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Jim jones jonestown massacre
Essay on jonestown
Jonestown massacre research paper
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Jonestown massacre, led by Jim Jones, was known to be a massive genocide that took place in the jungle at Jonestown, Guyana, South America on November 18,1978. There were total of 913 people who died drinking the cyanide mixed kool-aid. Jim Jones was a selfish and a mentally messed up person who used his public speaking skill to manipulate people by psychologically changing their view in America and it’s people. He was an evil person under a guise of being a reverend. People who joined his cult were shallow and insecure with their original ways of lives. And the way that Jim Jones got the people to join his cult was impressive - the way he attracted people Overall, geographically, the location and the setting of Jonestown was breath-taking.
The small community that was set up by the people in the short period of time brought people together and unified Jones’ cult. But later, after Congressmen Ryan’s visit, people and the community started falling off because of Jones’ chaos. Especially, while leaving, families were separated. This was really the factor that was heart-breaking because it was really hard to see kids getting separated from their mothers. I hated the fact that Jim Jones forced the parents to sign the children’s guardian document just because he did not want anyone to leave him. Also killing little kids is known to be the most lowest and evil act. Therefore, Jim Jones and his cult was disgusting and evil and I hope that there won’t be anymore Jim Jones in future.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines massacre as “the act or an instance of killing a number of usually helpless or unresisting human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty” or “a cruel or wanton murder” (m-w.com). Essentially a massacre results in either the death of many people or death by cruel means. The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770, in Boston, Massachusetts and involved American colonists and British troops. The colonists, upset by recent laws enacted by the British, taunted a smaller group of British soldiers by throwing snowballs at them (Boston Massacre Historical Society). In response, the soldiers fired upon the unarmed colonists leaving five people dead and six wounded (Phelan, 131). Even though the event in Boston on March 5, 1770, in which blood was shed, and called the Boston Massacre, the actions which took place on that day did not constitute a massacre. Since only five people were killed and six wounded and there was no evidence of cruelty, the name Boston Massacre was likely a propaganda ploy by Samuel Adams to rally the colonists against the British instead of a true massacre.
While dealing with Jonestown it could be perceived as both a cult and a conspiracy theory. The way it fits into being a conspiracy is that many do not believe what was reported and feel that the government, especially the CIA had involvement and made efforts to alter peoples minds for uses of a social experiment. Jonestown also could be considered a cult because in 1955 roughly 1000 citizens formed “The Peoples Temple” in Indiana. It was later progressed to California then finally in 1974 they made there final stop in Guyana. These members usually large in diversity would have mass gatherings and preach
...t its operation. Jonestown, after the termination of the project, was thought to have been a test site for mind control and mental experiments under MKUltra due to the mass suicide that took place there that became known as the Peoples Temple mass suicide and the formation of the Jim Jones cult in that town. Further, Leo Ryan was murdered in Jonestown by the Peoples Temple members when he was investigating numerous reports that were claimed to have happened in that area. Besides the Jonestown theory, the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy was believed, by Lawrence Teeter, to have been a work of the techniques used in the Project MKUltra. Moreover, the attorney believed that Sirhan Sirhan, was under the influence of hypnosis when he murdered Robert F. Kennedy. Nevertheless, he was found guilty of first degree murder and six days later, was executed in a gas chamber.
The massacre also affected society and the knowledge that no place is safe from people like James Holmes. I do not think that insanity should be a legitimate defense for Holmes, and agree with the court verdict that he was of sound mind during the massacre. I hope that while serving his time, James can receive the help he so needs through psychiatric help and
Tragedy hit the docks of Everett, Washington, Sunday November 5, 1916 which would be known as “Bloody Sunday.” On November 5, 1916 the Everett Massacre was the culmination of labor trouble which had been brewing for months. It was one of the bloodiest single episodes of labor-related violence in the Pacific Northwest.
One of the darkest times in American history was the conflict with the natives. A “war” fought with lies and brute force, the eviction and genocide of Native Americans still remains one of the most controversial topics when the subject of morality comes up. Perhaps one of the most egregious events to come of this atrocity was the Sand Creek Massacre. On the morning of November 29th, 1864, under the command of Colonel John Chivington, 700 members of the Colorado Volunteer Cavalry raped, looted, and killed the members of a Cheyenne tribe (Brown 86-94). Hearing the story of Sand Creek, one of the most horrific acts in American History, begs the question: Who were the savages?
On the 29th o April, 1977 Captain Cook, commander of a British fleet, landed on the eastern shore of Australia, in an attempt to claim the land under the name of Britain. The land was to be claimed by Britain as a land where the British government could send convicts; in an attempt to ease the struggle in the over flowing prisons. Upon Cooks arrival, he was ordered to follow three rules of claiming a foreign land. They were;
Jim Jones was the notorious cult leader of the Peoples Temple. Jones was born on May 13, 1931 in Crete, Indiana. He was a self-appointed pastor from a church in the Midwest. Jim had been popular for always wearing dark glasses, black suits and slicked-back hair, which made a splendid impression on the pulpit of the churches he had preached at or had been to. He then, in the mid-1960s, moved his congregation to California to, what he had wished, avoid the start of a nuclear war. Then, in 1974, he moved his people to Guyana after he was faced with financial abuses, criticism, and church beatings.
by Colonel James W. Forsyth. An argument started with a deaf Sioux named Black Coyote. The
Jim Jones and his infamous cult entitled, “The People’s Temple,” holds an interesting value to social psychology. Jonestown is a topic that can relate back to many sociology terms and ideas. Jonestown can be related to social deviance, the effect of American culture on social groups, labelling theory, charismatic authority, and even shows how societal history often repeats itself. American society during the late 60’s-70’s is what led to the creation of Jonestown. Jonestowns downfall provided a lot of insight to the American public of how society needed to change, proving that the deaths of about 900 people weren’t for nothing.
Jim Jones was “a self-proclaimed messiah in a polyester suit, a man who played God from behind mysterious dark glasses that gave his followers the impression that he was omniscient”( Axthelm 54). Born in 1931 in Lynn, Indiana to James Thurmond and Lynetta Jones, he was looked upon by his parents as a gift from Saint Francis. Jim’s father was white and an active member of the Ku Klux Klan. His mother was part Cherokee which lead Jim in later years to refer to himself with pride as an “ All-American mongrel”
A dress-up party in Texas turned deadly when the host of the party, dressed as Santa Claus, began shooting at his guests. By the end of his shooting spree, he had killed one person and injured three others.
Could a genocide mimicking Hitler’s rein of terror be right around the corner for society? Timothy Snyder, author of The New York Times op-ed “The Next Genocide,” insists that China or Russia could be the mastermind behind a future genocide. Snyder explains how Hitler’s idea Lebensraum, a core belief behind Nazi ideology, is encouraging the government of China to follow his footsteps. Lebensraum is when a country believes that the only way to expand trade or sustaining a large population is to take over other countries’ land. Currently, China is approaching a state of panic due to the lack of food to sustain their people. This is why Timothy Snyder argues the next genocide is rapidly approaching our society. Snyder explains the next genocide
Furthermore, the film is highly inclusive, giving the viewer thorough detail not only about the religious organization, but also Jones himself. To start off, the film gives detail of Jones’ upbringing, how he behaved as a child, and certain psychological traits that could potentially explain why the incident happened. For instance, it was stated within the film that Jones grew up in a very poor family. His father, James Jones was an alcoholic, leaving his mother to provide for the family alone. As a result of his dysfunctional home-life, Jones grew to be
The media is important for keeping us human. We know what is going on in the world, both the good & the bad. The genocide in Sudan & other countries, the school shootings in the United States. By knowing about these things, we can start doing something to help. We need to get people with mental health issues help before they kill others. If we don't know about them or if we see mental illness as something to be ashamed of, nobody will do anything to help.