Some notes on the PBS documentary, Jonestown Massacre - Peoples Temple.
read moreJim Jones - Preacher - Insanely Religious - Born Poor - NOT racist (unusual) led 900 americans to their suicide.
He believed he was the only heterosexual male, and that everyone else (male and female) were homosexual.
It is likely that Jim Jones was a homosexual but denied it. He said that he could be his follower’s god if they wanted him to be.
Started in Indiana, moved to northern california, then finally ended in northern south america. He leaves to south america right before he is investigated for domestic violence. He moves everyone. Isolated all members to the outside world.
He was a socialist and set a society to work and then receive the necessities for free. Doctors, groceries, all were free, no payment.
He handed out coolade without saying anything. Then after it was drank, he told them it was poison. After some freaked out, he told them the truth: that it was a test of loyalty and was not.
Jonestown had a speaker system that just had his recorded voice talking.
He told the people over the loudspeaker that every night he was sending someone to say that they wanted to leave, but he said it was a loyalty test and they needed to turn them in.
He said the conditions in the US were getting worse and worse, and one could not talk to their friends and family there. There was always a state of attack, of alarm, that they were under siege, this made them turn to them (I think).
November 18th, 1978. People began to leave, reports were visiting with Congressmen Ryan on a mission to determine whether or not people were being held against their will. That’s when they started to leave. Jones begged them to stay.
The congressman and others were boarding the plane when many men from jonestown began to shoot and kill them, congressman ryan was killed, the only time a congressmen has been killed on duty.
Jones calls his congregation to the pavilion, and says that they must die in peace because there is no way they can live in peace. They force the children to drink, and surround the people with armed guards.
cyanide was mixed into the coolade that killed 909 people.
Small note: Their church burned down, and Jones used it as an example of how all others, racists, nonbelievers were out to get them, something similar to what Hitler did to gain power. Filthy bastards.
Source: PBS