Peoples Temple Collection; Box 18, Virtual Item 21, Q638 - Part 2, White Night (continued from 635 through 639)

Digital Record

Identifier: ms-0183_18.21 Part 2

Staff Only

Digital Object (mixed_materials)

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Creator

Jones, Jim (Jones, James Warren) (Person)
Peoples Temple (Organization)

Summary Note

In the continuation of this White Night – which begins on Q 635 and continues throughQ 639 – Jim Jones touches on the familiar themes that have characterized it: the desire to get back at their enemies, the sense of betrayal in the actions of former members, the underlying social "evils" of the racist US system, the strength of the Jonestown community to stand together as one, and the commitment to die if all else fails. In the course of talking about problems with a Temple member named Kenny, one woman speaks of the allegations of child molestation against him. Jones points out the difference between a socialistic society like Jonestown and US society. "If you're a child molester, we don't isolate you, we just say, you've got a sickness in a certain area. We recognize you're good. In the United States, you're done. They lock you up, and put you away forever." Jones later goes through a lengthy differentiation between spontaneous speaking in a public forum, and answering questions. At the end, he asks, how many understood that? He then directs the classes in socialism to "better get them to know Jim Jones. Then maybe they might get to know socialism." He concludes the thought with, "Know how I think. Then you'll automatically be a socialist." Full summary of the recording available at Alternative Considerations of Jonestown website, along with the tape transcript.

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