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Jonestown Revisited: Jackie Speier, a 40-Year-Old Audio, Heroism and Difficult Memories
rollcall ^ | November 118 2018

Posted on 11/18/2018 5:41:27 PM PST by SMGFan

Long-lost audio tape shows Rep. Ryan planned to rescue willing residents

(Editor’s Note: Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of a still-shocking mass-killing that left more than 900 people dead in “Jonestown,” a remote settlement in Guyana founded by cult leader Jim Jones. Most were poisoned with a cyanide-laced drink. Leo J. Ryan, a Democratic lawmaker from San Francisco, had traveled to Jonestown to investigate reports of people being held against their will in Jonestown. Ryan and four others were fatally shot at a nearby airstrip. Rep Jackie Speier, D-Calif., then a Ryan staffer, was among several more who were shot repeatedly and left for dead at the airstrip. The mass killing began soon afterwards.)

The 40-year-old audiotape sounded tinny and indistinct to Rep. Jackie Speier. In her Capitol Hill office, the California Democrat leaned forward in her chair to listen to the voices from the recording on the laptop computer.

On the tape were her former boss, Rep. Leo J. Ryan, her 28-year-old self and Debbie Layton Blakey, an escapee from the settlement in Guyana called Jonestown. Speier had not heard the recording since shortly after it was made on September 1, 1978. After the National Archives made the tape available a few years ago, Speier said she was eager to be one of the first to listen to it.

(Excerpt) Read more at rollcall.com ...


TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: anniversary; california; cults; debbielaytonblakey; guyana; jackiespeier; jonestown; leojryan
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This was an insane story to hear of as a young teenager. Still recall the TIME cover with the bucket of purple Kool Aid "Cult of Death"

Hilights of news I recall were:

Less than a year later Americans were taken hostage 11/4/79 and held 444 days The USA skipped the Summer OLympics. Reagan defeated Carter. And then all of those assassinations or assassination attempts.

The USA was seen as weak under Carter. But we were blessed with 8 years of Reagan

1 posted on 11/18/2018 5:41:27 PM PST by SMGFan
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To: SMGFan
Most were poisoned with a cyanide-laced drink

The drink was Kool-aide, hence the expression. I wonder how many under 50 realize that was the origination of the expression?

2 posted on 11/18/2018 5:46:34 PM PST by Michael.SF. (California: knowingly give someone aids: misdemeanor. Give them a straw, go to jail.)
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To: Michael.SF.

It was actually Flavor Aid, though it wasn’t as well known as Kool-Aid.


3 posted on 11/18/2018 5:51:12 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj ("It's Slappin' Time !")
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To: SMGFan

And Jones was in tight with most of the San Francisco and Bay Area politicos. They all vouched for him before running for cover after this.


4 posted on 11/18/2018 5:52:06 PM PST by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: Rummyfan

Harvey Milk was one of his biggest proponents.


5 posted on 11/18/2018 5:53:23 PM PST by struggle
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To: SMGFan

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/271630/jim-jones-harvey-milk-and-10-days-shook-san-mark-tapson


6 posted on 11/18/2018 5:53:32 PM PST by Califreak (Take Me Back To Constantinople)
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To: Michael.SF.

A contemporary joke I remember.

Why don’t you ever hear any jokes about Jonestown? Punch line is too long.


7 posted on 11/18/2018 5:56:16 PM PST by hardspunned
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To: SMGFan
At the same time that Ryan investigated Jonestown, California state Assemblyman Willie Brown was organizing a $25-a-plate fundraiser for the Peoples Temple in San Francisco, with comedy legend Dick Gregory as a headlining act and city supervisor Harvey Milk as a scheduled attendee.
8 posted on 11/18/2018 5:56:41 PM PST by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: Michael.SF.

It was actually Flavor Aid.


9 posted on 11/18/2018 5:57:24 PM PST by stylin19a (Best.Election.Of.All.Times.Ever.In.The.History.Of.Ever)
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To: SMGFan

The Mediascum always tries to leave the impression that this was a “Christian” cult, but it was primarily a LEFT WING cult for “progressive” activists. Jim Jones was tight with a lot of leftist pols in San Francisco. He called the mass suicide plan “revolutionary suicide” as a protest at the World.


10 posted on 11/18/2018 6:04:31 PM PST by Trump_the_Evil_Left (FReeper formerly known as Enchante (registered Sept. 5, 2001), back from the wild....)
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To: stylin19a
It was actually Flavor Aid. <<<

Yes....but when referring to liberals that have lost their ability of logical thought and have been sucked into the liberal “cult”.................I think “They drank the Kool-Aide has a better ring to it....../s

11 posted on 11/18/2018 6:09:48 PM PST by M-cubed
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To: hardspunned

Oh, that’s terribly hilarious!


12 posted on 11/18/2018 6:11:18 PM PST by W. (Belch!)
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To: Michael.SF.
The drink was Kool-aide, hence the expression. I wonder how many under 50 realize that was the origination of the expression?

"Electric Kool-Aid Acid test" - as best I can recall, it involved an event at a (Unitarian?) Church, where the instructions weren't clear as to the beverage being laced with LSD. So it probably dates back to Kesey and the Merry Pranksters.

13 posted on 11/18/2018 6:12:24 PM PST by PAR35
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To: Trump_the_Evil_Left

Jones was an avowed communist.


14 posted on 11/18/2018 6:15:22 PM PST by semaj (We are the People)
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To: SMGFan

and then there was The Brian Jonestown Massacre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45HPaTF0u7U


15 posted on 11/18/2018 6:16:10 PM PST by Chode ( WeÂ’re America, Bitch!)
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To: SMGFan

The 80’s as an American teen was something else.


16 posted on 11/18/2018 6:17:57 PM PST by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: SMGFan

I was eleven and this was my sister’s ninth birthday. Also the night before the Star Wars holiday special was shown for its first and only time


17 posted on 11/18/2018 6:42:12 PM PST by Sybeck1
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To: SMGFan

Ryan was building a house just half a mile from where we lived, he would have been our second closest neighbor. He died before it was finished.


18 posted on 11/18/2018 6:47:19 PM PST by tiki
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To: hardspunned

Good one


19 posted on 11/18/2018 6:59:05 PM PST by Michael.SF. (California: knowingly give someone aids: misdemeanor. Give them a straw, go to jail.)
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To: M-cubed

and Jonestown IS the event that coined that phrase.


20 posted on 11/18/2018 7:06:13 PM PST by stylin19a (Best.Election.Of.All.Times.Ever.In.The.History.Of.Ever)
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