Savage (And Society) Doesn't Respect People With Special Needs

Michael Savage, a radio talk show host who thinks nothing of offending liberals, gay people, Catholics and Muslims on his nationally syndicated program--a practice that has either lost him sponsors or gotten him fired--took aim recently at those who are living with autism, which is considered a developmental disability that has been diagnosed in at least two million people, mostly school-age children.

Not much is known about autism, and I am in no way claiming to be an expert. Some people believe it is caused by diet or other factors in the child's environment. Others think it's a scam perpetuated by the pharmaceutical companies, willing to charge families an arm and a leg for drug treatment.

Savage told his radio audience that, among other things, the typical autistic child is "a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out", and also blames the lack of involvement by fathers. That should come as news to the families (whether the parental unit is intact or not) who have a hard enough time trying to care for--and cope with--a child who faces a lifetime of difficulty.

Savage is right about one thing: Autism has become the affliction of the moment in the news media. Not a day goes by when we don't see some network or publication do a story about autism and its effects. Just this past week, the CBS station in Minneapolis (WCCO-TV) did a series of reports on it.

What bothers me about stories involving people who are differently abled, or are living with a fatal disease is the patronizing tone they take. It's like they're being put on a pedestal. They can do no wrong. They could, for example, be entertained for the day at a zoo, or meet their favorite ballplayer, and it's covered on TV as a substitute for real news. In other words, they're treated more like circus freaks and adorable animals instead of human beings. Cue the violins.

Then there are the feel-good fundraisers, whether its a "fun run" or a dangerous stunt, all in the name of charity. If people knew what a bottomless pit some of these organizations are, some of whom have more interested in raising money than in finding a cure (at least not in our lifetime), they'd be putting their money to better use. Such as buying a tank of gas.

Society does the same thing, masking the condition of those who aren't considered "normal" in such inoffensive nomenclature (such as "differently abled" or "living with fill-in-the-blank") that nobody else knows what they're talking about.

What I hope I never see is some misguided individual, after seeing one of those "beating the odds" stories on TV, deliberately poison himself or severing his limbs in a bid to attract attention.

People like Michael Savage would love to go back to the days when anyone who doesn't look or sound "normal" are hidden away someplace, not bothering anyone. Thank goodness we don't live in that world any more. What we need to do is to show a little more courtesy and respect to the folks who just happen to use wheelchairs and need a little more help than the rest of us, and to save the superhero stuff for the movies.