Action Alert: The Disability Community Unites for an Ad Boycott against The Savage Nation and Talk Radio Networks

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone,

As many of you have already heard, this past week talk radio personality

Weiner, better known on the air as Savage, made several

outrageous remarks in regards to autism, including, * " Now, you want me to

tell you my opinion on autism, since I'm not talking about autism? A fraud,

a racket…I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a

brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do

you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to

tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting

like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and

screaming, idiot. " * A full transcript of his statements can be found

here<http://mediamatters.org/items/200807170005>.

Remarks like these spread ignorance about autism and threaten to return us

to a previous era where parents were blamed and labeled as " refrigerator

mothers " for having autistic children. Not only have Weiner and Talk

Radio Networks refused to retract these outrageous comments - they have

added to them by claiming, unsupported by science of any kind, that the

autism spectrum is an overdiagnosed medical condition. This is part of a

broader

pattern<http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/talk-radio-network-should-fire/sto\

ry.aspx?guid=%7B35F497E1-3917-4227-90DB-864FD479FEC4%7D & dist=hppr>of

statements attacking people with disabilities and our families. It

requires a strong response.

As a result of this continued attack against autistic people and the broader

disability community, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network has joined with

over a dozen national and regional disability rights organizations to call

on the sponsors of Talk Radio Networks and the Savage Nation to pull their

support. Together, we have issued a strong joint

statement<http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=3\

0>calling

for an ad boycott. In addition, we've collected contact information

for several of the major sponsors of Talk Radio Networks in order to empower

our community to take further action. We urge you to use the information

below to write, call and e-mail these sponsors and tell them why it is

imperative they join companies like Aflac and Telesouth Communication that

have already pulled their ads in response to these hateful remarks. There

are over 50 million people with disabilities in the United States with

approximately $200 billion in disposable income. It is time for us to make

our voices heard.

Below you will find contact information for Talk Radio Networks' largest

sponsors and a sample letter for you to use as a reference point in your

e-mails and phone calls. We will be keeping an updated list on our website

here<http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=31>and

will post updates and changes to contact information as new

information

becomes available. In addition, if you would like to express your support

for the disability community's joint statement on this issue, you can do so

by signing our petition

here<http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/DisabilityCommunitySavage/>.

Organizations wishing to become signatories to our joint statement should

contact us at info@.... Please distribute this message to

your networks and feel free to repost.

Sample Letter:

" To Whom It May Concern:

As a member of the disability community, I am outraged by the recent

comments made by Talk Radio Networks' host Alan Weiner, also known

as Savage, stating that autism is* " a fraud...a racket...**In 99

percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out.

That's what autism is. " *Not only have these comments not been retracted but

Talk Radio Networks continues to stand by Weiner as he continues

spreading public misinformation about autism. Autism is a very real

developmental disability affecting millions of Americans. Public ignorance

and prejudice against people with disabilities represent one of the most

significant obstacles to full access and inclusion of people with

disabilities throughout society. I urge you to take immediate action and

pull your financial support from Talk Radio Networks and The Savage Nation

Radio Show in response to these hateful comments. "

Contact Information:

ABC, Inc.:

VP Advertising/Sales Mike Shaw

Phone: 212 456-7272

mike.shaw@...

VP Public Relations Brockman

Phone: 818 460-7756

Fax:

Acura:

Acura Public Relations

Mike Spencer,

info@...

American Express:

Berland

.A.Berland@...

American Express

P.O. Box 981540

El Paso, TX 79998-1540

Boca Java:

Stefanie Hochstadter

shochstadter@...

1-

Boca Java

730 South Powerline Rd.

Suite D

Deerfield Beach, FL 33442

s:

Soup Company

Place

Camden, NJ 08103-1701

Phone:

Phone:

Citrix:

851 West Cypress Creek Road

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309, United States

Americas PR

Wyse

Americas Senior PR Manager

Phone:

Email: jason.wyse@...

Armstrong

Director, Corporate Communications

Phone:

Email: eric.armstrong@...

Dish Network:

CEO Charlie Ergen:

CEO assistant:

EchoStar Satellite L.L.C.

Attn: Corporate Communications

9601 S. Meridian Blvd.

Englewood, CO 80112

press@...

Ebay:

Alan Marks

Senior Vice President Corporate Communications

Telephone: 1-

Fax: 1-

Email: info@...

General Motors:

Canabal

General Motors, Northeast Communications,

Work: +1-,

Cellular: +1-,

andrea.canabal@...

Stockholder line:

Gallo Winery:

Segale

Gallo Winery Spokesperson

Work:

Cell:

Prudential:

Bob DeFillippo

Phone:

bob.defillippo@...

Nestlé Purina PetCare:

Email: kschopp@...

Phone:

Fax:

Simon & Shuster:

Selleck

info@...

Staples, Inc:

Capelli,

paul.cap

Subway:

SUBWAY® Public Relations

Les Winograd Ext. 1683

winograd_l@...

Kane Ext.1329

kane_k@...

Volkswagen:

Keyes, Steve

Director, Press and Public Relations

Phone:

Fax:

Email: steve.keyes@...

Thank you for your support and please distribute. Our combined activism has

and will continue to help us create a world that respects, includes and

supports people with disabilities throughout society. Remember, nothing

about us, without us!

Regards,

Ari Ne'eman

President

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network

1101 15th Street, NW Suite 1212

Washington, DC 20005

http://www.autisticadvocacy.org