OK, my apologies for the title. I rarely take such a hard line on anything. But these ridiculous remarks by radio host Michael Savage are the limit, and all the idiots who truly believe this nonsense are quite simply ignoring a half-century of research on the subject.

It goes beyond that as well. Savage hosts a tremendously popular show, carried by radio stations all over the country, which is stunning, considering one could fertilize one's lawn with the contents of the show. The spread of antediluvian bilge by pretentious right-wing windbags such as Savage continues to steep huge segments of America in the intellectual stone age, but perhaps my criticism should be directed at the fools who've made this show so popular.

We've entered an age of scientific research where the "Autism Spectrum of Disorders" is beginning to be regarded as phenotypic diversity among humans (in essence, just a part of the variety of our species). The spectrum encompasses a wide variation in behavioral patterns, intellect, and levels of social interaction. One of the most widely described is the ability to focus dedicatedly on a particular interest, and phenotypic traits associated with "genius" are often ascribed to high-functioning forms of autism. For these reasons, Einstein was believed to have been autistic. In more recent times, Bill Gates has been identified by experts as an autism sufferer. Scientists in fact believe most people exhibit at least a few of the symptoms identified as part of the Autism spectrum.

The bottom line is that there actually are learning and social disabilities that prevent children from developing "normally", and rather than scolding or punishing them, we should seek to better understand the nature of these disorders and help nurture the talents of these kids, and not tell the "brats" to "cut out their act". You're totally wrong, Mr. Savage.

For those interested in learning more about the spectrum of disorders, here are a couple of good resources: Autism Today, and OASIS.