Fwd: response to letters sent

[Guest guest]

Note: forwarded message attached.

Hi-- my husband sent emails to all of the stations listed and this is the ridiculous response he got from the Youngstown station. I thought the group would be interested in reading it. LaurieNote: forwarded message attached.

Jim Kowalski

Sales Representative

Lifestyle Mobility Supply, L.L.C.

jkowalski@...

cell - (440)897-8255

fax - (910)350-8032

www.lifestylemobilitysupply.com

From: Rivers, Dan <DanRivers@...>Subject: RE:" Kowalski" <jimkowalski2003@...>Date: Thursday, July 24, 2008, 3:15 PM

Did you listen to Savage the last few nights?

He says he has a brother that is afflicted.

He has written books on the topic.

I don't have time for a long reply, but for now he stays.

I will continue to study the controversy.

Thanks

Dan Rivers Talkhost/ Ops. Manager

News/Talk Radio 570WKBN

Northeast Ohio's regional Voice

330-729-2515 /Fax 330-729-9991

From: Kowalski [mailto:jimkowalski2003@...] Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 2:56 PMRivers, DanSubject:

To the Program Director of WKBN Radio,

I know that you are probably getting several emails regarding the remarks made by Savage regarding his opinion regarding children afflicted with autism. I also know that the majority of these emails will not be taken into consideration in programming decisions and, quite frankly, probably will be ignored or answered with a standard 'thank-you for your email' auto response - that's just the way things are. However, I would not be a stand-up father of a son who has autism (he has autism, he is not 'autistic' as the insecure, labeling general public likes to say) if I did not let my thoughts and feelings be know.

Yes, my son has autism and I will spare you the sob story of how hard of a life it is for a family afflicted by autism - yes, the entire family is afflicted by this mysterious and cruel disease. It is just sad, very sad, that an ignorant individual such as Savage has a bully pulpit, furnished by your radio station and hundreds of others like yours, to in one sweeping declaration of ignorance and insensitivity can condemn an entire family who on a daily basis is battling the effects of autism and a society of intolerance to not only typically developing individual but especially to those who, by no fault of their own or their families, are afflicted by something as awful as autism ( I also have a son with Downs syndrome and that is just another group of individuals that are ignorantly lumped together and labeled by society).

My call to you and your station is to stop broadcasting Savage. Not out of an act of censorship but out of an act of punitive judgment and decency. An ignorant individual with an out of control ego such as Savage should not be given an audience to air his de-humanizing and derogatory opinions. I find great irony that these words of intolerance and hatred for those that are not exactly like him or have the luxury of all the capacities that a typically developing individual possesses come from an individual who's last name is Savage. Indeed, his words and behavior are savage-like.

I also encourage you to publicly apologize to all families that are afflicted with this horrible disease and situation. By airing this individual's views and ignorance, your station is wholly responsible for what is broadcasted. Should you have the decency to do so, you will demonstrate that there are organizations left in this world that hold compassion and a respect for human dignity over profit.

I anticipate and am hopeful that your actions as called for in this email will come to fruition (although I will be shocked should you do so).

Jim Kowalski

Jim Kowalski