The Final Report - E04 - Jonestown

Jonestown was the informal name for the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, an intentional community in northwestern Guyana formed by the Peoples Temple, a cult led by Jim Jones. It became internationally notorious when, on November 18, 1978, 918 people died in the settlement as well as in a nearby airstrip and in Georgetown, Guyana's capital. The name of the settlement became synonymous with the incidents at those locations.

A total of 909 Temple members died in Jonestown, all but two from apparent cyanide poisoning, in an event termed "revolutionary suicide" by Jones and some members on an audio tape of the event and in prior discussions. The poisonings in Jonestown followed the murder of five others by Temple members at a nearby Port Kaituma airstrip. The victims included Congressman Leo Ryan, the first member of Congress assassinated in the line of duty in the history of the United States. Four other Temple members died in Georgetown at Jones's command.

To the extent the actions in Jonestown were viewed as a mass suicide, it is the largest such event in modern history and resulted in the largest single loss of American civilian life in a non-natural disaster until the events of September 11, 2001.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Jonestown
• cyanide poisoning
• Guyana
• 1978

[acenace24]

Charlie Sheen=Next Jim Jones

[Lengas32]

@acenace24 LOL

[MaverickWhig]

@Lengas32 But is it winning?

[Lengas32]

@MaverickWhig Duh

[BlitzinLB27]

ahhh religion... ALWAYS so peaceful!

[Joaquin360]

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein

[AttackMyAss]

@royalnaz1 300 of those 900 being children.

[royalnaz1]

them 900 people believed this guy. geez. people really can be manipulated

[lordgrevas]

@SeanMBryans that was my thought on that two but it shows how easy people are to be leaded i feel for his victims he tourterd them and killed anyone who would try to leave so they almost didn't have a chooice die by poisen or by bullets so for jim jone is say good ridens

[SeanMBryans]

@lordgrevas I totally agree. But San Francisco can be very liberal - and would probably see it as impeding on their rights. Do I think they should have said WTF - This is enough. Yes. But hindsight is 20/20. I'd like to think I have a strong enough will to say - You want me to go where? Guyana? I don't think so . . . Sadly, some sheep will follow - no matter who the leader may be..

[SeanMBryans]

This is what megelomaniacs become when they feel their power is slipping away - Evil. Sadly, many people have been killed or persecuted in the name of God. History pages are written in the blood of those victims. This is not new. But many were persecuted (tortured or murdered) for failure to convert. For their different beliefs. Pagans, Atheist/Agnostics, Wiccans and Jews top that list. Gays would, sadly, if you could eliminate groups today. (I believe that. Being gay. I've heard it.)

[lordgrevas]

@whisperingsage i think he told he's gaurds to shoot him he was already crazy as it was

[lordgrevas]

@MrDavito2 O_O?

[lordgrevas]

@Youareuglybtw he was a fucking nut case our goverment should have cought him sooner was armed gaurds outside a church not enough to say "somthing is wrong"

lol

[Youareuglybtw]

@FUwogs ehh what got you soo mad lol