30 Years Ago Today.
This sick event happened 30 years ago today…
It was the event that introduced the phrase – drinking the Kool-Aid.
The mass suicide was preceded by Congressman Leo Ryan visiting the compound with a news crew to prove all was OK…
His statement “there are people here who believe this the best thing that happened to them their whole life” proved to be deadly wrong.
During Ryan’s visit, a few of the believers asked if they could join the Congressman on his return ride home. The confrontations mounted, with Jones at first saying anyone who wanted to go was free to leave. Jone’s depression grew as the size of the departing contingent swelled.
Ryan and the defectors headed for the local airstrip, but would never get off the ground. Some of Jones’ “security” people opened fire on Ryan, killing him and several others, including an NBC reporter and his camera-man whose camera eerily rolled on, catching it all for history.
900 died and Jim Jones died of a gunshot wound.
One of the unimaginable act that parents committed – 303 children were killed by Jones loyalists using syringes to squirt cyanide down their throats, while the parents sat by, waiting for their turn.
Hopefully we’ve learned to be wary of those that lead – especially when it comes to religious cults.