To Whom it may concern,
My name is David Parker Wise. I was a pastor of the Los Angeles Branch of the People’s Temple until I left under protest as Jim Jones began to lose his mind. I announced he was headed on a road to destroy himself but I never dreamed that he would take everyone else with him. I have desired to go to memorial services before but was not interested in going to an event that was dominated by the Norwoods. When I came out of hiding I called Mrs. Norwood because she was doing the ceremonies and asked her if she could put me through to other survivors who could identify who I am. She refused to help me and acted to block my contact with others. At the time this occurred the FBI was investigating me and they asked me to come up with proof that I am who I say. In the meanwhile the FBI informed me that they had verified my identity and my previous position in the Peoples Temple. Through Juanell Smart, my former wife I was told about the Alternative Considerations site and Mac and Becky. My experience in the end was that Mrs. Norwood had misused her position to block human justice. I do not know why she would have chosen to obstruct compelling human and social rights but I see she is still misbehaving by blocking your memorial services.
When I warned people to leave the church, they chose to stay. At least in my case, I can say that most people chose to ignore warnings to the contrary and stay with Jim Jones to the end. The unthinkable notion of a mass suicide is looked at by Mrs. Norwood as a murder that completely victimized her relatives. In fact recordings exist where people got on the microphone and voted for the mass suicide as opposed to a defection to Russia. This tragic event is marked in history. It has been a great tragedy that Mrs. Norwood has used this historic event to milk the limelight from the world media while blocking the ability for others to have proper justice and closure.
I performed many funerals in the Peoples Temple. I was trained with the wording that would speak to the hearts of the people that died there. I would love to come and do a eulogy some time in the future and make it an event for all of the survivors as well as the film crews. My object would be to offer closure in ways that have never been allowed by Mrs. Norwood.
Sincerely yours,
David Parker Wise