Martin Luther King wrote: “Nonviolent resistance … is based on the conviction that the universe is on the side of justice.  Consequently, the believer in nonviolence has deep faith in the future.  This faith is another reason why the nonviolent resister can accept suffering without retaliation. For he knows that in his struggle for justice he has cosmic companionship.”

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.”