Michael Savage: Greedy Doctors and Autism

Last night, July 22, 2008, Michael Savage, conservative talk show host, created a firestorm when he said that 99 percent of autism cases are issues that deal with spoiled brats who have not been told to stop the act. He argued that many of these kids live in homes without fathers who could control these children and are basically running roughshod over mothers. Continuing, Savage concluded that greedy doctors and makers of medicine deliberately over diagnose children and adults as autistic to peddle drugs.

Many parents of autistic children along with several autistic organizations viewed Savage comments as being mean spirited, hateful, bigoted and over the top. But, Savage the ever ready entertainer and debater challenge anyone in his 82 million listening audience to debate him on the merits of his argument and to show that there is a definitive medical way to treat autistic people.

Savage is an old school hard line critic. He is rough, bullish and often cold blooded truthful. What he really was saying is that the medical community is often too quick to label children and adults as autistic. This rush to medicate has turned millions of Americans into zombies. Instead, of old fashioned natural aids like exercise, fresh foods, and strict discipline to these individuals we have fallen prey to the slogan, "more medicine is better."

The same issue is the case of children being labelled as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). In the last twenty years there has been a disproportionate number of elementary and high school boys being diagnosed with these illnesses. Female teachers overwhelmingly do not understand that boys and girls learn differently. Thus, while a girl may sit still and mannerly; boys are more apt to talk, move, touch things and generally play. But, it does not mean that they are not learning or that they cannot learn. They must be treated differently. That is, boys are not dysfunctional girls.

Unfortunately, female teachers along with simplistic doctors influence single mothers to medicate fully functional and normal boys. Again, Savage is only saying that too many Americans are falling victim to the medical cartel that is designed to make money from illnesses, real or imagined. We must get back to common sense and rational reality. That is, everything cannot be solved with a pill. Thus, while Savage statements rode the fence of insensitivity--his comments must be taken seriously.