Jonestown Tragedy's 40th Anniv. - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 11-18-2018, 06:29 PM

The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name "Jonestown", was a remote settlement established by the Peoples Temple, an American cult under the leadership of reverend Jim Jones, in north Guyana.

It became internationally notorious when, on November 18, 1978, a total of 918 people died in the settlement, at the nearby airstrip in Port Kaituma, and at a Temple-run building in Georgetown, Guyana's capital city.

The name of the settlement became synonymous with the incidents at those locations.

909 individuals died in Jonestown, all but two from apparent cyanide poisoning, in an event termed "revolutionary suicide" by Jones and some members on an audio tape of the event and in prior discussions.

The poisonings in Jonestown followed the murder of five others by Temple members at Port Kaituma, including United States Congressman Leo Ryan, an act that Jones ordered. Four other Temple members committed murder-suicide in Georgetown at Jones' command.

While some refer to the events in Jonestown as mass suicide, many others, including Jonestown survivors, regard them as mass murder. As many as 70 people may have been injected with poison, and a third of the victims (304) were minors.

It was the largest such event in modern history and resulted in the largest single loss of American civilian life in a deliberate act until September 11, 2001.

Penny Lane · 11-19-2018, 02:57 PM

I remember that very well. What a tragedy!

MA · 11-19-2018, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penny Lane

I remember that very well. What a tragedy!

I agree. Shame that this had to happen.

Torgo · 11-19-2018, 06:27 PM

I was 8 when it happened, but I remember it being all over the news.

D-Dey · 11-20-2018, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torgo

I was 8 when it happened, but I remember it being all over the news.

I was about to turn 13 myself.

Bonniegirl · 11-20-2018, 02:49 AM

I was a teenager when this happened. It was really crazy, a horrible tragedy! Than I remember watching a made for TV movie about this starring Powers Booth as Jim Jones who totally did a great job playing him! The movie was shocking seeing how this actually happened !

It was like OMG, WOW!!!!

AB · 11-20-2018, 07:25 PM

I was never able to understand why all those people would follow that man to begin with. And to let all those innocent children be killed, what a tragedy.

JamesG · 06-26-2023, 01:54 PM

I was talking with a Guyanese guy at a cafe that my friends and I struck up a convo. with and we started talking about Jonestown. He was around our ages and did not live there when it happened, but of course he knew about it.

I commented that whenever most Americans hear Guyana they think of Jonestown and he agreed saying that it "forever stained the country."

I asked whatever became of the spot where Jonestown was and he said, "Nothing, nobody wants anything to do with it."

He explained that the area is so remote and uninhabitable, there are no roads or railways at all that go out there. The jungle has taken everything over where Jonestown was and very little, if anything, remains there.

Bonniegirl · 06-26-2023, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesG

I was talking with a Guyanese guy at a cafe that my friends and I struck up a convo. with and we started talking about Jonestown. He was around our ages and did not live there when it happened, but of course he knew about it.

I commented that whenever most Americans hear Guyana they think of Jonestown and he agreed saying that it "forever stained the country."

I asked whatever became of the spot where Jonestown was and he said, "Nothing, nobody wants anything to do with it."

He explained that the area is so remote and uninhabitable, there are no roads or railways at all that go out there. The jungle has taken everything over where Jonestown was and very little, if anything, remains there.

Very sad !

JamesG · 03-08-2025, 10:14 AM

I found a recent news story from two months ago that Jonestown is now becoming a tourist destination.

Penny Lane · 03-08-2025, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesG

I found a recent news story from two months ago that Jonestown is now becoming a tourist destination.

I find that very disturbing

Torgo · 03-08-2025, 01:24 PM

Fun for the whole family.

Be wary of the free cups of Flavor Aid being handed out.

JamesG · 03-09-2025, 09:03 AM

Guyana is a poor country and it doesn't exactly scream tourist spot. Besides Jonestown, it really doesn't have anything else that's widely known about happening there.

I found the official Memorial Tour page on Trip Advisor:

The Jonestown Memorial Tour is an overnight reflective journey into Guyana's Northwest District, exploring the history and culture surrounding Jonestown. Begin at the Port Kaituma airstrip, the site of the tragic ambush in 1978, before visiting the Jonestown Memorial to honor those who lost their lives. Along the way, take in the serene beauty of the region, including picturesque river rapids.

This tour also connects you with the vibrant Port Kaituma community, where you’ll meet locals in the market showcasing handmade crafts and regional goods. A highlight is hearing firsthand from someone who lived in the area during Jonestown’s existence, offering unique insights into this pivotal moment in history.

They had to include other things besides the former Jonestown location as there is nothing "to see" there. Everything was demolished and ransacked shortly after 1978 and nature took it over.

biffbronson · 03-09-2025, 10:07 AM

I would be turning 14 in less than 2 months back then, so I remember the news of this tragedy very well.

I hope that going forward, all of this serves as a learning experience. It's very proper for memorial designations to always be maintained at the site.

11-18-2018, 06:29 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,039	Jonestown Tragedy's 40th Anniv. The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name "Jonestown", was a remote settlement established by the Peoples Temple, an American cult under the leadership of reverend Jim Jones, in north Guyana. It became internationally notorious when, on November 18, 1978, a total of 918 people died in the settlement, at the nearby airstrip in Port Kaituma, and at a Temple-run building in Georgetown, Guyana's capital city. The name of the settlement became synonymous with the incidents at those locations. 909 individuals died in Jonestown, all but two from apparent cyanide poisoning, in an event termed "revolutionary suicide" by Jones and some members on an audio tape of the event and in prior discussions. The poisonings in Jonestown followed the murder of five others by Temple members at Port Kaituma, including United States Congressman Leo Ryan, an act that Jones ordered. Four other Temple members committed murder-suicide in Georgetown at Jones' command. While some refer to the events in Jonestown as mass suicide, many others, including Jonestown survivors, regard them as mass murder. As many as 70 people may have been injected with poison, and a third of the victims (304) were minors. It was the largest such event in modern history and resulted in the largest single loss of American civilian life in a deliberate act until September 11, 2001. Attached Images

11-19-2018, 02:57 PM	#2
Penny Lane Butter Pie Forum Icon Join Date: Jul 03, 2001 Location: Beneath the blue suburban skies Posts: 51,039	I remember that very well. What a tragedy!
	__________________ Vulgarity is no substitute for wit- Lady Violet Crawley

11-19-2018, 06:27 PM	#4
Torgo Omaha & Fritz Forum Star Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 19,024	I was 8 when it happened, but I remember it being all over the news.
	__________________ "I'm going to go do something productive. I'm gonna go watch television." - Ray Peterson, The 'burbs "I am the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries." - Stephen King "There's nothing wrong with G-rated movies, as long as there's lots of sex and violence." - Elvira

11-20-2018, 02:49 AM	#6
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,582	I was a teenager when this happened. It was really crazy, a horrible tragedy! Than I remember watching a made for TV movie about this starring Powers Booth as Jim Jones who totally did a great job playing him! The movie was shocking seeing how this actually happened ! It was like OMG, WOW!!!!

11-20-2018, 07:25 PM	#7
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,429	I was never able to understand why all those people would follow that man to begin with. And to let all those innocent children be killed, what a tragedy.

06-26-2023, 01:54 PM	#8
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,039	I was talking with a Guyanese guy at a cafe that my friends and I struck up a convo. with and we started talking about Jonestown. He was around our ages and did not live there when it happened, but of course he knew about it. I commented that whenever most Americans hear Guyana they think of Jonestown and he agreed saying that it "forever stained the country." I asked whatever became of the spot where Jonestown was and he said, "Nothing, nobody wants anything to do with it." He explained that the area is so remote and uninhabitable, there are no roads or railways at all that go out there. The jungle has taken everything over where Jonestown was and very little, if anything, remains there.

03-08-2025, 10:14 AM	#10
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,039	I found a recent news story from two months ago that Jonestown is now becoming a tourist destination.

03-08-2025, 01:24 PM	#12
Torgo Omaha & Fritz Forum Star Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 19,024	Fun for the whole family. Be wary of the free cups of Flavor Aid being handed out.

03-09-2025, 09:03 AM	#13
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,039	Guyana is a poor country and it doesn't exactly scream tourist spot. Besides Jonestown, it really doesn't have anything else that's widely known about happening there. I found the official Memorial Tour page on Trip Advisor: The Jonestown Memorial Tour is an overnight reflective journey into Guyana's Northwest District, exploring the history and culture surrounding Jonestown. Begin at the Port Kaituma airstrip, the site of the tragic ambush in 1978, before visiting the Jonestown Memorial to honor those who lost their lives. Along the way, take in the serene beauty of the region, including picturesque river rapids. This tour also connects you with the vibrant Port Kaituma community, where you’ll meet locals in the market showcasing handmade crafts and regional goods. A highlight is hearing firsthand from someone who lived in the area during Jonestown’s existence, offering unique insights into this pivotal moment in history. They had to include other things besides the former Jonestown location as there is nothing "to see" there. Everything was demolished and ransacked shortly after 1978 and nature took it over.

03-09-2025, 10:07 AM	#14
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,402	I would be turning 14 in less than 2 months back then, so I remember the news of this tragedy very well. I hope that going forward, all of this serves as a learning experience. It's very proper for memorial designations to always be maintained at the site.