Ramsey 1

Rachel Ramsey

Mrs. Williams

English 1, Period 1

27 February 2017

The Jim Jones Massacre

I love socialism, and Im willing to die to bring it about, but if I did, Id take a thousand

with me, Jim Jones stated during September of 1975 (Scheeres 1). In the 1970s, Jim Jones, a

cult leader from Indiana, authored the mass suicide of approximately 900 religious followers by

leading them to either shoot themselves, or to drink a potassium cyanide-filled Kool Aid in

Jonestown, Guyana (Jonestown). The devastating mass suicide at Jonestown caught the

worlds attention, curiosity, and fear, impacting the world today by changing how people view

religion and spiritual beliefs, showing the complete dominance a leader can have over a group of

people, and how government agencies need to be aware of dangerous activities in order to

protect the people they serve.

Peoples views of religion and spiritual beliefs have evolved over time. The members of

the cult in Jonestown committed suicide due to Jim Joness manipulation and dominance over

them and their tainted thoughts of him being god (Jonestown). Jones, as well as his followers,

claimed to have followed Christ and preached several different religions, but he had children

residing with his group taken to Guyana by non-custodial parents with no permission from their

legal guardians (Scheeres 57). Due to the contradictory nature of Jim Joness actions and his

claims to be a Christ-follower along with several other religions as well, people across the world

view Christianity and other spiritual beliefs with skepticism.

Every person has a leader that affects their lives; a legal guardian, a national figure, or a
 Ramsey 2

mentor. Jim Jones led the people to great destruction by encouraging all members of the Peoples

Temple Church and their children to commit suicide by either drinking a poisonous, fruity drink

or shooting themselves (Jacobs 296). Even after enduring Joness beatings, bizarre faith-healings

with chicken guts, and his sexual predations on his followers, the members of the cult still

blindly followed him (Jonestown). Jim Jones was one of the few white leaders that helped join

Indianapolis, establish welfare-services programs, and he became a force in San Francisco

progressive politics showing his many poor, colored followers his commitment to social justice

and civil rights (Jonestown). This shows Joness power over the members of his cult and the

danger that lives can be put in when putting all faith solely in one man.

Law enforcement failed almost 1,000 people on the day Jim Jones ordered the cult

members to end their lives. Jim Jones separated his followers from family, friends, and anyone

who may have been able to help them. The inability that the members had to communicate with

people on the outside, whether by manipulation or force, bordered on kidnapping (Jacobs 275).

Law enforcements job is to protect its citizens and be aware of the activities of particularly

dangerous groups both inside and outside of the United States, which they did not accomplish

until the many people, both willingly and perhaps unwillingly, died.

The tremendous tragedy of Jonestown should have been avoided. It brought to the world

an encompassing amount of doubt, curiosity, and fear, and it continues to impact the world today

by changing how people view religion and spiritual beliefs. It shows the complete control a

leader can have over a group of people, and how government agencies, such as law enforcement,

need to investigate and monitor any dangerous or illegal activities of radical groups. The privacy

and independence of religious groups shall not override citizens safety. This calamity that
 Ramsey 3

devastated not only our country, but the world, served to bring about change in the governments

awareness of potentially harmful groups both inside and out of the United States.
 Ramsey 2

Works Cited

Jacobs, Jacobs. Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People. New York:

Penguin Group, 1982. Print.

Scheeres, Julia. A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Jonestown. New York: Free, 2012. Print.

"The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple." Publishers Weekly 9 Jan. 2017: 55.

Gale Group. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.