What do you guys know/remember about Jim Jones?

[AreaCode707]

I'm reading up on it, particularly the time spent in the States building out the cult, the connection to the California state mental institutions, and the almost unbelievable level of infiltration into local law enforcement and social services... The Guyana stuff is horrific but the earlier parts of the history are almost unbelievably creepy.

 

[KLin]

He mixed a killer drink...

 

[SlitheryDee]

I know the broad strokes. Now I'm interested though. Surely there's a good documentary about it on Netflix somewhere. BRB

 

[darkswordsman17]

Yeah pretty crazy stuff. People wonder why the government is so keen to crack down on weird cults, its because of situations like that.

I found out in the last couple of years that like around the same time or shortly before we moved here, there was some cult that happened in the area. I guess it got pretty crazy, they were either going to or did kill a baby or something, and a bunch of other crazy shit. There was even a book written about it (can't remember what its called though).

 

[Craig234]

Fairly familiar with the general topic, he had a lot of supprters and followers, and was under investigation which is why Congressman Leo Ryanwas down there visiting his camp in Guyana when he was killed. His aide, Jackie Spears, was shot as well but was not killed and now is a good congressperson.

A lot of the history is easy to judge knowing what happened - before that, not so much.

 

[Phoenix86]

 

[JEDI]

I'm reading up on it, particularly the time spent in the States building out the cult, the connection to the California state mental institutions, and the almost unbelievable level of infiltration into local law enforcement and social services... The Guyana stuff is horrific but the earlier parts of the history are almost unbelievably creepy.

meh..
the guy set up a lemonade stand and made some great kool-aid.
he got lucky with timing

 

[Crono]

I read up on it after hearing about Jonestown a few years ago.
I was born 8 years after the fact, so it's only by references to the incident in news and books my interest was piqued.

Waco is the only big cult tragedy that I remember from live news coverage.

 

[kranky]

I don't know any more than the big picture. But at the time the whole cult thing was pretty much a brand-new phenomenon at least to the general public. There were a lot of people who could not comprehend that people would willingly commit suicide especially while not in any immediate crisis, and how so many people could be brainwashed so thoroughly.

 

[Triumph]

It made "drink your kool-aid" a great phrase for shutting up and doing what you're told.

 

[highland145]

Jim Jones says, "Do drugs now."

That was written on a bathroom stall at Clemson in the 80's No idea why on this planet I remember that.

 

[KidNiki1]

i was still kinda little when it happened (8 yo). and instant news media coverage 24/7 wasn't around yet. so i remember seeing newspaper photos of the mass suicide, but that's about it. i don't remember or know much else than the general knowledge of the jonestown incident.

i do remember reading about it more when i was older and just being sickened at the thought of all the kids that were involved.

 

[Oyeve]

Darwinism at its best.

 

[sonambulo]

Terrible rapper.

 

[Anubis]

i work with jim jones

 

[JEDI]

I know the broad strokes. Now I'm interested though. Surely there's a good documentary about it on Netflix somewhere. BRB

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown:_The_Life_and_Death_of_Peoples_Temple

 

[BUTCH1]

The fact this happened on the scale that it did was shocking, some people have a gift of mesmerizing the weak or lost souls, almost to a degree that you would think it's impossible but it happened. I think his main weapon was loneliness and disconnection some people feel and people like JJ made them a "part" of something..

 

[highland145]

i work with jim jones

Mixing the kool aid?

 

[slayer202]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2JfY-nVaqg

 

[SheHateMe]

oooooh yea!

 

[preCRT]

No different than other cults, like Scientology, that attract the weak minded except Scientology hasn't killed its members yet.

There were similar groups to the People's Temple like that guy Applewhite & Heaven's Gate, the Branch Davidians in Waco, etc.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

A lot of you should look more into this, but probably won't. It is rumored that a large portion of the dead were forced to drink at gunpoint, so that doesn't fit into your sociopathic statements about Darwinism and other nonsense.

 

[darkewaffle]

What more do you need to know?

 

[BoomerD]

I remember the Guyana event...not much about him before he gave the world a new euphemism...

 

[Kadarin]

I remember when it happened and it was pretty crazy and horrifying at the time. And yes, this is where the expression "drinking the kool-aid" came from.