Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS in Dr Laura Tourette's Syndrome Archive Forum

RSS
Email

0 Points

Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS

Author	Comment
TSNowWhat	Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS	Lead	[-]
Posts: 12126 (05/23/01 17:32:46) EZOP/Ribbit Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None Remove this ad Thanks to the kindest soul in the world, David, for transcribing it for us! Disclaimer: These transcripts were provided by listeners: transcripts are not officially provided by "Dr Laura." Call transcript, Dr. Laura, May 22, transcribed by a listener from the archive link on www.drlaura.com/listen Scroll forward on the audio to the start time of 42:43 LS: Michelle, welcome to the program. M: Hi, Dr. Laura. LS: Hi, Michelle. M: I also am my kid's mother. LS: Excellent. M: And, um, I have another wedding conflict for you. LS: Well, this is the month or two. M: It certainly is, uhm, it's not my wedding, uhm I have, between two of my sisters LS: Well, then, why are you in the middle? M: Well, I don'tI LS: The answer to your call is going to be, "You have no opinion." M: I do have an opinion. LS: No, you have no opinion. That way you're not in the middle. M: Oh well LS: Listen, you have an opinion, you alienate one of your two sisters. What's the point of that? M: Absolutely. LS: So what's the point of that? M: Yea, I understand. It's difficult though. LS: Then you're going to call me back and tell me, "Oh, I've alienated one of my sisters, how do I make it better?" I don't know. M: But if you have to choose LS: You don't have to choose. It isn't your wedding. M: I guess I would need to choose if I attend. LS: Attend the wedding!? M: Or not attend. LS: One of your sisters wants you to boycott the wedding of the other sister and you would do that? M: Uhm, not, no one's asked me to. LS: Then why are you saying you'd have to choose whether or not to go to the wedding? M: Because of the situation that the one has put the other in. LS: What does that have to do with you? M: I'm part of the family. It's over.. LS: Oh, I see, everybody goes to war! That's the definition of a family? M: Mmyaa LS: We make sides immediately? M: But don't I need to support the one I think is doing the right thing? LS: Well, it depends what the wrong thing being done is or if it's just a matter of opinion and preference. So let's hear what it is. M: Well, um, the one sister that's getting married, she and her fianc have decided to exclude my nephew LS: And how old is your nephew? M: My nephew is twelve years old. LS: Because? M: Because he has some disabilities that I think they're afraid of ... LS: And what disability is that? M: He has Tourette's Syndrome. LS: And he's not under control? M: Uhm, nnnaa, off and on. Off and on LS: So you think it is correct to be mad at them, that it's their wedding, that they'd like to not have a kid who's physically under, uh, a lack of control and will scream out vul-gar-i-ties in the middle of the wedding and you think it's wrong to exclude them? Michelle, you smoke something funny? M: No, no, but just being the only one, you know ... LS: Well gee, if you line up your other relatives with Tourette's we can keep them home, too, but since this is the only one, and he's not under control, it is out-rageous to call that, quote, a disability, that should be tolerated at a wedding!!! M: Ya LS: F-YOU AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRAYERS! M: Exactly, and that could possibly ... LS: Right, so they are under all of their RIGHTS to not want that to happen and for your other sister to say, my child, out of control or not, is outrageous. You're siding with the wrong sister, if you have to side at all. You picked the wrong sister. M: Really? Well I mean I haven't ... LS: I said it three times and then explained it out once. Now you sound surprised. M: I'm sorry, I just feel bad LS: Well, I'm going to come to your party and just scream F-YOU, F-YOU, F-YOU every five seconds and see if you want to invite me back. M: Ya, but I guess if someone was in a wheelchair, and they might need special ... LS: What does that have to do with it! We're not talking about somebody in a wheelchair! M: No we're not. LS: If you broke both his legs and he was in a wheelchair, of course he should be invited and your sister would not be uninviting him. M: Ya.. LS: What she doesn't want is the F-You-Hmm. Right? M: Yea ... LS: And you think she's wrong to not want that in the middle of a church. Isn't she a terrible person?! M: It's not a church but it's still not the point. I see your point LS: Yes. It's inappropriate behaviour no matter what's engendering it. And if he's not under control with medicine or behavioural mechanisms, then he shouldn't be there. M: She wants to stay home with her kids ... LS: Well she can be that way if she wants. She can punish the whole world, because of this unfortunate affliction of her son. She can now punish everybody else who doesn't want to call this normal. It's not normal! M: I know, it's not normal LS: And it's not nice. And it's sad. It is very sad. But there are certain events, you know what, you're not going to be allowed in the Bolshoi Ballet, if you're in a wheelchair. M: Should she explain that, as to why they're not coming to the wedding ... LS: I suggest you talk to your sister who has the Tourette's kid and say, "Look, we love your kid, I love your kid, you love your kid, that's not the point, but there are certain things your kid cannot participate in now that he's not under control, and you need to be understanding past your own kid. You need to know there's a world out there that has entitlements also, not just you. You need to not demand that the world make believe that your kid doesn't have Tourette's." M: Yea ... LS: We can't make believe. She goes to doctors, right? She's trying to fix it, right? That means there's something wrong, right? M: Yes LS: If he had flaming TB and was sneezing and coughing all over the place, would we bring him into the wedding? M: Oh, I see ... Ok. LS: Is that discriminatory against TB?! M: Uhm, ya, I see your point ...Well, ok, I will forward your information along to her. I mean, she has not asked my opinion, I just ... LS: Well then, as I said in the beginning of our call, keep out of it. If you're asked, put your arm around her and do the, "We love him, you love him, but we have responsibilities to other people, not just to our injured children." M: Should she tell them? Because they're coming in from out of state during this time ... LS: Should who tell what? You have all these pronouns, dear, I don't know who you mean. M: Attending the wedding. LS: I'm sorry, I still don't know what you're talking about. M: It's just my sister has chosen ... LS: Which sister? M: The sister with the Tourette's child, has decided, you know, that, you know, that their family will not attend. LS: Ok, then I'm sure she has sent the RS-VIP back that they're not attending. Keep out of it, woman. I'm Dr. Laura, 1-800-DR. LAURA. Comparing that to somebody simply in a wheelchair? Come on! You know? When there are things that you have to deal with in yourself, your children, your spouses, that doesn't alleviate you of an obligation to the community at large. You have to balance that. And there are certain times and places that certain things just won't fly. As I said, if he were under control, not a problem. Not a problem. There are people with Tourette's who have the proper medicine, they have learned behavioural modification, and they-are-un-der-con-trol. And if they feel that they are not, they can walk out of the room, do what they need to do, pull themselves together, come back in and par-ti-ci-pate. But if you're not under control, then you have to be compassionate to other people, and sensitive to them also. It doesn't go just one way. I know in our society it does. But that's silly Scroll to the next post for the May 25th transcript.
TSNowWhat	May 25th Transcript	#1	[-]
Posts: 12126 (05/25/01 16:40:04) EZOP/Ribbit Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	After receiving our letters, here is DL's response, furthering inaccurate misperceptions about Tourette's. For her source, she uses an OUTDATED psychiatry textbook, claims that 60% of persons with TS have coprolalia, and stands by her advice of excluding the boy from the family wedding! DL -- TS is not a disease, and if you reduce tics by 90% on Haldol, you'll probably be catatonic. I guess that's what she wants from us :-) Her sponsors should encourage her to do her homework, and check her sources before she opens her mouth, because now she's really shown her ignorance! "Dr Laura" show on May 25th, at the 1 hour 1 minute mark, transcribed from www.drlaura.com/listen : This past week this has been very interesting. This past week, I took a call from a woman who was agonizing over the decision of which sister to support: one who was getting married, or the other sister, who has a son with Tourette's syndrome. The bride, one of the sisters, did not want the child to come to the wedding for fear he would, through no fault of his own because he's got this disorder, be disruptive. My opinion was that the bride had the right to the wedding she wanted, free of the anxiety of worrying about what the child might say or do. I also told my caller that she should make clear to the other sister that she loved her, she loved the nephew, but that she sympathized with the bride's feelings on this one. As you can imagine, I heard from a lot of parents of Tourette's Syndrome children, who disagreed vehemently with my opinion, to such a degree that, based on simply this one thing, they thought I should be off the air. Wow. Once the smoke cleared, I carefully reviewed all the faxes and e-mails I received, and then because as a scientist, I also go to the experts to check everything out, I reviewed the medical information on Tourette's from the Fourth Edition of the Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry and the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders. First, here's what the parents told me about Tourette's. The parents said only about 10% of the kids with the condition also have cop-row-la-lia, which is uncontrolled frequently obscene utterances. Incidentally, the caller confirmed that her nephew indeed had this symptom of the disease. Number 2, the parent said there is no completely effective medication that can control this neurological condition of multiple, repetitive, involuntary motor and vocal tics, nor has behavioral modification been successful. Number 3, the parent said that the ill effects of Tourette syndrome peak in children between eight and twelve and the disease often goes into remission or improves after adolescence. Now, here is what I learned from the medical textbook. Number 1, the compulsive utterance of typically four-letter words is present in about 60% of Tourette's syndrome patients. Number 2, today there is a 90% reduction in the symptoms of most patients who take a medication called haloperidol. Additionally, a variety of behavioral management techniques do reduce behavioral tics, which tend to increase in stressful situations. Number 3, there is evidence that vocal and motor tics diminish or disappear in adult life. Let me reiterate, I have great sympathy for children in general, much less any children who suffer from Tourette's syndrome or any other disability, and for their families as well. Obviously, I meant in no way to disparage them or make light of the difficult problems they face. However, I continue to believe that a bride has the right to have the wedding she wants: no babies, no kids with behavioral problems, what have you. In fact, I believe that it's fair to say that the mother of the Tourette Syndrome child, the sister, is the unfeeling one for not understanding and respecting the bride's reasonable concerns. "Feelingness" goes both ways. Furthermore, in light of the medical information about how stress exacerbates the symptoms of Tourette's, it seems to me that participating in a formal event, surrounded by strangers and made to sit for long periods of time, is as unfair to the bride's nephew as it is to the bride. Look at the stress it will put on him! I thank you all for your input. I'm bemused in a very cautionary way at how special interest groups have the belief system that if any individual or group says something they don't like, they should try to do the Vietnam War -- search and destroy. What is that? Scroll down several posts for the May 31st transcript.
Roo	Re: Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS	#2	[-]
Posts: 6 (05/25/01 18:20:37) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	First of all it sounds she was reading from something 15 years ago. 2nd..a so called 'Dr' (and I use the term lightly) should very well know the facts about TS. 3rd...this kind of idiotic thinking is what made me create this flash presentation: www.sapphiredesign.net/te...movie.html Maybe the b**** ought to view it. I'm lucky...we have a very large family...and they all understand my son whose TS is severe. And yes during really bad waxing periods corpolallia will rear it's head. We go to weddings, funerals, and christenings....we sit near the door...so that when he feels the need to let loose a big yell he can go outside. We've had a few "looks" from the "other side of the family...ie...the other realitives that aren't ours at whatever function. But my son at 16 is very good at advocating and telling people what he has. I find this Dr. Laura's behavior to be ignorant, appalling, and disgusting.........I hope the helll she never has a child with special needs. Ignorance like this makes me soooooooo mad......GRRRRR. Roo
TSNowWhat	May 31st Transcript	#3	[-]
Posts: 12126 (05/31/01 15:17:56) EZOP/Ribbit Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	After the boycott of Dr Laura advertisers was under way, and after the TSA's press release: Transcribed by a listener from the May 31st show on www.drlaura.com/listen, beginning after the 28:30 minute mark: You know last week I took a call from the sister of a bride, concerned about whether or not it was right for her, the bride, to request that the nephew, who has Tourette's syndrome, not come to the wedding ceremony. She was anxious that the child might, through no fault of his own 'cuz it's an illness, disrupt this very important event. I told the caller that I believed the bride did have the right to make the decision; that it did not necessarily indicate that she was unfeeling or uncaring about her nephew Well, not surprisingly, parents of children with Tourette's syndrome were offended by my position. I subsequently received information from the Tourette Syndrome Association about this complex neurobiological condition, and I want to share it with you to assist them in disseminating correct information about a disorder which is widely misunderstood. Probably the most disruptive aspect of Tourette syndrome is the symptom known as coprolalia, and that's the uttering of socially inappropriate language. This symptom is present in 10 to 15 percent of cases. While my caller indicated that the child in question was one of that percentage, the Tourette Syndrome Association suggests that there is yet another way of resolving the issue. Rather than necessarily omitting the nephew from the wedding ceremony entirely, they recommend that the parents of such children sit with them near an exit so they could leave quickly and discretely, if necessary. Dr. Donald J. Cohen, Director of the Yale Child Study Center, said quote "This solution strikes a balance between respecting the solemnity of the ceremony while, at the same time, making every effort to include the youngster in the family celebration." And I agree: it's a good compromise. Hopefully, this advice will help other families cope with similar situations. All righty.
Unregistered(d)	A message from Dr. Laura Schlessinger...	#4	[-]
Posts: 0 (05/31/01 15:51:53) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Dr. Laura wished us to convey the following message directly to the families of children living with TS: "To the families of children with Tourette Syndrome Following is a statement that I read to my 15 million listeners today. Please know that I meant no disrespect to you or your children in the call I took on May 23rd, and I am deeply sorry for any hurt this may have cause you and your families. I am now better informed, and I thank those of you who wrote to educate me." The complete statement is below: Last week I took a call from the sister of a bride concerned about whether or not it was right for her (the bride) to request that her nephew who has Tourette Syndrome, not come to her wedding ceremony. She was anxious that the child might, through no fault of his own, disrupt this very important event. I told the caller that I believed the bride did have the right to make that decision, and that it did not necessarily indicate she was unfeeling or uncaring about her nephew. Not surprisingly, parents of children with Tourette Syndrome were offended by my position. I subsequently received information from the Tourette Syndrome Association about this complex neurobiological condition, and I want to share it with you to assist them in disseminating correct information about a disorder which is widely misunderstood. Probably the most disruptive aspect of Tourette Syndrome is the symptom known as coprolaliathe uttering of socially inappropriate language. This symptom is present in 10 to 15 percent of cases. While my caller indicated that the child in question was one of that small percentage, many people have written to me suggesting other ways of resolving this issue. One of the recommendations is, that rather than omitting the nephew from the wedding ceremony entirely, parents of the child sit with him near an exit, so that they could leave quickly if necessary. Dr. Donald J. Cohen, Director of the Yale child Study Center, said, This solution strikes a balance between respecting the solemnity of the ceremony while at the same time making every effort to include the youngster in the family celebration. And I agree. Hopefully this advice will help other families cope with similar situations.
TSNowWhat	The Day After	#5	[-]
Posts: 12126 (06/01/01 06:28:35) EZOP/Ribbit Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Subject: Re: Dr Laura on TS - The Next Step Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2001 01:02:30 GMT Newsgroups: alt.radio.talk.dr-laura, alt.support.tourette dk wrote: *Quote:* Classic DL. She admitted no wrong but can now claim that she gave the correct information and satisfied the demands of those complaining. So much for the maven of "taking personal responsibility". It may in many ways seem a small gesture, but in the world of DL it is big, very big and almost unprecedented (at least without a pending lawsuit). I would suggest that everyone take a minute to think about DL, what she does, how she reacts to opposition, and what we do here on art-dl. And then we should raise a glass and toast TSNW (I've probably been writing WN but that's the crazy Canadian language thing) and all the parents, advocates (better than activists, isn't it) and people with TS who worked so hard and spent valuable time and energy on this. You've made a difference, probably more than you realize.
Roo	This Is on about.com	#6	[-]
Posts: 6 (06/01/01 12:01:07) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well...at leat she has corrected the mis-information that she gave to millions of listeners. See...this stigma, and this mode of thinking is exactly what forced us to pull Josh out of public school, and demand that he be provided a tutor. It was literal abuse that he took. The good news is that in my referrer logs I've had hits to the TS movie coming from forums at about.com. Go see....they have linked directyto your forums, so these messages are reaching people on a wider scale. forums.about.com/n/mb/dis...&msg=206.1 TSNowWhat....a big Wahoo!!! to you! Roo
Tic Talk	Who is Brian Glicklich	#7	[-]
Posts: 7 (06/01/01 12:33:46) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Who is Brian Glicklich? How can we know these are Dr. Laura's words? How can Brian Glicklich post as an unregistered user? I couldn't. I really want this to be a real apopogy. But I have no way to verify it. Patti Beers ourworld.cs.com/TouretteEmail/
TSNowWhat	Re: Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS	#8	[-]
Posts: 12126 (06/01/01 17:14:32) EZOP/Ribbit Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Brian Glicklich wrote: *Quote:* Dr. Laura wished us to convey the following message directly to the families of children living with TS: "To the families of children with Tourette Syndrome Following is a statement that I read to my 15 million listeners today. Please know that I meant no disrespect to you or your children in the call I took on May 23rd, and I am deeply sorry for any hurt this may have cause you and your families. I am now better informed, and I thank those of you who wrote to educate me." But, the "Dr Laura" website includes only the statement which she read on air (which isn't exactly as she read it on air -- see the transcript above, but the differences are not significant) and does NOT include this "apology": www.drlaura.com/monologue/index.html?mode=view&tile=1&id=761 Patti Beers wrote: *Quote:* Who is Brian Glicklich? How can we know these are Dr. Laura's words? How can Brian Glicklich post as an unregistered user? I couldn't. I really want this to be a real apopogy. But I have no way to verify it. According to the Premiere Radio website, Brian Glicklich is the VP of Interactive Services. ( http://www.premrad.com ) Unfortunately, we have no means of knowing for sure that she actually said this, unless she conveys it directly to TSA in writing, or puts it on her website. Patti, you should have been able to post as either a registered or unregistered user here ... registration is not required. However, if you register, the boards do allow you more options, such as editing your posts. Thanks, Deana and Roo, for the kind thoughts! Deana, I don't know what happened to your registered user name ... you might want to log out of EZBoard, and try logging in again under your old name.
Unregistered(d)	What about; "I was wrong?"	#9	[-]
Posts: 0 (06/01/01 17:27:44) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I would really like to hear; "I was wrong, I am sorry, and here is the correct information" but I suppose it is not likely we will get a 4th day of press on her show..... although it would even the score..... 2 negative, 2 positive
Tic Talk	Re: Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS	#10	[-]
Posts: 7 (06/01/01 17:32:02) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Remove this ad Because I am a "scientific person," I don't consider this a real apology since it cannot be verified that these were actually her words. If she gives a verifiable apology I will do everything in my power to notify people that she did apologize. When I faxed my letter to her I included contact information including my address, phone number, and my business card with email address and web site URL. I was thinking it would be polite of someone to acknowledge that they got my fax. Patti ourworld.cs.com/TouretteEmail/
TSNowWhat	Re: Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS	#11	[-]
Posts: 12126 (06/01/01 17:55:16) EZOP/Ribbit Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Patti, I am working on getting a specific answer to the question you (and many others) have raised. I personally have no doubts that Brian Glicklich of Premiere Radio actually made the post: on that point, I am satisfied. What I cannot verify to you and my other readers is whether the direct apology came from Laura Schlessinger, especially considering it was not included in the statement on her website and I am not aware if those specific words have been transmitted in writing to the TSA. If you hold off on what to advise the readers of your maillist, we may get some clarification on this issue, as I am working on it.
Haejinn	Re: Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS	#12	[-]
Posts: 5067 (06/01/01 23:05:48) HOST/Canyon Treefrog Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Even if it IS the real Brian, what good is a second hand apology?? I'm glad to see that THEY feel she should be sorry.... or gee, are they humoring us? As we have NOT heard an apology from HER I will still send out letters to sponsors informing them that the active boycott is over but to PLEASE reconsider advertising on a show which puts out medical information that is so outdated and yet she lets people believe she's a doctor. I missed her actual statement yesterday, but I DID hear at one point some male voice throwing in the disclaimer that DL is an expert on MORAL health... not MENTAL health. Well, it's a START anyway on putting an end to that misconception. I always assumed she was a shrink of some sort and I know a lot of other people do too. And yet they send US protests that her show is strictly 'entertainment'... yeah, right!!!
TreadinWater	Re: Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS	#13	[-]
Posts: 229 (06/02/01 03:35:40) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian Glicklich wrote: Quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Laura wished us to convey the following message directly to the families of children living with TS: "To the families of children with Tourette Syndrome Following is a statement that I read to my 15 million listeners today. Please know that I meant no disrespect to you or your children in the call I took on May 23rd, and I am deeply sorry for any hurt this may have cause you and your families. I am now better informed, and I thank those of you who wrote to educate me." TSNowWhat: Thank you very much for trying to get clarification on the above post!! I am also wondering how we can be assured the above post is legit, since it includes an apology that was absent in her statement on the radio show and is also absent in her website. Furthermore, the misinformation about Haldol was not addressed at all. The misconception that any one medication is 90% effective is disturbing to me. TreadinWater
Tic Talk	Re: Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS	#14	[-]
Posts: 7 (06/02/01 09:22:00) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* Patti, I am working on getting a specific answer to the question you (and many others) have raised. I personally have no doubts that Brian Glicklich of Premiere Radio actually made the post: on that point, I am satisfied. What I cannot verify to you and my other readers is whether the direct apology came from Laura Schlessinger, especially considering it was not included in the statement on her website and I am not aware if those specific words have been transmitted in writing to the TSA. If you hold off on what to advise the readers of your maillist, we may get some clarification on this issue, as I am working on it. Many of the people on the Tic Talk email groups are still fuming. They feel that a small battle has been won, but they are not satisfied. Many still feel the need to continue their efforts to boycott and inform advertisers of thier concerns. I believe that an on air statement from Dr. Laura saying somehting like, "I blew it." or, "I was WRONG!" "And now I'm going to make it right by giving you some more information...." would make everyone feel better about the whole thing. There were so many alarming things she said which she has not even touched. I think it would be good if she would put out some effort, go get an updated book and quote from it. I think the Leckman/Cohen book would be appropriate. Patti
TSNowWhat	Re: Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS	#15	[-]
Posts: 12126 (06/02/01 09:42:08) EZOP/Ribbit Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Patti, I have asked Premiere Radio representatives to clarify this issue in one of three ways: - an addition of words to the effect of those used by Brian Glicklich here to the website statement, or - an on-air statement to this effect, or - a signed letter by Laura Schlessinger on her letterhead to the TSA indicating the full apology which B. Glicklich included here. Since I am not affiliated with the TSA, I will not be "in the loop" if the latter happens (perhaps you want to volunteer your fax number?) If none of the above happens, I don't know how we can conclude that the apology truly reflects Laura Schlessinger's own words and intent. At any rate, I don't expect any action on this over the weekend. I think we are all troubled that she did not go far enough in her May 31st statement: she seemed to mischaracterize the original call, she didn't retract the haloperidol info, she didn't retract her strong statements about the effectiveness of behavioral interventions as they apply to children, she took our suggestion that sitting near an exit is an example of a "behavioral intervention" somewhat out of context in the way she applied it, she didn't give TSA ample time to review her statement before she went on air with it (according to info posted to Parent Soup), she stated that she was helping them (the TSA) disseminate correct information when in fact she had been the one to disseminate incorrect information, and she didn't clearly state that her statements "as a scientist" had been wrong and outdated or apologize for that. However, all of this is on record, and no one can deny that she was wrong. I'm not sure we'll get any more out of her than we've already gotten, so all I'm pressing for is some validation that the statement by B. Glicklich here legitimately reflects Laura Schlessinger's own words and intent. I think it's the best we can hope for, but I can't speak for all the persons on your mail list and whether that should be acceptable to them as well. I do hope that we'll get an acceptable resolution of this pending issue during the business day on Monday, if not sooner. Certainly, if we do not get some indication that the apology extended here was legitimately from her and that she is willing to stand up and personally validate it, I will join your list of "fumers" who want to re-initiate the boycott.
TSNowWhat	Wired Women on "Dr Laura" and TS	#16	[-]
Posts: 12126 (06/13/01 01:26:23) EZOP/Ribbit Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Nice work, Benita and Kathryn :-)) Dr Laura Does It Again Dr. Laura Does It Again Radio Talk Show Host Offends Tourette's Syndrome Families Commentary By Dianne Lynch Special to ABCNEWS.com June 13 - Poor Dr. Laura. The queen of talk-show intolerance is learning - the hard way - that the Internet will hold her accountable, one angry bulletin board posting or e-mail after another. You'd think she'd have figured it out after the gay and lesbian community mobilized last spring to push Paramount to cancel her television show. After the good doctor - Ph.D. in physiology, don't you know - maligned gay relationships, activists posted her comments all over the Web, picketed Paramount and boycotted the show's sponsors. In March, the studio dropped Dr. Laura Schlessinger like a hot rock. "I believe we could have earned a substantial audience in time, but the television advertiser boycott precluded that," the doc whined. Right in one. But three months later, her rapid-fire radio rhetoric has her right back in the soup. This time, she's taken on the families of children with Tourette's syndrome. Tourette's is an inherited neurobiological disorder characterized by involuntary body twitching and vocal tics. It affects about 200,000 Americans, according to the TS Association, only about 15 percent of whom have symptoms that include outbursts of obscene or inappropriate language. Obscenities at a Wedding On May 22, Dr. Laura responded to a caller who asked about whether her nephew with TS should be invited to a family wedding. "Well, I'm going to come to your party and just scream F-YOU, F-YOU, F-YOU every five seconds and see if you want to invite me back," Dr. Laura responded. "[The child's mother] can punish the whole world because of this affliction of her son. She can punish everybody who doesn't want to call this normal. But it's not normal. And it's not nice." Egads. Speaking of not nice. Within days, TS families were waging Internet war. They posted a Web site, targeted the show's sponsors, talked up the cause in online chats from iVillage and AOL to the Massachusetts General Hospital Neurology forum, and contacted the media. "The Internet has given voice to the masses in ways that will require greater vigilance by those who presume to speak with both authority and accuracy," says Kathryn A. Taubert, who has Tourette's and has been participating in the discussions calling Dr. Laura to task. "It's this very aspect of Internet communications that recently resulted in the warp-speed blizzard of complaints to Dr. Laura Schlessinger's recent inaccuracies about Tourette's syndrome." Dr. Laura backtracked. She recanted. At her direction, Brian Glicklich, VP of interactive services at Premiere Radio Networks, posted an apology on an Internet bulletin board. "The comments we made on the bulletin board stand for themselves," Glicklich said Tuesday. But for some TS families, it hasn't been enough. They want Dr. Laura to acknowledge her mistakes, to correct the misinformation about TS she disseminated, and to apologize for her insensitivity. On the air. And on herWeb site. My Kid's Mom Benita Winslow is among them. "Dr. Laura's comments upset me mightily," she says. "I felt they were small-minded, bigoted, ignorant and completely anti-family." Winslow's son, Ben, has been ticcing since he could walk. Like many children with TS, Ben's symptoms wax and wane. But teasing in the playground and insensitivity in the classroom are constant problems, exacerbated when celebrities like Dr. Laura perpetuate the stereotypes, Winslow says. This time, Winslow says, the Web enabled her and scores of mothers like her to coordinate their protest. "It was instrumental in allowing the information about Dr. Laura to be disseminated quickly, and a grass-roots campaign developed immediately," she says. "I, too, am my kid's mom," says Winslow, mimicking Dr. Laura's mantra about being the child of her own mother. "And my kid has TS." A teacher and a journalist, Dianne Lynch is the author of Virtual Ethics. Wired Women appears on alternate Wednesdays. ---- Tourette Syndrome - Now What? http://members.home.net/tourettenowwhat"Dr Laura" Schlessinger on Tourette's http://members.home.net/tourettenowwhat/DrLauraTS.htm
Roo	Woohoo!!!	#17	[-]
Posts: 6 (06/13/01 11:12:09) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It's the big time! Being posted at ABC like that ought to result in a lot of people being educated. Doesn't it often feel like we as parents, and every person who has TS are in an "us against the world' battle? Just goes to show you what a 'commUNITY' can do, when they ban togther! Roo
Unregistered(d)	Thumbs up to you parents	#18	[-]
Posts: 0 (06/15/01 14:59:54) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I want to give all the parents here who made that witch even "sort-of" retract and correct her statements a big thumbs up. She comes across as such a pompus, condescending ass, that even getting her to retract and correct as much as she did is probably a major victory! I am the parent of a child with autism, and the story of this incident appeared in a newsletter I received. That story led me to the ABC web site, which led me here. DL is an intolerant bigot. Like most bigots, she's a hypocrite too, as according to a biography I recently saw about her on t.v., she has practiced pretty much everything she now preaches against (but won't admit it). Hang in there & I'm proud of you! Eileen Licitra
TSNowWhat	Re: Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS	#19	[-]
Posts: 12126 (06/19/01 10:48:01) EZOP/Ribbit Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	From www.laradio.com/ Dr. Laura We Dont Want Her Psychology Today Editor (June 19, 2001) My radio program staff and I have been monitoring Dr. Laura Schlessingers radio show for the past few months, and Im both sickened and saddened by what weve found, writes Dr. Robert Epstein, editor-in-chief of Psychology Today and host of the magazines daily radio program. Her attitude about gays is only a small part of the Physiologist Laura Problem. If shes really talking to an audience of 18 million admirers every day, were a nation in deep trouble. Dr. Epstein is a University Research Professor at United States International University and Director Emeritus of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. He has a Ph.D in psychology from Harvard University. LARADIO.com is the first to see a sneak preview of the editorial that will appear in the July/August 2001 issue of Psychology Today. Her advice is often divisive, potentially driving apart spouse from spouse, lover from lover, even parent from child. One caller asked whether it would be appropriate for him to charge his 23-year-old son rent for living at home, even though the callers wife was adamantly opposed to the idea. Laura advised the caller to throw his son out by the end of the week an action that likely would have caused extraordinary turmoil in the family. She often conveys the message that people cant change, Dr. Epstein continued. "As a young woman, Schlessinger herself dated and shacked up with a married man, posed for nude pictures, and committed other indiscretions of a sort that her show now condemns daily. She has changed; cant others do so too? If people cant change, whats the point of psychotherapy or, for that matter, of advice shows? She not only models intolerance and abusive behavior, but also advocates such behavior even violence. She cuts people off people calling for help, people trusting her with their problems. Dr. Epstein concluded his editorial: No legitimate mental health professional would ever give the kind of hateful, divisive advice that Schlessinger doles out daily. Real therapists try to heal wounds and bring people together, to instigate conflict. Youve changed before, Physiologist Laura. Can you do so again?" Dr. Laura is heard from noon to 3 at KFI.
Haejinn	Re: Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS	#20	[-]
Posts: 5067 (06/20/01 12:09:32) HOST/Canyon Treefrog Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Remove this ad I certainly agree with that!! During the few days I listened to her show I couldn't BELIEVE some of the advice she was doling out. I don't really believe that she's got 18 million admirers. I heard several callers mention how easy it was to reach her. i've listened to other talk shows where people are on hold for up to an hour. Hmmmmm.

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Yuku free message boards

Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS

Laura Schlessinger (LS) transcripts on TS