Activist father Murtari, thankful for press, lucky to be alive.

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John Murtari says he feels better this morning after a night of restful sleep. The feeding tube that’s been keeping him alive was removed yesterday and the plan is to reinsert it tomorrow. “It’s been difficult sleeping,” he said, “I’ve been very uncomfortable. It’s great getting a whole night’s sleep.” When asked about staying hydrated while the tube is out he responded, “I’ve been drinking a little juice each morning, and a little milk each evening, and I’ll continue to do that, as well as drink some water.”
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Murtari, 49, hasn’t had solid food since July 31 when he reported to jail to serve a 6-month sentence for “willful” failure to pay his $60,000 child support arrears, a charge he says in unjust. He has been paying what he can afford, he claims, and says the $60,000 it has cost him to stay in his son’s life isn’t being taken into acount.
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Domenic, Murtari’s 13-year-old son, was moved across the country by his mother after the divorce, something Murtari tried to stop. Murtari visits him four times a year and brings him back to New York for visits twice a year. “Those airline flights are expensive,” he says.
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Murtari, founder of AKidsRight.org, and other family rights advocates want Congressional hearings and ultimately passage of a Family Rights Act. They believe no one should lose custody of their children, whether by divorce or Children’s Protective Services, without a trial and a jury of their peers.
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Having only consumed 30 ounces of water in 10 days, then 2 nutritional supplements the day he was given the feeding tube, Murtari had experienced low blood pressure, a rapid and irregular heartbeat, tremors, loss of over 25 lbs. and was starting to have trouble finishing sentences.
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Jail personnel told Murtari it was his choice to starve to death, and they would not intervene. After local newspapers published articles on his situation, he was finally given the nasogastric feeding tube.
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Inspired by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Murtari hopes his passive resistance to the incarceration will draw attention to the immoral laws affecting people in family court. “I have good news for you,” he told me, “the Post-Standard [newspaper] did a half-page editorial section [on his situation.] “Please tell everyone thank you for writing letters,” he added.
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Jailed Activist Refusing Food – Post Standard – August 10

Inmate: I don’t recommend…this.
Protesting child custody laws, John Murtari stopped eating 10 days ago - Post Standard – August 12

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The Post-Standard had already published two articles (above), as has the Finger Lake Times (below). Mike McManus, founder of Marriage Savers, dedicated his last column to shared parenting and John’s situation.
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Lyons Man Refuses Food, Water – Finger Lake Times – August 10
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Inmate from Lyons gets feeding tube- Finger Lakes Times – August 15

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Murtari didn’t know about the flurry of activity on his behalf this weekend. He told me Friday he was feeling uncomfortable, and asked that I check with some doctors to see what he should do. He’d told me earlier that half the nurses at the jail behave like nurses, and half behave more like jailers, obviously not agreeing with what he’s doing. Knowing that no one was concerned enough at the jail to call a doctor put me on alert.
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I got ahold of a doctor who said it could be a condition called acute abdomen, and that if it was, it could be life-threatening; that he could be dead by Monday. Knowing I wouldn’t hear back from John until Monday I called the Onondaga County Justice Center’s medical center. After being told I was being transferred to a human, I got an answering machine. When I called back 30 minutes later to make sure they got my message, I was assured, and thanked, by a woman who seemed way too nice, who then hung up on me.
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All I can say is, “Thank God it wasn’t acute abdomen.” When I asked Murtari on Monday if they’d done the simple rebound test to see if it was, he said, “No.” I then called Judge Hedges to ask him to let John go free, and to tell him how awful it would be for Domenic if John didn’t make it out of jail alive.
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To ask Judge Hedges to reduce Murtari’s sentence, call or write:
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Judge Bryan Hedges

NEWS 10 NOW (24 Hour Local News) – http://www.news10now.com/content/contact_us
News Tips Line 1-866-4NEWS10
News Fax Line 1-866-634-4270
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WCNY (PBS 24) – http://www.wcny.org/contact

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 22nd, 2006 at 4:01 pm and is filed under Vox Populi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. | 13 views | Trackback | Print this page |

I'm a sun and nature loving, 50-something, laid back, forward thinking, liberal anti-feminist egalitarian, san francisco bay area native, single mom of 4 and yia yia to 2. I've been active in the equal parenting movement since 2002. Known as the purple Queen of Equality, I once blogged as the Feminist4Fathers. Find me now on sharedparentingworks.org and jugsforjustice.org. | More from Teri Stoddard