Yesterday marked the day when 30 years have passed since the single biggest movement of death in America, apart from 2001-09-11. Exactly 918 people were murdered or committed suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, as cult leader Jim Jones led them to believe it was for the best. Because he didn't want to get caught by the authorities. He even dispatched people to kill the people who were to investigate his cult, and after that, mass suicide followed.
Trying to convince people to kill themselves for him, Jones held a speech, which is streamable and downloadble in its entirety here ((I haven't been able to listen through it in its entirety, as it's just too horrendous for me.)), and here's an excerpt ((The entire transcript is found here.)), and if you won't read it, please just read the sentence that starts with "I'm going to tell you, Christine":
Miller: Well, I don't see it like that. I mean, I feel like that -- as long as there's life, there's hope. That's my faith.[2]
Jones: Well -- someday everybody dies. Some place that hope runs out, because everybody dies. I haven't seen anybody yet didn't die. And I'd like to choose my own kind of death for a change. I'm tired of being tormented to hell, that's what I'm tired of. (Pause) Tired of it.
Crowd: Applause
Tape edit
Jones: -- twelve hundred people's lives in my hands, and I certainly don't want your life in my hands. I'm going to tell you, Christine, without me, life has no meaning.
Crowd: Applause
Jones: I'm the best thing you'll ever have. I want, want, I have to pay -- I'm standing with Ujara. I'm standing with those people. They're part of me. I could detach myself. I really could detach myself. No, no, no, no, no, no. I never detach myself from any of your troubles. I've always taken your troubles right on my shoulders. And I'm not going to change that now. It's too late. I've been running too long. Not going to change now.
Crowd: Applause
The Washington Post has published this article about this horrible matter, written for this recent rememberance. The slide-show is particularly interesting and detestable, considering how so many people were so incredibly duped and then brainwashed into death and/or murder.