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

[Guest guest]

Note: forwarded message attached.

From: Ari

Ne'eman

Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 7:38

AM

To: autisticselfadvocacynetwork

Subject: Action Alert: The

Disability Community Unites for an Ad Boycott against The Savage Nation and

Talk Radio Networks

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.

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 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 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

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.

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