes by Dr. Michael Savage. His pseudo degree is in herbal medicine and he was born Michael Alan Weiner. He's Mr. Weiner!!!

From Douglas Haire of Sebring, FL:

Savage may be wrong about what autism is but he isn't wrong about the over-diagnosing. All too often, in my opinion, children are diagnosed with the "syndrome du jour" and suffer from those diagnoses more than any disease or syndrome.

Doctors are not, despite the social belief, infallible. They make as informed a decision as they can given circumstances, the effectiveness of their education, and their personal talents. But by no means are they always right. I am waiting, quite patiently, for the study of "fad diagnoses" and the impact it has on society.

Consider the huge upspike in ADHD and its varied forms. Think of the numbers being diagnosed with Alzheimer's in recent years. I spent a miserable couple of years because doctors ignored an antiobiotic resistant lung infection and kept trying to treat me as if I had asthma or COPD. It wasn't until I fought back and demanded better, and more appropriate, treatment that I began to recover.

A doctor is nothing more than a mechanic for the body. Just as your favorite auto mechanic gets it wrong from time to time, so can (and does) your doctor. It's not entirely his (or her) fault. Society, the media, and anxious patients or parents present a great amount of pressure on doctors to misdiagnose.

Consider how many doctors got it wrong before one doctor in Boca Raton found evidence of anthrax. And consider how many of the subsequent cases of anthrax might not have been anthrax but that seemed a likely choice for a doctor who is stumped.

So don't be so quick to condemn Savage, he may have hit on a social "disease" that needs to be examined more closely.