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Residents of Jonestown Discuss Willingness to Die
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Q245
Q245: Residents of Jonestown Discuss Willingness to Die
1978
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Recorded in late summer 1978 - probably within three months before the mass deaths in Jonestown - this tape was devoted to statements by community members on their reasons for wanting to commit "revolutionary suicide." With only a couple of notable exceptions, the people who speak are calm and forthright in their statements, even if the causes and travails they speak of fill them with passion. There are a few unifying themes - their relatives are hounding them, they cannot stay where they are, they have no place else to go, and suicide is seemingly the only way out - but there are many definitions of what revolutionary suicide means to them.
Jim Jones is also calm and matter-of-fact about the process. He interrupts a few speakers to press them on a particular point or to clarify an issue, and he is very interested in a couple of the community members who have never spoken before on the subject. In general, though - again, with a couple of notable exceptions - he plays the role of a dispassionate interviewer, and does not ask leading questions.
The voices are clear and strong, and it is difficult to tell if the statements were written in advance, or if they are extemporaneous. A few speakers sound as though they may be reading prepared statements, but others speak of the long meeting that very night, and of the decision they have just reached - to commit suicide as a group - which would argue against advance preparation. At the same time, most speakers are as articulate as they are emphatic, and only a few stumble over their words.
There is a reason for the clarity and purposefulness of the tape, though: as opposed to many others, this tape was recorded for history, for the people of the world to find and listen to. One speaker, Edith Roller, concludes a short statement in this way: "I pray and hope that this tape will at least survive in portions so that they can know what we stood for. I'm glad that my death will mean something. I hope it will be an inspiration to all people that fight for freedom all over the world." Another speaker, Richard Tropp, opens his remarks with his wish "for those of you listening to this tape, to listen very, very carefully to the words of Jim Jones. Because here tonight, even at the hour of decision for a revolutionary suicide, in the words of Jim Jones, you will find, if you listen, the key to the survival of humanity."
The people are united in the decision to commit revolutionary suicide. At one point, Jones calls for a vote. "How many in this assembly feel this [choice] by saying, and there's about a thousand people, how many here feel it by the sounding of a yea?" The response is loud, emphatic and prolonged. The call for votes of dissent is met with silence.
Jim Jones is also calm and matter-of-fact about the process. He interrupts a few speakers to press them on a particular point or to clarify an issue, and he is very interested in a couple of the community members who have never spoken before on the subject. In general, though - again, with a couple of notable exceptions - he plays the role of a dispassionate interviewer, and does not ask leading questions.
The voices are clear and strong, and it is difficult to tell if the statements were written in advance, or if they are extemporaneous. A few speakers sound as though they may be reading prepared statements, but others speak of the long meeting that very night, and of the decision they have just reached - to commit suicide as a group - which would argue against advance preparation. At the same time, most speakers are as articulate as they are emphatic, and only a few stumble over their words.
There is a reason for the clarity and purposefulness of the tape, though: as opposed to many others, this tape was recorded for history, for the people of the world to find and listen to. One speaker, Edith Roller, concludes a short statement in this way: "I pray and hope that this tape will at least survive in portions so that they can know what we stood for. I'm glad that my death will mean something. I hope it will be an inspiration to all people that fight for freedom all over the world." Another speaker, Richard Tropp, opens his remarks with his wish "for those of you listening to this tape, to listen very, very carefully to the words of Jim Jones. Because here tonight, even at the hour of decision for a revolutionary suicide, in the words of Jim Jones, you will find, if you listen, the key to the survival of humanity."
The people are united in the decision to commit revolutionary suicide. At one point, Jones calls for a vote. "How many in this assembly feel this [choice] by saying, and there's about a thousand people, how many here feel it by the sounding of a yea?" The response is loud, emphatic and prolonged. The call for votes of dissent is met with silence.
Jonestown Institute
- Spirit Lab: New Religious Thought in the Golden State
No
Audio
MP3
6.81 MB
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