Michael Savage says that "autism is a fraud"
What is slander here? I don't agree with free speech when it involves other things that are against the law but this doesn't classify as slander IMO. It's just that he said a whole bunch of nasty things that made people upset.
Slander is the defimation (sp?) of a person's (singular) character. It involves going after a specific person and bringing somebody down in such a way that would harm their life significantly. That isn't what Savage did.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation
I don't believe he should be fired, either. I do think something should be done about it, though, and it has. I was mostly talking about boycotting the businesses who sponsor his show. That would do a lot more than just firing him because it would say to Talk Radio Network and other networks who produce these shows that there are things that will offend people beyond belief and that we will strive to have removed from the airwaves.
I'm of the opinion that people should be free to do more or less whatever they want/need to do unless it infringes on another's rights or harms someone else. I see this as something that harms others (namely autistic people) and should not be covered by the all-inclusive free speech umbrella. He's allowed to hold that opinion if he wants, I'm not saying that he isn't, but I don't see why he has to say it over the radio, and I think people should be trying harder to at least get him to change his tune a little bit, that's all.
Slander is the defimation (sp?) of a person's (singular) character. It involves going after a specific person and bringing somebody down in such a way that would harm their life significantly. That isn't what Savage did.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation
Maybe what he did wasn't exactly slander in the way you described, but he did call out parents who have a child diagnosed with a form of autism that isn't classic and say that they did it just to leech off of the system. He also called all of us who have diagnoses that are on the spectrum (Asperger's, PDD-NOS) fakers who are just brats trying to get attention. That is defaming not just one person, but entire groups of people. He has also done this to homosexuals numerous times and he did so about minorities in this same excerpt, saying that they had their kids fake having asthma so that they could leech off of the system.
I was told slander is when you say something about someone that isn't true. Even if you were joking or being sarcastic, it still doesn't matter because someone might take it seriously and you could end up in jail or being sued. I was even told it's illegal. So if what he did wasn't wrong according to the law, I see hypocrisy.
I can remember someone at my last job quitting all of a sudden and I found it skeptical so I said as a joke "Sai went to jail." I got told "You know what you're doing is called? Slander."
That's when I got told I can get into serious trouble and I said but I was just joking and she said "Doesn't matter, people can still take it seriously."So I learned I must be careful what jokes I tell or it might end up being slander. I mean if people took my joke seriously, she the word spread around town and then it eventually got to her, she can sue me if she wants.
My mother told me in 7th grade, you can sue someone for spreading lies about you and she used examples like when my old friend told lies about me in 5th grade and other kids believed her and if she were an adult, we could have sued her for it.
You don't seem to understand. Slander is when someone goes after a specific (singular) person and tries to ruin their life and ends up getting them fired and basically running them into the gutter intentionally. Yes he said untrue things about autism. That does not mean he was intentionally trying to ruin anybody's life. You would have a hard time proving that in court. He's not apologizing because he's saying that they took what he said out of context which could possibly be true and I really think people are being kind of stubborn and just assuming that he meant to ruin people's lives. I don't like the guy and I find what he said offensive, but this doesn't mean I can go into his head and be 100% sure of what he said. I just have my opinion about it. You are sitting there saying he said something nasty, he should be punished. He's already being punished because what he said got out. Do you want him to be lynched or something?
He wasn't joking either, his explanation of it (not sure if I buy it) is that he was using it to show that people are over diagnosed with these things. It was uncalled for for him to talk that way, but it wasn't slander and couldn't be proven as slander. You think what he said was bad, and I agree with you. But I don't understand how you are considering it slander.
I mean I understand that you are offended but the fact that you and others like you have such intense anger about it that you can't even try to let in the idea that he might not be the devil is kinda scary to me.
Also he wasn't talking about your kid. He was talking about some other kid that he's seen. You need to stop equating this with you. Ignorant people like this Savage need to be educated and what people are doing is not helping anything.
Slander is the defimation (sp?) of a person's (singular) character. It involves going after a specific person and bringing somebody down in such a way that would harm their life significantly. That isn't what Savage did.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation
Maybe what he did wasn't exactly slander in the way you described, but he did call out parents who have a child diagnosed with a form of autism that isn't classic and say that they did it just to leech off of the system. He also called all of us who have diagnoses that are on the spectrum (Asperger's, PDD-NOS) fakers who are just brats trying to get attention. That is defaming not just one person, but entire groups of people. He has also done this to homosexuals numerous times and he did so about minorities in this same excerpt, saying that they had their kids fake having asthma so that they could leech off of the system.
Yes but how is he actually doing harm to us? He's just saying mean things and offending people. It can't be considered slander unless there is proof that it's brought actual harm (not just hurt feelings) to people. I don't think this guy is taken seriously and I don't think anyone is going to go out and do something malicious to someone with autism just because of what he said. There'd have to be something pretty wrong with the person to begin with in order for them to do that.
I heard everything he said, there's no reason to repeat it to me. Until there is proof that someone was seriously harmed from what he said you can not prove slander.
I'm not trying to justify his actions. I'm just saying that it can't be classified as slander and there really isn't anything people can do about it or should do about it. I personally think he's already been punished quite a lot for what he said. It scares me because I don't know when people are going to stop. Anger is a powerful thing and people need to not let it blind them.
I can remember someone at my last job quitting all of a sudden and I found it skeptical so I said as a joke "Sai went to jail." I got told "You know what you're doing is called? Slander."
That's when I got told I can get into serious trouble and I said but I was just joking and she said "Doesn't matter, people can still take it seriously."So I learned I must be careful what jokes I tell or it might end up being slander. I mean if people took my joke seriously, she the word spread around town and then it eventually got to her, she can sue me if she wants.
My mother told me in 7th grade, you can sue someone for spreading lies about you and she used examples like when my old friend told lies about me in 5th grade and other kids believed her and if she were an adult, we could have sued her for it.
That person who told you that was a moron. You can't be convicted of slander without reasonable proof that what you said was said with malicious intent. You were kidding and there would have been no way they could have charged you with slander.
You can sue someone for just about anything. That doesn't mean it's legit. Do you know how many frivolous lawsuits there are? lol Actually this is part of my point, people are suing so much nowadays that it is becoming a very scary society where people are afraid to say things. I don't know if suing Micheal Savage would do anything to help and I personally think it's a waste of time. You sue him, that's not going to change his or anyone else's opinions. That's going to make him really angry and will probably end up being worse. And there's going to be someone else who says something else like it and the whole cycle will happen again.
Geez I need to read all the posts before I reply. Sorry people.
I don't think we should sue him, but what he said was rude and hurtful.
Also, he said "Now there's an autism spectrum" as though it's new. Um, hello, it was always a spectrum disorder! Maybe tomorrow I'll dissect his statements and see how many untrue things I can find.
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Ace Attorney Quote of the week:
Mia: And where were you during that stretch of time? Using the toilet?
Phoenix: What are you SAYING, Ms. Fey!? Toilet!? My perfect little Dollie doesn't poop!
Tantrums aren't meltdowns.
Did he have a tantrum or a meltdown?
I'm unsure how to evaluate this statement as it seems to imply autism means having no issues or only certain issues that do not include other typically autistic behaviours.
It sounds as if you're under the impression that every autism is like your autism? That is not true though. Autism is a very diverse label and many different behaviours and traits can come with it.
Equality doesn't equate to conformity.
Everybody is equal, nobody needs to do anything special for it.
You and I and everyone on WP are as equal to Einstein as we're to someone who has the diagnosis of severe MR.
If you mean by equal that autistic should not receive specific ASD help, then I must remind you that some of us will always need a different help than non-autistic people. And that's perfectly ok.
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Autism + ADHD
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The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett
There's a lot of confusion about "freedom of speech". The first amendment guarantees that THE GOVERNMENT cannot penalize you for expressing your views. It does not mean that you can say whatever you want, under all circumstances, without any consequences. As a PRIVATE ENTITY, your employer has every right to limit the speech of employees on the job and to impose penalties on employees who exceed those limits, including termination. If you walk up to someone black at work and call them the N-word or walk up to a woman and call her the B-word, you won't go to jail. But there's nothing in the constitution that keeps your employer from firing you. Likewise, Savage's employer could decide that his views are so repugnant that they are not willing to provide him a platform to publicize them and they would be fully within their rights to do so. As for what good it will do? That will be one less venue for him to spew his ignorance. The first amendment guarantees he won't go to jail. It doesn't guarantee him lifetime employment.
There's a lot of confusion about "freedom of speech". The first amendment guarantees that THE GOVERNMENT cannot penalize you for expressing your views. It does not mean that you can say whatever you want, under all circumstances, without any consequences. As a PRIVATE ENTITY, your employer has every right to limit the speech of employees on the job and to impose penalties on employees who exceed those limits, including termination. If you walk up to someone black at work and call them the N-word or walk up to a woman and call her the B-word, you won't go to jail. But there's nothing in the constitution that keeps your employer from firing you. Likewise, Savage's employer could decide that his views are so repugnant that they are not willing to provide him a platform to publicize them and they would be fully within their rights to do so. As for what good it will do? That will be one less venue for him to spew his ignorance. The first amendment guarantees he won't go to jail. It doesn't guarantee him lifetime employment.
I think some people take "freedom of speech" too literal, aspies or not. They think it implies they can be rude and nasty and hurt people and bully others, etc. My mother had taught me in my childhood "freedom of speech does not mean you can be rude and nasty."
Perhaps all these people were never told in their childhood what it meant.
I can imagine on a forum someone who owns it says they allow freedom of speech but people who take it literal, find out it is not what it means what they thought it meant so they think the owner is a hypocrite.
I'm sure his digree in broadcasting included a major in Psychology and a Ph.D in medical sciences/ diagnostics. <--- THIS IS SARCASIM, LOL!
The world is going to listen to his medical opinion because? Autism has been medically proven for years and some loudmouth talkshow host isn't going to change that.
As for this nut, I'd sugest he visit an autisic household. I wonder what he would say if he had to help look after a little boy or girl who can't talk or smears their stool all over the walls. I wonder if he'd say we were faking it after hours and hours of theripy or a really bad meltdown.
I have written on my blog about why I think Weiner's comments were different than those made by Imus and other would be comedians: http://funktardtroll.blogspot.com/2008/ ... o-get.html
I did also say on that post that while I'd like to see him fired, I would not want to his speech subject to legal restrictions. Thus, I don't think I can be accused of not respecting his 1st amendment rights.
For what Michael Savage said that children don't have 'autism' because they don't have a father to be around with.Oh wait,we autistic children need a daddy.For what he said is unforgivable and unfortunately the media tolerates this nonsense from someone who went to UC Berkeley who has Ph.D in medicine!Someone told that if you go to a unversity you'll be a well educated and a liberal,that's BS!I love America,but its getting dumb and dumber by the year!
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