JONESTOWN: THIRTY YEARS LATER
11-18-08
Despite the deaths of over 900 people who were members of the cult led by Jim Jones and who drank kool-aid laced with cyanide in what Jones called "revolutionary suicide", CULTS continue to flourish in many cities including our own. Jonestown occurred 30 years ago - November 18, 1978 - when more than 900 members of Jones' Peoples Temple drank the kool-aid in a mass suicide.
The Peoples Temple was a cult led by Jones which relocated from California to the South American socialist country of Guyana. While in San Francisco, the cult was politically active and Jones was Chairman of the San Francisco Housing Authority. Unlike some cult leaders, Jones enjoyed some public support and had contact with high level politicians. He met with Democrat Vice Presidential candidate Walter Mondale and Rosalynn Carter several times. California Governor Jerry Brown, Lt. Gov. Dymally and Assemblyman Willie Brown attended a large testimonial dinner for Jones in September, 1976.
In 1974, the Peoples Temple leased over 3,800 acres from the Guyanese government and moved their operations there after being exposed as a cult by the San Francisco newspapers. Jones had absolute mind control over the residents of Jonestown in Guyana, as evidenced by the mass suicide thirty years ago.
Following are some pictures from the Jonestown cult fiasco. We pray that this does not happen in our city.
The following images are not suitable for children.
