Parent Activist Murtari to Be Released From Prison
Parent Activist Murtari To Be Released From Prison
Protesting Father To Have First Meal In Four Months
Syracuse, New York— Family rights activist and AKidsRight.Org’s founder John Murtari will be released from prison Friday after spending four months incarcerated for “willful†failure to pay child support. Murtari denies the charge, saying support was calculated with a salary he no longer had, and travel expenses to see his son exceed the amount ordered after the courts allowed his ex-wife to move their son across the country.
Inspired by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Murtari embarked on a peaceful protest July 31, the day he reported to serve his 6-month sentence. For ten days Murtari had no food or water. Medical personnel tried to tempt him with candy, and threatened not to intervene. He 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’s pleased he’s been able to expose the need for family law reform on television, radio, and in newspapers. He says he’s received over 100 letters while in jail. A rally was held in Syracuse with attendees from as far away as Canada, and he was interviewed for the documentary Support? System Down.
Members of AKidsRight.Org are asking for Congressional hearings and passage of a Family Rights Act. “Mothers, fathers, grandparents, families dealing with Children’s Protective Services, they all describe the same problems with family courts,†says Teri Stoddard, blogger on the worldwide family law reform movement, “There is no due process; parents are losing custody without proof of wrongdoing, without even a trial by jury. And the whole child support system is a disgrace, driving some parents into poverty and others out of their children’s lives.â€
Murtari will continue his attempts to get a meeting with Senator Hillary Clinton for local parents. When asked what comes next he replied, “We’re planning another rally, in front of the Federal Building in Syracuse, for mid-February. Every family that’s been hurt by current family law, every parent or grandparent who grieves for a child “stolen†by the family courts, should attend.â€
Murtari says he plans on doing some “restaurant hopping†when he’s released, and will be on a plane to see his son within days.
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For more information visit www.AKidsRight.Org
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
Stumble It!
November 30th, 2006 at 4:45 pm
Kept fighting John, the only way to beat these kidnaping and stealing bastards is to stand up to them. Any way we can! The God awful abuse John Murtari has suffered at the hands of an abusive system is testament to the love fathers actually have for their children. Going os far as to go on a hunger strike. I Just hope the “Terrorist” who run the family court system are paying attention. Because anytime someone is dedicated enough to suffer personally to advance their cause, then watch out. If the “Terrorist” ignore this message, then the next people to suffer may be them! Because if peaceful methods fail, then force will then, regretablly, be necessary. And the “terrorist” will lose, they are out numbered, out gunned and out financed. They are going to lose! It would be better if they simply conceded to the demands we are making ro reform. But I fear that they are too stupid, too arogant and too selfish to get it. I fear, force will be necessary.
November 30th, 2006 at 6:40 pm
Thanks Teri for the great exposure you have given John and his protest. He is a model of acting on comviction. He is a model to us all of peaceful non-cooperation.
November 30th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
AMEN!
I guess I will have to starve too before I see my kids again.
It has been 3 years.
November 30th, 2006 at 9:47 pm
Thank you Teri. Good luck John.
Demand that the judge be indicted for the crime of peonage!
December 1st, 2006 at 6:23 am
Go get ‘em John! Good show Teri!
TMOTS
December 1st, 2006 at 4:59 pm
Awesome work keeping a bright light on this VERY important topic Teri!! Any parent who moves their children away from a fit and loving parent is PURE evil. I pray that John’s efforts will bring much needed attention to the entire topic of Family Law (and the corruption therein). If it helps even just ONE more parent not have to live with the excrutiating pain of having their children moved away . . . and subsequently have to PAY that parent for their decision through child support. What insanity!!
Hugs from a fit and loving Mom who lives 1,200 miles away from her babies because of a move away.
December 1st, 2006 at 6:15 pm
John,
You are an inspiration to me, as I have done hard jail time since my war started just before the Twin Towers went down. We will win in the end mate, and we will retain our dignity . Our kids love us to bits, and they are ALL going to be proud of us all one day .
Teri ,
What can I say ….other than …. Thank you again…. as you have already helped me thru very dark times .
Soldier on brothers and sisters .
4 the kids – in solidarity -d4j
December 1st, 2006 at 6:30 pm
Thank you, to each of you. I love you all.
Teri
December 2nd, 2006 at 2:03 am
[...] Parent Activist Free, Eats Ice Cream, On News10Now December 2nd, 2006 by Teri Stoddard As reported here parent activist John Murtari was released from prison today, and his first stop was Friendly’s, for an ice cream sundae. Here’s a News10Now report, including video. [...]