Parent Activist Murtari to Be Released From Prison

Submitted by Matt on Fri, 2006-12-01 03:02

Great news! Read it here. Excerpt:

"Contact: Teri Stoddard of AKidsRight.Org, 925-628-1206 or teri@akidsright.org

SYRACUSE, N.Y., Nov. 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- 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 10 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."

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"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."

Given that the child support and the whole matrimonial system is just terrible and unfair, a question arises: are those who choose to marry and have children under that system smart? If they see all the horrors done by courts towards men during divorce and nevertheless they knowingly decide to expose themselves to such risk - are their subsequent complaints justified?

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Submitted by nbdspcl on Fri, 2006-12-01 04:14

"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."

I would suspect some steak and lobster (he deserves every ounce)

I cant even imagine the level of emotion between father and son when their re-united. Just in time for the holidays!

anthony

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Submitted by anthony on Fri, 2006-12-01 10:33