Passive Resister Murtari: “I’m Back On [Hunger] Strike,” TV Coverage

(photo from News10Now)
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John Murtari, 49, former Air Force training pilot and loving father to 13-year-old Domenic says he’s back on strike. The New York father stopped eating and drinking July 31 to highlight the desperate need for family law reform when he reported to serve a 6-month sentence for child support arrears.
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“This is about civil rights,” he says. Murtari claims the money he was ordered to pay in child support was necessary to maintain a relationship with his son who was moved across the country by the mother. When discussing the high cost of travel he asks, “How many of those [visits] could I have traded away — and not lost our relationship?”
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During the first 10 days his health deteriorated and he was given a nasogastric feeding tube, after the press starting asking questions. The tube was removed yesterday to give his throat time to recover from the irritation and to allow him to have a good night’s sleep.
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Murtari was surprised when doctors declined to reinsert it as planned today. “They want me to feed myself, or at least drink on my own,” he said, “I didn’t; the only water I’ll have now will be to keep my mouth moist.” His health is expected to decline even more quickly this time since he’s not starting out in pefect health.
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Inspired by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Murtari is a gracious and gentle man. He blames no one for his situation, only the bad laws in existence. Even when he was suffering extreme dehydration, he asked that all who act on his behalf do it with kindness. Murtari communicates by publishing a near-weekly enewsletter with help from the office staff of his small internet company, and by replying to letters sent to him in jail.
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Murtari’s group A Kids Right is calling for congressional hearings and passage of a Family Rights Act to protect the parent-child bond. After many dismissed requests for a meeting, writing with chalk about the love he has for his son on the sidewalk [video] and climbing the art structure in front of her Syracuse office, Senator Hillary Clinton chose to have him arrested instead of meeting with local parents.
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News10Now interviewed Murtari in the Onondaga County Justice Center and aired the story tonight. STORY AND VIDEO This follows four news articles, Mike Mcmanus’ syndicated column, and a half-page of letters in support printed in a local paper.
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Letters of support and donations to legal and media funds (877-635-1968 ex 212) have come from all over the world, including Germany, Italy, Wales, New Zealand, Australia, the UK and Canada. Many family rights websites around the world also highlight Murtari’s plight. Fathers4Justice activists, including some from Canada’s F4J, joined family law reform advocates in a Day of Demonstration August 9th in front of the courthouse where Murtari was sentenced, and more demonstrations are planned.
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In the UK Dave Ellison, former International Coordinator for Fathers4Justice writes, “The appalling treatment and abuse of John and his child by the American authorities is being watched in disbelief around the world… Syracuse, the world is watching American justice. Land of the free? (Until you want to be a father to your child!)”
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 23rd, 2006 at 11:03 pm and is filed under Vox Populi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. | 1 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