The Merck Mafia

... I am not actually being factious here.

Suffolk County, New York has filed a suit against Merck and Schering-Plough with lots of big words in it like "RICO" and "indictable".

Shearlings Got Plowed/Pharmalot

The Passing of Dr. Frank Engley

From Linda Weinmaster:

It is with deep sadness that I inform the autism community that we have lost another hero. Dr. Frank Engley passed away last night. It is no exaggeration to say that Dr.Engley was the very first scientist to raise the alarm of the dangers of thimerosal with his landmark paper.  This last year infused him with a sense of purpose and determination to alert the world that the use of thimerosal must be stopped. He was deeply saddened that the FDA never followed through with his recommendations on eliminating thimerosal from all human biologicals. It was my honor and privilege to know this incredible man.  I will miss his brilliance and sense of humor.  You are my hero Dr. Engley. 

 

Linda Weinmaster

Vice President

No Mercury

Trustee; Alan D. Clark Research Foundation 

From Anne Dachel:

The efforts of Dr. Engley to prevent this disaster will be a lasting
tribute to him.  We need to remind the public of his early findings:

"Doctor Frank Engley a researcher and microbiologist who served on boards with the Centers for Disease Control, the FDA, and EPA throughout the 70s and 80s.

"I am afraid they have a tremendous amount of pressure being brought to bear by the medical profession, by the pediatricians, by congress, and by industry, and so they are under pressure&and someday they will have to live with the fact with what they said is wrong," Dr. Frank Engley.

Dr. Engley says the FDA knew about the dangers of thimerosal back in the 70s and 80s, when he served on its boards.

"Industries did not comment. They thought it was just generally going away. And it practically did. They came out with another report. The FDA about eight years later, and about 1998." Dr. Engley said.

"I would say to you, the FDA is partly to blame for the mecuricals still being on the market all that length of time. If they would have followed through with our 1982 report, vaccines would have been freed of thimerosal and all this autism as they tell me would not have occurred. But as it is, it all occurred," said Dr. Engley."

Choosing Michael Savage as a Teacher

When we give someone a national radio show, we are, in effect, choosing a teacher. When we pay that teacher, or go back again and again to be taught by him, we endorse that teaching.

Ask yourself, is this a man that you want teaching your children, your parents, your friends, your neighbors, your child's bus driver, the woman at the grocery story and the angry young man on the corner? Is this the teacher that you want to learn from?

There are SO many voices today available for us to learn from. There are teachers out there who have many of the same core political and social beliefs as Mr. Savage, but speak to those issues with engaging wisdom rather than the irresponsible cruelty.

If there is one theme that conservative talk radio can be boiled down to, it is that of personal responsibility. The irony of being taught lessons in personal responsibility by someone whom cannot simply apologize when they do something wrong, something my six year old with autism can do, should be obvious to everyone paying attention to this issue. I want to remind everyone of Mr. Savages response to the criticism of his comments when they first appeared.  From Radar:

While advocates for those suffering from the disorder are outraged, the unrepentant chatterer expressed pride in his ability to inspire "discussion on the subject," which has resulted in exactly the kind of publicity he desires. "What else do you think I should make fun of," he went on to ask a reporter, "pediatric cancer? Juvenile diabetes? Seriously, I'll say anything! Just keep writing about me!"

One of the themes in my writing is the immeasurable damage that is done in our world, and to our disabled children specifically, simply from the inability to repent.  We teach our children to say that they are sorry and clean up their messes when they do something wrong, but we don't hold ourselves to this standard, nor do we hold our leadership to this standard.

If we do not hold Michael Savage to even a minimum standard of wisdom that someone with a bully pulpit like his should maintain, and if we do not hold him even to a minimum standard of repentance for this attack on disabled children and their struggling parents, then truly, there is no minimum standard.  If this is not enough for people to walk away from him, then ask yourselves if there is anything that can be said that will leave a bad enough taste in people's mouths to cause them to walk away?

And if not, what does that say about what we have become?

It is time for us to move on from this teacher to one who will exercise his or her gift for teaching with more wisdom and grace, who has the maturity to learn from those they injure and is responsible enough admit culpability and clean up their mess when they wrong.


HT: Theresa Cedillo

Mainstream Medicine Does It The Max Power Way

Max Power: Kids, there’s three ways to do things. The right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power way!

Bart: Isn’t that the wrong way?

Max Power: Yeah, but faster!

The theme of the day is the outing of the efforts by Mainstream Medicine to deal with the problem of parents turning on their brains and doing their own research in to vaccines.

Medicine is quite upset that parents are no longer ignoring MainMed's conflicts of interest, swallowing their unsatisfactory answers to important vaccine questions, failing to notice pediatricians collective yawn at the autism epidemic (and the ADD epidemic and the diabetes epidemic and the asthma epidemic etc.) and deciding to go to other sources of information.  The solution they propose?

They have decided to take autism seriously, engage the parent community a dialog that holds them to account in their vaccine statements, throw out bad research, acknowledge the truckload of evidence that backs the vaccine/autism theory, design studies in partnership with parents that will answer the important questions and enforce ethics guidelines to attack all the credibility and conflict of interest problems they have.

NO OF COURSE THEY AREN'T, SILLY!

They are doing it the Max Power way.  They are going to take the failing tactics of the passed decade but this time do more of it with more famous people, better graphics and an interactive experience.  New and Improved Dismissal of Parent Questions and Concerns.  Now with more Patronizing!  Apparently since giving inadequate answers to parents in the exam room has yielded such a poor result in maintaining high rates of vaccine uptake, they are going to up the ante and take their bad shtick to You Tube.


On Age of Autism Katie Wright has a piece on the CDC's recent conference call to figure out how to get parents to just stop asking questions, and stop doing their own research and just vaccinate like they are told.

Docs are encouraged by Nurse Patricia Stinchfield to act compassionate and humor parents, but never encouraged to actually consider the idea that have a point.  And right on cue she points us back to Dr. Paul, "100,000 vaccines at once" Offit:

"I like Dr. Paul Offit’s analogy of the ocean analogy. So describe to parents that the immune system’s like an ocean. And that at that first two month visit for example, they’re going to have eight antigens added to that immune ocean.

Think of it like eight cups of water being added to an ocean. It’s far from overload and far from being too weak to accept those."

Since when has eight cups of water managed to change the behavior of the entire ocean, put it on high alert, and get it to seek out and kill every shark contained in it across the surface of the planet and occasionally overstep its banks and incapacitate New York City?

And how about this gloss over in teaching docs how to asses were the parent is coming from in order to talk them into vaccinating:

"Sometimes we’ll find parents that say well I came in at two months and they got a bunch of shots. I thought that was all that they needed.

What’s their experience? Maybe they have a person in their family who has had a significant side effect to a vaccine. What are their emotions? What are their beliefs? Try to determine that."

Note that a family history of vaccine injuries is something to talk a parent down from, not something that the doctor should take into account and USE MORE CAUTION IN VACCINATING!

Nurse Stinchfield boils down the point of the conversation with parents in this telling statement:

"You want to keep the conversation focused. You want to control without being controlling...

...But we need to help parents be guided to the answer together.

We wouldn’t say to a parent, well your child needs open heart surgery, but that’s up to you. You can choose if you want to do that or not.

So I’m not sure why we say that when we’re talking about vaccines.

So the need for vaccination is the same as the need for open heart surgery, and parents should be "guided" to believe that they ultimately cannot say no to either.

So this is not an earnest conversation by any stretch.  It is a manipulation with a predetermined outcome.  "To control" the parent in to vaccinating.

When my husband read this, he hearkened back to the four months he once spent selling cars.  "You know what that is?  That is text book, day one lesson in how to sell.  They are not giving medical advice, they are selling vaccines exactly like I was taught to sell cars".

And she also asks doctors to keep in mind that:

"...there is not a physiologic reason to design an alternative immunization schedule. And there’s no biological rationale for splitting up a dose, giving an (M) and an (R.) (instead of MMR)."

And that is pretty much all the evidence we need to know that MainMed is not only not taking our concerns seriously but they are not even listening to our vaccine safety arguments.

Did I mention that the conference call was entitled , "Why Science Is Not Enough".  Because, of course, CDC believes that Science has spoken and there is no evidence of any link between vaccines and autism.

The most mockable part of this conference call?  The fact that they didn't actually bring in mothers who are not vaccinating to actual hear their concerns, they brought mothers who were "in the vaccine business".

Katie was right, you need to read this thing for yourself.  I could go on, but I think I have made enough points here.


Natural News has a story on a JAMA study on You Tube videos with the focus on countering the messages that urge caution in vaccinating.

"[YouTube is] the perfect venue for an anecdote, both positive or negative," Jennifer Keelan said. Wilson said that vaccine advocates can no longer ignore or marginalize anti-vaccine advocates.

"In the past that could work, but it's not going to work anymore. Now there are ways for people with these viewpoints to communicate with each other," he said. "These sites are now providing people with a mechanism by which they can bypass the conventional filters and get their messages out. It can be dangerous."

Some observations on this quote by this University of Toronto researcher.

First, it acknowledges that the plan of mainstream medicine for dealing with people who question the safety and efficacy of vaccines was to "ignore and marginalize" them.

Second, it acknowledges that there have been "filters" in place to keep any voice that critizes vaccination from being heard by the general public.

Of course we have been living this for years, so it is no surprise to us.  But it is interesting to see docs finally admitting it.

Bottom line, The Semmelweis Reflex is still in full effect.  Decades passed and untold numbers of people died between the time Semmelweis discovered that doctors were making their patients sick by not washing their hands, and the time when germ theory was accepted by MainMed and docs actually started washing their hands.  How long will it take before they realize that they are harming their patients with their hubris and actually investigate and address the vaccine problem correctly?

The truly shameful thing?  MainMed has the Semmelweis story to learn from, yet it does not learn.

Chandler's Chelation in the Local News

We were interviewed by a New Hampshire paper that ran two stories today.  One about our experience with chelation and the other about the NIMH Study.

Please note the superhuman cuteness of my baby.

Mother: 'We're not waiting for the government'

By ROBERT M. COOK bcook@fosters.com

Article Date: Sunday, July 27, 2008

Courtesy photo Chandler Taylor, 6, of Brunswick, Maine, gets biweekly chelation treatments at the Chelation Medical Center in Gray, Maine, to treat his autism.

Ginger Taylor wasn't sure what she could do to help her son, Chandler, when he first was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 2.

But after the Brunswick, Maine, woman discovered how much he benefited from chelation therapy, as well as a gluten- and casein-free and special carbohydrate diet, Taylor found the answer to her prayers.

She said her son, now 6, is well on the road to recovery.

Chandler receives biweekly, 15-minute intravenous treatments at the Chelation Medical Center in Gray, Maine, to remove lead, mercury and other toxic metals from his body. The treatments use a fluid containing agents that help remove the metals from the bloodstream. He also receives "Myers" cocktails to restore minerals and vitamins to his system, Taylor said.

The family's health insurance will not cover the procedure, the cocktail or special diet supplements. Taylor said they pay $300 weekly for everything, but the results have been worth it.

Courtesy photo Scott Taylor of Brunswick, Maine, plays with his son, Chandler, 6. Chandler was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at age 2 and his parents said a combination of chelation treatment, a gluten-free and casein-free diet and a special carbohydrate diet have helped him develop better speech and learning skills.

"In the first two weeks he had dramatic improvement, and he started potty training. He has better eye contact, and his words took off," Taylor said. "He went from speaking four-word sentences to four sentences."

She said her son also started playing better with his older brother, Webster, 7, and her neighbor's children, who are the same age as Chandler. With the help of an aide, he also has attended kindergarten in the Brunswick public schools and she is hopeful he'll do well when he attends first grade this fall.

The National Institutes of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., proposed doing a chelation treatment study earlier this month to determine how it helps children diagnosed with autism. If the study is approved, it would mark the first time the federal government has taken a close look at an alternative treatment for autism.

While Taylor said she's pleased the federal government wants to study the benefits of chelation as an autism treatment, she said the NIMH should have done so long ago.

"Parents have been reporting for years that it has been helping their kids," Taylor said.

She also said the danger associated with chelation has been exaggerated, calling it safe if administered properly by a doctor certified by a chelation board.

"We're not waiting for the government to do anything," she said.

Doctors with Defeat Autism Now!, or DAN, believe children with autism are unable to break down metals such as mercury and lead the same way normal developing children do because their immune systems are compromised.

They believe gluten- and casein-free diets, which don't use wheat and dairy products, and alternative treatments like chelation, can remove toxic metals from children and eventually let them function normally.

Taylor said her son benefited from the diet and chelation almost immediately after he started it in California, where the family lived before moving to Maine in 2006.

She said her son "started calling me mommy again for the first time in 10 months."

Unlike a standard blood test doctors use to detect high levels of lead and mercury, Taylor said a chelation test focuses on urine. In Chandler's case, his first chelation test showed he had high levels of lead and mercury, she said.

She said the family stopped chelation for nearly two years and had his urine tested again for metals after they moved to Maine. The test showed he again had elevated levels of mercury, lead and toxins, she said.

She said she believes her son may have ingested lead from mouthing toys later recalled for having lead paint. She said her son also may have ingested lead paint from the window frames of their Maine home.

She said she's not sure if her son will completely recover from autism, but believes chelation treatments have made a huge difference.

"We are going to keep doing it until all the metals are gone," she said.

New frontiers in autism research

By ROBERT M. COOK bcook@fosters.com

Article Date: Sunday, July 27, 2008

Dr. Patrick Mulcahy

Some advocates believe the federal government's willingness to study the benefits of chelation treatments may signal a turning point in the fight against autism.

"It's long past due," said Ginger Taylor of Brunswick, Maine, who has a 6-year-old son diagnosed with autism who has been receiving chelation treatments for more than a year. "Parents have been reporting for years that it has been helping their kids."

The proposed study is one of several recent developments that may shed new light on the causes of the neurological disorder, which affects one of every 150 children, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC has said 25,000 children per year are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and the U.S. spends $35 billion yearly in federal dollars on related services, ranging from early education programs to adult services.

But advocates are not optimistic researchers at the National Institutes of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., will end up producing a chelation treatment study of value unless they can approach it the right way.

Dr. Susan Swedo, who heads the federal institute's in-house autism research, is the principal NIHM investigator who wants to do the study, according to Joseph Carey, an NIHM spokesman. He said the study was put on hold for safety concerns after an animal study, published last year, linked DMSA, a chelating agent, to lasting brain problems in rats.

Swedo has proposed recruiting 120 autistic children ages 4 to 10 and giving half DMSA, a chelating agent, and the other half a placebo. The 12-week test would measure before and after blood mercury levels and autism symptoms. The study outline says failing to find a difference between the two groups would contradict reports that chelation works, according to NIHM officials.

Many parents, including Taylor, also have said they're hopeful the Hannah Poling case in March in Georgia will force the federal government to study the relationship between childhood vaccines and autism. Federal health officials conceded that vaccines may have contributed to Poling developing autism.

Poling, a 9-year-old girl, suffers from a condition that affects her mitochondria. Her parents filed a claim with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Vaccines Compensation Program, saying childhood vaccines she received when she was 19 months old triggered her autism.

The government conceded in March that vaccines may have hurt Hannah and has agreed to pay her family for her care.

Advocates long have contended that the mercury preservative thimerosal, which has been used in vaccines, and the policy of administering several vaccinations in one shot to children at age 2 may be the trigger that causes children with a genetic predisposition to develop autism.

Nearly 5,000 families are seeking compensation because of autism or other developmental disabilities, citing vaccines and thimerosal, which has been banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration since 2001 except in certain flu shots.

Earlier this month, NIMH Director Dr. Thomas Insel said his group has proposed studying chelation, currently used by doctors to treat lead poisoning.

Last year, the National Institutes of Health spent less than 5 percent of its $127 million autism research budget on alternative therapies, Insel said. He said he is hopeful the chelation study will be approved. The federal government now spends a total of $300 million each year on all forms of autism research.

Dr. Patrick Mulcahy, a Kennebunk, Maine, osteopathic physician with the organization Defeat Autism Now!, or DAN, said he's pleased the government wants to do a study.

"Overall, it's showing that the government and organized medicine is starting to validate or question that there is some valid reasoning for doing these types of treatments," Mulcahy said.

DAN formed to raise private funding for autism research, including on alternative therapies such as chelation, citing low federal spending.

Mulcahy does not offer chelation treatments, but does prescribe methyl-B-12 shots every three days to help children with autism rid their bodies of metals. He also prescribes gluten- and casein-free diets.

"I actually think the diet would be more of a fruitful study," he said.

Nationwide, at least three deaths, including one of an autistic child, resulted from improper chelation treatments, according to the CDC.

Meanwhile, researchers continue to find new genetic clues about autism's cause.

Earlier this month, Dr. Christopher Walsh and Dr. Eric Morrow of Harvard University searched for genes and mutations associated with autism in 88 families from the Middle East, Turkey and Pakistan in which cousins married and had children with autism. They studied families in which parents share ancestry because the strategy increases the chance of finding inherited genes.

The researchers reported in the July 11 issue of "Science" that they linked several gene mutations to autism. The largest group of implicated genes are involved in changes in synapses — the areas between neurons in the brain — that underlie learning. Such genes are vital to the developing brain.

"Autism symptoms emerge at an age when the developing brain is refining the connections between neurons in response to a child's experience," Walsh said.

Other NIMH funded research includes the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange, a project initiated by the Cure Autism Now Foundation. Genetic samples are being collected from several hundred families with more than one member who has been diagnosed with autism so scientists can learn more about the genes that hinder brain development.

The Autism Tissue Program has received funding from the Harvard Brain and Tissue Resource Center, the NIMH and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Researchers can study post-mortem brain tissue with imaging methods.

All of those research projects involve gene-mapping, which has been the federal government's preferred track to understanding autism.

Dr. Stephen Edelson, director of the Autism Research Institute in San Diego, Calif., said the fact that the federal government even wants to study chelation could signify a turning point.

He said doctors with the American Academy of Pediatrics now are having extensive dialogue with DAN! doctors about the benefits of gluten- and casein-free diets and other treatments.

Edelson said potential research breakthroughs will happen when the medical community, federal government and autism advocacy groups come together and pool their resources. He compared such an effort to how Americans worked together at home and abroad to achieve a singular goal to win World War II.

He said he's optimistic continued public pressure from the growing number of parents with children diagnosed with autism will lead to serious studies about the relationship between childhood vaccines and the disorder.

"More is happening, but not enough," Edelson said.

CBS News on AAP, Every Child by Two and Paul Offit's Conflicts of Interest in Vaccine Promotion

Finally.

AAP, Every Child by Two and Paul Offit have begun to get the public scrutiny from a mainstream medial outlet on the huge sums of money they get from pharmaceutical companies and how those conflicts of interest (both disclosed and undisclosed) should call into question their claims of 'independence' and their claims of vaccine safety.  These three sources are almost always portrayed in the media as reliable sources for vaccine safety information that are only working in the interests of children that parents should turn to for advice. Their Pharma ties are almost never mentioned.


Sharyl Attkisson was generous to these three vaccine promoters in her piece.  She didn't even mention Offit's scolding by congress for his serious ethics breaches and conflicts of interest during his time on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.  Nor did she mention the absurd safety statements that the incoming head of the AAP, David Tayloe, has been making, as he did on Good Morning America.  Really there is enough here for hours of in depth news magazine coverage or even a book or two.

I hope that this story will lead to some more in depth coverage of the shenanigans that are going on in the relationships between Pharma, health authorities, professional organizations and the medical industry and get the media to examine with new eyes the evidence for the vaccine/autism connection.  I hope that parents will consider these huge cash payouts before taking the word of these people as gospel.

And I ESPECIALLY hope that wise pediatricians who do want to make balanced, informed vaccine recommendations for their patients will stop listening to these very questionable sources and begin to do their own research into vaccine safety, rather than taking the AAP's word.  We are never going to bring balance to the vaccine program or transparency to the vaccine/autism relationship until those who are making bank off shots stop calling the shots and influencing the process.

Someone email this to Amanda Peet before she does those ads for Every Child by Two.  She has already sullied her self by considering calling Paul Offit as "doing her research", and she needs to know who she is getting into bed with.

My Dear Husband's comments:  "That is the first interview Paul Offit has ever turned down."

WHK in Clevland Will Reportedly Drop Savage

Trish Paolucci, autism grandma, reports that she spoke with Mark Jaycox, General Manager of the station and he said that he is finalizing plans with their lawyers to drop Savage on August 4th.

The station has 32 affiliates and Jaycox told Paolucci that he hopes they will all follow suit.

UPDATE: Confirmation

"Michael Savage's controversial remarks about autistic children have gotten him booted off Cleveland's airwaves.


WHK AM/1420, the only Cleveland-area station carrying Savage's radio talk show, is break ing its contract with Savage's syndicator, Talk Radio Net work, said Mark Jaycox, who manages the Cleveland stations under the Salem Com munications corporate um brella. WHK is owned by Cali fornia-based Sa lem Communi cations.


"This guy's a knucklehead, and I want to get rid of him," Jaycox said..."

Charlottesville Station WINA Drops Savage

July 23^rd, 2008

WINA Replaces Michael Savage with The Dave Ramsey Show

Last week on his nationally syndicated show talk host Michael Savage made some very uninformed and reprehensible comments concerning the growing issue of autism in America.  NewsRadio 1070 WINA vehemently defends the right each of us has to the freedom of speech.  We also understand that sometimes people make mistakes.  However, Michael Savage has shown no remorse and offered no apologies for his fact-less tirade and has, in fact, tried to justify his insensitive remarks.  Our mission at WINA has always been to offer the best possible and most stimulating talk for Charlottesville.  It is clear that Michael Savage no longer fits with our or your high standards.

Starting tonight WINA is proud to replace Michael Savage with The Dave Ramsey Show.  Dave Ramsey has been a fixture of the WINA Weekend Lineup for years and can now be heard every weeknight from 8pm to 10pm.  Particularly during these tough economic times we feel that Mr. Ramsey’s message is much more useful and positive.

Round Up: NAA's FOUND, Poling Schools Novella, Too Many Sick Kids, More Outrage at Savage, Kirby on Peet, NZ Angry Over Expensive/Usless Vaccine

• The National Autism Association (NAA) has announced the launch of a new program called Found, aimed at providing families and counties nationwide with safety tools for children with autism which will immediately fund $54,400.00 to provide at least eight counties with Project Lifesaver equipment and tracking watches. The program was made possible by a huge donation from Pixies Train Ride and the half a million visitors to her site.  God Bless you Pixie!
• Dr. Jon Poling reminds Dr. Stephen Novella about the facts in his daughters case and requests that he refrain from attacking autism moms.
• Allison Edwards is outraged over all the sick little boys in the UK.
• Kim Stagliano takes another swing at Michael Savage over at the Huffington Post.
• Also on the Huffington Post, David Kirby with observations and more observations on the Amanda Peet kaffuffle.
• New Zealanders angry that $200 million was spent on a much hyped meningococcal vaccine that only protects 30% of users, for only 7 months, and that they were not given informed consent before taking the shot.
• Mercola on avoiding mercury and other metals.
  

Cisco/Webex Ax Savage

"We are in the process of removing any affiliation with this media outlet
and radio personality. Thank you for your interest and attention to
this matter.

Patrick J. Moran
Director, Marketing
Cisco, WebEx Technology Group"

Missisippi Dumps Michael Savage

From SuperTalk Mississippi:

Effective immediately, Michael Savage and his Savage Nation Radio Show has been canceled on all Super Talk Mississippi stations.

Michael Savage's comments about Autistic children were beyond inexcusable and are unacceptable. Super Talk Mississippi and the Gallo Radio Show have assisted numerous Autism organizations on the air in the past and will continue to do so in the future. Autism is a serious condition affecting children and adults in Mississippi. We appreciate our many listeners who notified us of Savage's comments, especially those listeners who have autistic children.

Steve Davenport, CEO
Telesouth Communications, Inc.

My message to Steve Davenport:

"Thank you for standing up for my beloved son with autism by dumping a profitable show that hurt our kids.

Through tears, Thank you."

Radio Shack Distances Themselves from Michael Savage

...and wants everyone to know it.

David Sapp is the father of a little girl with autism who believes that Michael Savage, "needs to pick on someone his own size, not my 4 year old daughter."

Below is the response he received to his letter to Radio Shack asking that they pull their ads.

Apparently Radio Shack already had an agreement in place with radio stations that their ads were NOT to run on Savage's show. The stations were not abiding by their agreement.

Thank you for your email to RadioShack's Media Relations Department. We appreciate and share your concerns.

We would like to emphatically state RadioShack was not and is not a sponsor of the Michael Savage radio show. In fact, our agreement with the radio stations airing his show specifically excludes his program (along with several others) as one on which our commercials may appear. Any ads that may have run on the July 16 broadcast of this show were in direct violation of our advertising contract with these radio stations. The stations have admitted their mistake to us and apologized for the confusion they have created. We will continue to investigate all local stations that air Michael Savage to ensure any unauthorized ads airing on Michael Savage are accounted for and that this does not happen again in the future

Unfortunately, the stations’ mistake was heard by many individuals such as you who have since spread the inaccurate message that RadioShack sponsors this program. Likewise, Web sites that were quick to post our name as a sponsor without investigating the actual facts have been very slow to correct the record online. Until that happens, we would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the correct facts through your own personal network.

Once again, thank you for writing and allowing us the opportunity to set the record straight.

Sincerely,
Charles Hodges
Director Media Relations

Shannon Responds to Michael Savage with Much More Grace Than I Have to Offer Right Now

Dear Mr. Savage,

My name is Shannon Johnson and I am the proud parent of a 13 year old son with autism.

If you met my son, you would probably think that he was very funny, as he would not hesitate to smile and call you weird, which is his best attempt at a compliment. He would find you intriguing because you have facial hair and he would want to touch it with his sticky fingers that usually smell like his last meal. He seems taller than he actually is because he walks on his toes. It makes it hard for him to wear shoes, but he will tolerate flip-flops in the summer and slip on shoes in the winter, as long as he can take them off as soon as he gets in the car or enters the house. Although he eats like a horse and I literally have to keep a lock on my refrigerator door, he is skinny and underweight, probably in part because of his severe digestive issues. Without a special diet of gluten-free and dairy-free foods, and a multitude of supplements, enzymes and medications, he wouldn’t even digest a fraction of the food that passes his lips. For the majority of his life, he has experienced more restrictions, seen more physicians, been poked more with needles and been tested more by psychologists than most adults can ever imagine. Through it all, he has been braver and more courageous than anyone I have ever met.

Naturally, it disappoints me to hear someone of your intelligence and of your influence describe children with autism as “brats”. I can only assume that you are referring to the fact that some children with autism are known to have behavioral meltdowns or tantrums.

Honestly, my son is one of those kids. If you saw him in public having a meltdown, you would probably deduct that he was screaming because he couldn’t have a new toy or another ice cream cone; that he was using his lungs to manipulate his parents into giving into his selfish requests. However, you would be completely wrong. Instead, he might simply be reacting to the fact that the sights and smells, the sounds and colors in the mall, or at the grocery store, have overwhelmed his already over-stimulated sensory system and he needs to retreat to the safety of the car right away.

In this heightened moment, his anxiety would be revved up and he would lose his ability to verbally communicate his needs. He would then rely on his tears to inform me or his father that his system had had all that it could take, no matter what goodie we might offer, no matter what reward lay in our cart….And then, once he was safe away from the sensory assault, he might ask, as he has in the past, “What can we do next time so that it’s not so loud in the store?”……Certainly, we have even sat in the rain to eat a meal outside when the restaurant lights were too bright or the music inside too loud for our very sensitive boy.

If you stood outside my son’s door sometime, Mr. Savage, as I invite you to do if you are ever in my neighborhood, you might hear my son ask God in heaven to “please make me get better soon.” Not really the words of a “brat”, Mr. Savage…Only a very affected child who doesn’t feel good most of the time, and would do just about anything to just be like everyone else.

Sincerely-
Shannon Johnson
Co-founder, www.foggyrock.com