More On Savage

I've been following the aftermath of shock jock Michael Savage's comments on autism last week. I'm impressed with the number of bloggers who have shared my anger. I'm unsurprised at Talk Radio Network's attempt to spin Savage's comments into some kind of alternate universe. I'm nauseated after learning about Savage's previous comments on disabilities. And I'm amazed that the controversy has hit the floor of Congress:



And now advertisers and radio stations are dropping Savage's show. But I stick by what I said earlier this week. Even if Talk Radio Network fires Savage, he'll be picked up again in a few months by another radio network. It's prejudice for profit.

And yes, the title of this blog post was an intentional pun.

The Savage Mindset

He's nasty, ignorant, and immoral. That's what I think about Michael Savage after his rant last Thursday regarding autism:



I've never really paid much attention to Savage except to know that he's a conservative radio talk show host. As you may remember from my other post about a psychopathic talk radio host, I have no tolerance for bleating, uninformed drivel on the public airwaves.

But after much stewing over Savage's comments, I suddenly realized the connection between him, John McCain and Phil Gramm... or at least the connection between their mindsets.

Remember, McCain a few weeks back made the comment that "[A] lot of our problems today, as you know, are psychological — the confidence, trust, the uncertainty about our economic future, ability to keep our own home."

Then Phil Gramm, McCain's top financial adviser, echoed the sentiment by saying "You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline..."

And here is what I conclude about the the conservative mindset: A thing (whether it be disease, poverty, racism, wage stagnation, high food prices etc) does not exist unless the conservative experiences it for himself first hand.

Part of this problem is a lack of empathy. If you can't mentally step into another's shoes, you will never understand their suffering, and you are doomed to make such thoughtless comments... like Savage implying that children with autism are "idiots," "brats," and "morons."

But I'm talking about more than just empathy here. You don't need empathy to comprehend the multitude of medical journals that explain the realness of autism. All you need to do is realize your own ignorance and seek out knowledge.

But Savage's education is quite impressive (B.A., education and sociology; M.S., medical botany and medical anthropology; Ph.D., nutritional ethnomedicine). I think he probably does know more than he demonstrates, but his job mandates that he spends hours on air giving knee-jerk reactions to anything that pops into his head. He says these outrageous lies to make a buck. And that to me is immoral.

There is a Fire Michael Savage petition online. I am linking to it though I don't think it will do any good. Oh, maybe he will get fired, but if there is any market for his brand of commentary, then he will be hired again by some other radio network once this controversy fades.

The problem is bigger than Savage or any talk radio host. There are people who will loyally tune in every day because they believe they are being told the truth. They hear things that make them feel good about their own prejudices. They are told that the world's problems are not complicated. They listen. Talk Radio Network profits from this national disservice. It's just the way things work.