MovieChat Forums > Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1982) Discussion > I personally think

I personally think

posted 11 years ago by onenonlyscotia-294-403869
7 replies | jump to latest

(and feel free to disagree because I personally don't care what anyone else thinks) that the reason he was shot instead of drinking the punch was that he never intended to do so, that one of his bodyguards realized this and shot him and that there was some sort of agreeable cover up between his family and what was released if the tape makes it sound different. I think he intended to start over somewhere else under a new name and a new "people temple". Cult leaders are too much ego maniacs to think they should pay any ultimate price but everyone else should, the fact that over nine hundred people should die and that people actually knowlingly fed poison to their children while his kids walk the earth sickens me. Especially since they may have kids of their own who may someday decide to carry on "granddads" legacy. From what I've seen of interviews of steven jones he doesn't seem particularly bothered by what his father did, makes me wonder what kind of mental deficit is in this family line. (added later), wikipedia is such crap it should be taken down as anyone can add anything to it, it claims jones was shot by himself..considering the gunshot wound was to the back of his head that would be quite a feat, I don;t quite believe forensic shows that say a gunshot wound to certain angles (behind the ear for example) are impossible but I think it's unlikely. Scary that at least four of his kids are alive (or as far as I can find?)

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[–] im-dck 10 years ago

i thought the same thing after hearing the original death tapes released by the fbi where he claimed "i don't care what they do to me, i'll LET them take me, but i want to see you go." pretty sick thing to say when you're asking and forcing almost 1000 members to go out this way, and forcing kids from their parents arms knowing it would make the parents decision easier to follow suite...

i think he was a psychopath and *possibly* thought he would not die. their are more hints if you can bear to listen to the released tapes, or read the transcripts. your theory does make sense, he claims he would be took alive during the mass murders/suicides.

from what i heard his sons who were conveniently not there were also extremely rude on other recorded released tapes, i recall one saying "salute me or i'll break your *beep* neck", just one example after starting a lot of trouble. the power got to the leaders and even members sadly. they attacked each other as well most likely after years of conditioning and fear.

now if jones sons left by coincidence i am unsure but seems likely. does anyone know if they left before or after knowing that the congressman and reporters were coming? this could shed some light. another odd thing is during the transcripts you hear multiple statements from members and a few from jones himself "how mostly white people left"...

thing's were obviously starting to get ahead during the congressman and nbc reporters visit and i believe he knew the end could have been near, but not only the visits, but his mental state as well was rapidly declining from drugs.

i have not seen any steven jones interviews thanks i will look for some on youtube now, hopefully they are still up. if you or anyone has them please share, i'd be very interested. these thoughts crossed my mind after listening and reading the end tape transcripts. (warning the audio is creepy)

[–] ckmsaxophone 10 years ago

"They attacked it each other as well most likekly after years of conditioning and fear." That's what I've gathered. A lot of it was just for show, to survive essentially. It's what Jones wanted them to do. People were so paranoid.

Jones' sons were away on November 18 playing basketball against the Guyanese national team. See, Jones wanted to make a good impression on the outside world in Guyana. So playing basketball was basically good PR to him. That's why they were away. He would have preferred that his sons (and the rest of the team) come back--and I think even begged them at one point--but they refused.

So it was a bit of coincidence. They left before November 18 and were in Georgetown. Not sure if they knew if the congressmen or reporters were coming, but mass murder/suicide was a bit of a quick plan on November 18. A few people (I wanna say maybe 10 or so) admitted that they wanted to leave and Congressman Leo Ryan got word of it, and that's when things turned sour. The 10 or so people did get out of Jonestown, but not far and that's when Ryan and a few others were shot (and some killed). After they were shot is when the infamous mass murder/suicides happened. So it was basically a domino effect.

The Congressmen and reporters were never invited nor granted permission to come into Jonestown. I'm not saying what was happening was right (very far from it), but it's just something to consider. It could've been handled differently, that's for sure.

There's a couple of Stephan Jones interviews on YouTube I believe. It's interesting, but incredibly heartbreaking too. Can't imagine what it would be like to live with those memories.

"I must express myself." - Delia Deetz

[–] ckmsaxophone 10 years ago

Jones was wanted in the U.S. after failing to show up in court over a paternity case. He knew the authorities were on to him, and that's one of the reasons he left for Guyana in the first place. In other words, there was controversy surrounding the Temple, so he ran. I doubt that if he survived he would've started another Peoples Temple. It would've been too much of a risk. No one knows who shot him--the placement of the gun was inconclusive. It's largely believed that Annie Moore, his personal nurse, shot him (she was most likely the last to die in Jonestown...she shot herself).

As for his kids, he only has ONE living biological son, Stephan Jones. So any "mental deficit in this family line" can only be passed biologically to one child. I don't know Stephan personally and I cannot attest to his character. But of all the sources that I have been able to read or view, he seems to be a normal individual. How cruel would it be to assume that he is a monster?

It is possible that Jones shot himself. As I mentioned before, evidence is inconclusive. It's assumed that Moore probably shot him before taking her own life.

I'm glad for all who survived, including Jones' children. I don't find it scary at all, and, quite frankly, I am disturbed that you do.

"I must express myself." - Delia Deetz

[–] sinsemilla420071 10 years ago

I don't know where you got the idea that Stephen wasn't bothered by what his father did. I've seen many interviews with him, and what it boils down to is that he's disgusted with how his father went, and wasn't sad to see him go, for a number of reasons. Mostly because he was so cowardly that he couldn't go the same way he made other people go.

He is severely affected by what happened, especially with his mother. But you have to eventually let that go and move on sometimes, otherwise you might as well be gone yourself. Maybe that is what you are sensing.