John Murtari of Lyons, New York, Practicing Civil Disobedience in Jail
Valor, Virtue and Vital Signs
Inspired by Martin Luther King and Gandhi, John Murtari of Lyons, New York is practicing civil disobedience by personal sacrifice while incarcerated in the Wayne County jail. He has not eaten or had any water since he was arrested Monday night for driving without a license. On Friday Murtari was moved to the medical ward where they could monitor his health more closely.
Murtari claims he doesn't owe thousands of dollars in child support the State says he owes, so his license should not have been suspended. He says the support was calculated with a salary he no longer had, and travel expenses to see his son Dominic exceed the amount ordered after the courts allowed his ex-wife to move their son across the country.
Murtari, a quiet, thoughtful man and ex Air Force Training Pilot, was at one time planning on being a priest. He was in pre-seminary training when he realized he couldn't give up the experience of having a family. After his divorce Murtari saw how many families were adversely affected by bad family laws. He founded akidsright.org, a group that believes the right to parent our children urgently needs to be protected.
"One foundation of morality is the supremacy of individual conscience - what many know as "let your conscience be your guide." What more natural obligation does any parent have than to care for their own kids? To be present in their lives in the many roles that only a parent can fill," wrote Murtari in an essay about civil rights on his website
"I wasn't expecting this," he said in a weak voice by phone Friday, "They were waiting for me outside my home." Murtari cooperated with police, but went passive once at the jail. Officers had to undress Murtari and put him in a jumpsuit.
Murtari says they were about to drag him to his cell when a Sergeant said, "No, I'm not doing this. When I tell inmates to move and they don't move, I spray them." Murtari says he was hit with a blast of pepper spray and went down.
The next thing he knew he was hit by another blast as he was being told to move. A different officer said, "Come on John, get up. Let's get you to the shower to decontaminate you." "It took three hours to open my eyes," Murtari said, "I'm hoping I won't have scarring around my eye. It's pretty bad"
Murtari embarked on a similar protest July 31, 2006, the day he reported to serve a 6-month sentence for "willful failure to pay child support." For ten days Murtari had no food or water. Medical personnel tried to tempt him with candy, and threatened not to intervene. Murtari lost 27 pounds and suffered dehydration, low blood sugar, low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat before prison officials gave him a feeding tube.
Murtari went 123 days without solid food that time. He talks about it in the documentary Support? System Down, which highlights the devastating failings of our family law and child support system. Murtari watched the film in Lyons recently with former President of NOW, author and attorney Karen DeCrow, who also appears in the documentary.
Murtari's next court hearing is December 17. In a letter to Judge Forgione he asks, "How can 'due process' rights be preserved without recognition of my human right to be considered a fit & equal parent to my child?" Speaking for all parents he said, "Before we take a person's freedom, we have a strong presumption of innocence, a right to counsel, and the protection of a jury. The same should apply to interference with the parent/child bond. We need real proof and unbiased jurors to decide. We need a Federal Family Rights Act."
Published by teri c stoddard
Family rights and equal parenting advocate. View profile
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21 Comments
Post a Commentalex, murtari has never tried to kill himself.
Alex, what are you talking about? I have never said that fatherlessness leads to gayness.
nj, that was me, teri. I just wasn't signed in.
nj,
I can only suggest you read the information on http://www.akidsright.org. There John explains his reasoning. He also describes the history behind peaceful protests.
Some parents who can't find justice end up committing suicide. Some others hurt other people. John is on a course of non-violent peaceful protest.
You can expect to see more forms of protest from parents across the country. The lack of due process in family court is destroying families on a daily basis.
Like I said before, Dom supports his father. John is an excellent role model. What better lesson than to stand up for truth, honesty and justice?
hi m.a.codger,
I thought there was only one codger. The one who posted right before you has received links to the info, yet still posts misinformation. please accept my apology.
John refused to eat, but did not starve himself. He was participating in a peaceful protest. He forced the state to maintain his health.
I responded because I wrote the original article, and because I volunteer as John's PR person.
Teri, this is what I stated. ",I agree with you about John, If I could ever ask John a question it would be this. John, do you think you make a proper parental role model in your actions when you intentionally starve yourself?" Now, first of all I was speaking in response to old codger, therefore I was talking to him,not you. Secondly, I stated that if I could ask JOHN a question. Is your name John, Teri? Third, You, Teri, stated in response to my post which was a post to someone else entirely, that I was given links to facts, this is false, as this is the first time I have ever posted here and corresponded with you on this board, so how could you have given me links to anything? I think you need to take some reading and comprehension lessons and know who is speaking to whom and know who you give links to and who you don't before you accuse them of not knowing the facts. Seems your the only one that is fact-less here, at least in regards to me. Now, I request that you don't pester me
Did John receive a feeding tube in jail because he refused to eat Teri? Your insults are what is getting old, as well, they are in improper taste and lack class as far as I am concerned.
codger,
john never starved himself. you've been given links to the facts. why don't you read them?
john's son dom is 100% behind his father's actions. john and dom are very close. really, learn the facts. the sooner the better. this ignorance is getting old.
I agree with you about John, If I could ever ask John a question it would be this. John, do you think you make a proper parental role model in your actions when you intentionally starve yourself?
Terri: If you would read all of his documents and court filings you would discover that he has, yes, in the past, lost a job for whistle blowing. However, he had jobs after that, which paid good money. In a court filing in 1999 he wrote:
"In the Fall of 1999 I ceased full time employment and only work at a consulting level at the family owned Company, my monthly income since November of 1999 has been approximately $400."
Mr. Gifford made a post just below your second to last post that I was responding to.