Thirty eight years ago over 900 people died due to the dysfunctional notions of a crazed cult leader- Jim Jones. Earlier this year, I spoke to a person who did not know the origins of the phrase-“drink the Kool-aid.” For that reason, I will take time to share two resources about the tragedy. There has been so much written about this dark series of events in American history. As time passes, events seem to mesh into the lost fabric of society and fade from our memories. This event is worth learning about no matter your age. We need to see it as a warning, especially with the events unfolding in New York where a two teens were beaten because they desired to leave a religious group. One of those teens, Lucas Leonard died supposedly at the hands (and feet) of other church members. Here
The first resource about the Jonestown tragedy is an editorial in the Washington Post written by a man who grew up with one of the inside leaders of Peoples Temple- Maria Katsaris. He explains his view of the phrase, “He drank the Kool-aid” and why it is offensive. This resource includes a brief outline of the events leading up to the killings.
The second resource is the PBS documentary- Jonestown – The Life and Death of Peoples Temple. I have quoted this resource is times past. If you purchase the DVD from PBS, you will have access to additional survivor stories which are not included on this video. (The subjects discussed may not be suitable for small children.)
Crazed cult leaders have been in our societies for generations. The problem is not only in America, but is present in other countries across the world. We will share more on this tragedy in future posts. For today, we stop to remember a horrific event which took the lives of so many.
Continue reading Reflections on Jonestown- November 18, 1978
