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A Happy Reunion / Letter to a Fed. Judge / NonViolent Action Continues - Aug 4.
From: John Murtari (jmurtari@AKidsRight.Org)
This is a message from a mailing list, members@kids-right.org Unsubscribe instructions at bottom of message. ====================================================================== Good People & People of Faith: This message contains info on: 1. Good News - Parent & Child Reunited! 2. Letter to a Judge - why we do what we do. 3. NonViolent Action Resumes - Monday, August 4th (1:30PM) - bring Love. 1. Good News - Parent & Child Reunited! --------------------------------------- Before reading this I hope you'll go to the web site and take a look at a picture from our "petition" to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, http://www.AKidsRight.Org/actionc_syr/petitions.htm One of the folks that sent in a picture was Gary Taubar, depicted there with his young son, Daniel, now age 6. Last Sunday night Gary sent me an email. He wanted to meet me at the Federal Building. He wasn't interested in walking and potential arrest, but he did want to drop by the office of Senator Clinton and lend his voice to the effort. Before I went into the building Gary and I had a chance to talk and I heard his story. It was a tough one. His little son was born without an anal opening and only one functioning kidney -- he has been in and out of the hospital since birth and Gary has stayed actively involved in helping Daniel overcome the "terror" that each visit to the doctor for testing or medical procedures must have brought.... (Like so many of the stories I hear, I realize my experience has been a "cake walk" compared to what so many have been through.) I'm not sure on all the details here, but for a while a shared custody arrangement was in effect (they were not married). Then the Judge assigned sole custody to Gary -- shortly after that the other parent "took" Daniel and disappeared. A frightening situation since he was undergoing medical treatment and could obviously not be brought to a doctor or hospital without suspicions being raised. The past couple of years Gary has lived on the phone trying to get authorities to help in the search and sometimes found that because he was a "man" -- they seemed to think the abduction was not quite as serious. He has been persistent and never gave up -- he told me a heart breaking story of where some people had seen his son and it took forever to get authorities to act. When they finally "raided" the apartment -- they went to the wrong address on two occasions. This tipped off the other parent and they escaped... On Monday Gary later told me he did get as far as the secretary in Senator Clinton's office, but tells me it was just a "brush off" -- it was a frustrating day for him. WELL, NOW THE GOOD NEWS. I was sitting at home a few nights ago listening to the local news from Rochester, NY. The lead story was a Federal "sting" operation by US Marshals who had captured a parent who had abducted a child (I started to pay a little attention). The announcer said the sad part of the story was that the child was in need of medical treatment for an extreme condition (I listened more). Then they said the child was six years old and his name was Daniel (bingo!). I happened to have Gary's number in the callback on my cell phone and I gave him a ring. I caught him and his wife in the car driving to Buffalo to see Daniel in the hospital! Someone had tipped Gary off the day before and he had again spent a lot of time on the phone trying to get action -- AND IT WORKED! Just hearing that made my day, such a happy coincidence to have met him and to have a happy ending. Again, please don't quote me on these facts -- but you are welcome to email Gary Taubar at: gtaubar300@hotmail.com NOTE - I don't know what to say about the other parent. Were they 'crazy' or a 'bad parent'. I really don't know. What could motivate a parent to do that? I think many of us know the answer there. It's a crazy system we have where parents are divided into winners and losers. 2. Letter to a Federal Judge - why we do what we do. ---------------------------------------------------- 34 Franklin St. Lyons, NY 14489 July 31, 2003 Honorable Gustav J. DiBianco US Magistrate Judge RE: United States v. Murtari (03-M-298 (GJD)) P.O. Box 7396 Syracuse, NY 13261-7396 Dear Judge DiBianco: I am enclosing a copy of a Notice of Motion and Affidavit regarding the matter pending before your Court. I realize your deadline was August 18th, but I wanted to submit it as soon as possible to hopefully avoid more problems. I have tried not to repeat the exhibits attached to the earlier motions. The 'new' material is at the beginning of the motion and supporting affidavit. I do plan on returning to the building on Monday, August 4th. I hope the Court will understand this is not something I 'enjoy' and I mean no disrespect. This is not an attempt to show others you can 'flaunt' the rules or ignore a Judge (nor do I present it that way to others). I am so thankful to have had the summer time with my Son and my mother in good health. I greatly appreciate the forbearance both you and Mr. Southwick have shown in the prosecution of this matter. In brief words I can only ask the Court to adjudicate a 'truce' between two parties that are both compelled in opposite directions. Mr. Southwick is a good man and he is compelled to prosecute me to the fullest extent of his abilities as a US Attorney (and he has done a good job) - I could not expect otherwise. I have not tried to turn the Court into a 'political forum', but I wish to take a moment to explain the forces that might also compel a good parent and citizen to take action as I have. Since my divorce I have made a strong personal commitment to the reform of Family Law. One of the simplest questions I face is 'what makes a civil right?' Do they come from our Constitution or from a Court decision? Part of the answer is clear: When we talk about essential civil rights (the right to life and liberty, freedom of religion) - they are all items for which people in the past were willing to sacrifice. Willing to put the rest of their life 'on hold' on the basis of what they believed. Their sacrifice affirmed the value of the 'right.' Just as in our Declaration of Independence, 'We hold these truths to be self evident...' - and these words took on substance because people were willing to sacrifice. Presently, more people are also beginning to see that the 'right' to nurture your own child is valuable (how often we don't appreciate something until it is gone?). I am a member of many mailing lists on the Internet, I see the news - and I'm disturbed by the trend to violence as a force for social change. Some even believe that explosions, suicides, or murders will bring the media coverage and public attention necessary to bring about Family Law reform? This is something I reject strongly. The group AKidsRight.Org was formed based on strong historical lessons from the past. Most recently we draw examples from the efforts of Gandhi and Martin Luther King in bringing deep rooted social change where many thought impossible. Their method was 'NonViolent Action' and it may be an approach we all need to remember. When I began my actions several years ago (when my son was relocated out West), I felt a strong commitment to use the same approach. I am certainly no Gandhi or King, the risk of 'jail' is nothing compared to some of the threats they and their followers faced. The web site is an 'experimental log' of what happened. The method calls for sacrifice and I certainly needed to show the method 'works' - even in the 21st century! =============================== NonViolent Action - What is it? The groups holds up the ideal that people willing to demonstrate: Faith, Love, and Personal Sacrifice can be the means of effective social change. More specifically, that Parents can promote reform by demonstrating: 1) Faith in a loving God, 2) Love for their children, former spouses, and other "brothers and sisters", and 3) Willingness to make Personal Sacrifice, NonViolent Action allows you to demonstrate through "unambiguous physical action" the depth of your Faith and belief in your "cause." It is a positive demonstration of love given at sometimes tremendous personal cost. (http://www.AKidsRight.Org/civil_back.htm) =============================== Many people are aware of the activity in Syracuse and most are frankly skeptical that it will do any good, 'You can't fight city hall...It's no use beating your head against a wall...' I made a commitment to see the process through before I started - but this is not a blind path. So far I have been pleasantly surprised by how things have gone. It is a lesson many can learn from. Yes, I am frightened every time I walk into the building and what may happen and will I be going home tonight? But I have never felt this is a waste. My summer with Domenic certainly shows me the effort must continue. I hope the preceding helps you understand what 'compels' me to action (and NO, my goal is not to become a martyr for some cause). No one more than I would like to wait for the Appeal process to be completed. It would certainly make it a lot easier. But my goal in coming into the Federal Building, was NOT to gain the right to walk peacefully around the halls. The goal was to start a dialog with our US Senator, Ms. Clinton, about Family Law reform so that the needless misery caused by our present system can be stopped. That cannot wait. Perhaps this willingness to sacrifice, will help Senator Clinton begin to see the issue as important. I walked for many weeks in the building without any problems. I hope that may continue. Respectfully yours, John Murtari 315-635-1968, x-211 http://www.AKidsRight.Org/ CC: Asst. US Attorney Southwick Hanley Federal Building, Room 900 100 S. Clinton Street Syracuse, NY 13261 CC: Senator Hillary R. Clinton (Syracuse & D.C. Offices) 3. NonViolent Action Resumes - Monday, August 4th (1:30PM), bring Love. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I do not think there is a lot to say here. I'll be going back to the building on Monday. I've come to more and more realize the only thing that motivates me to keep this up is the love I have for my son, Domenic. It has been a "practical" lesson to me about what it takes to volunteer personal sacrifice. Being angry at other people or the system in general is not going to do it. You need to love, and we are all blessed with some of the best motivation in the world, our children. Hope to see some of you there! P.S. If you can't make and want to help, call Senator Clinton's office, fax them a personal note. Their contact info is at the web site, http://www.AKidsRight.Org/actionc_syr John Murtari jmurtari@AKidsRight.Org ================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list at anytime, send email to Majordomo@kids-right.org with the following 1 line in the BODY of the message (Subject is ignored). unsubscribe members
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