This tape was transcribed by Connor Ashley Clayton. The editors gratefully acknowledge his invaluable assistance.
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Jones: Why– Why, man, are we going all over it? So, this is a– this is a– we are in a– a Cold War getting hotter. [Unintelligible] reported it today and of course the government’s not in session and they’re not in residence. And, uh, personally I’m– I’m sure they’re making contact tonight, uh, I’ve earlier tonight made contact with some of our dear friends at the head of the party, and uh, Doctor [Ptolemy] Reid, the Deputy uh– Deputy Prime Minister, and other important officials like the head of immigration. But it’s a serious business that they would move up– step it up, and we have the memo in our hands. It’s not a theory, not something that’s important to us, we have the memo. From the States. We had to see it with our own eyes before we would operate on it, we had to know that this is for real. And here it says, “All Mail Return to Sender”. Any mail from Guyana– for Guyana. Return it to sender. Or, in some cases – like the Social Security – send it to such-and-such an office. They put various stamps on it to where they want the mail to go. They don’t– Sometimes they don’t send it back to sender. Sometimes if they want to see what’s in the mail, they send it someplace else. Up at [unintelligible] they send it back to the– to whatever department has their stamp on them. It’s a clear order. It’s very clearly written up to the Postal Department– and the Postal Department– I never did know that Social Security had any authority over the Postal Department, but you find out a hell of a lot of things when you live outside and look at that big fascist monster. You find out a lot of things about that fascist monster that you don’t see inside.
Female voice in crowd: That’s right.
Jones: Social Security’s not supposed to be able to order the Postal Department what to do. But, uh– and then they– they ordered the Social Security Department’s Interpol– that’s an international police, and not even a United States police, made up of Nazis. And they’re ordering everybody around. They’re telling– they’re giving the orders to what the [unintelligible word] what the United States’ supposed to do. It’s a very weird, weird situation, where a Nazi police of the leading capitalist countries are actually telling governmental agencies what to do and what not to do. Not US police, but uh– not US FBI, but Interpol, which is more and more in our finding is uh, synonymous with CIA. We are finding ourselves right in the hotbed of the CIA. And this, which is no surprise to us. We had been in the Treasury Department, we had been in the Los Angeles Police Department and the San Francisco Police Department, and we’ve got in a new one now. I’ve forgotten what it is, some institute connected with the American University, that’s doing a lot of dirty work for the government. Supposed to be a university training people in, uh, uh– to train them abroad, but we find out it’s a– it’s a secret arm of the conspiracy. And, uh, that may not alarm some people here, but it uh– some of you who are yawning and uh, playing around here, you may get to die in another few hours. Now how’s that bore you? [Short laugh under breath] I notice it got mighty quiet now [stumbles]. [Speaking frantically] All of you looking at me now, aren’t ya. Hmm. You’re all looking at me real– real good right now. There may be a hole for every one of us.
Unidentified male: That’s right.
Crowd: Right.
Jones: How’s that bomb you? Say, “I’ll go back.” They won’t let you go back. No matter what you wanna do, won’t let you. They start some goddamn war, they won’t– won’t let you. And that’s a war, when you start meddling with people’s mail. When you tell a whole government that they cannot get their mail. When you tell all the people in a country that they cannot get their mail. That’s not just the United States, [unintelligible word] that’s a whole lotta people who earn Social Security over there in– in the United States, hundreds of people retire here after they’ve made their living over there, ‘cause they can’t stand the racism. So, that’s pretty serious business. And what it means? Time will tell. At least it means that we will, uh, uh, get to– we won’t have to wait on the sadness of the graveyard, and we won’t have to go through the hell that I had to go through last night, the hell I don’t have to go through any more, because I just had a little sensation that it wouldn’t be done just exactly like it ought to be done, and I have to go through that hell with the– with the stalwart comrade [Lynetta Jones], who’d been uh– I suppose through life the best friend I had had, and indeed was the best friend you’d had, because she allowed me to be yourprotector at the point of never even feeling free to develop any kind of faith or accepting a healing from me. I had to work with her so hard to keep her from a stroke the other night, when she was in that stroke, because I, uh– you could just feel her resistance to me. She didn’t want me– to take any energy from me, she couldn’t come to me because she couldn’t stand the pain in me, the terrible pain that people put me through. She couldn’t stand it, she couldn’t stand the betrayal. And the little lady’s gone, and I had to stand there and watch the– all the nails be put in the coffin just right. And then I had to stand there as a communist. When some of you fuckers are stealers, thieves, I have to stand there as a communist and take the clothes from her that I– that others had slipped on her, trying to do right, by me, but it’s not communistic because the dead can’t wear clothes. ‘Cause that was a hellish pain to me to have to go through that mess, and I don’t wanna go through that mess anymore, and each time one of you would go, if you didn’t follow my teachings, uh, you c– couldn’t accept healing or you didn’t believe in it, uh, that’s what I’ll have to do, I’d have to see that you were then– then, to see that they were put in there right and not just treated like uh, a bag of flour. And there was a number of factors that had c– caused me concern, and I had a thought that there’d be some old scraps that would have padded the box well, but there was nothing in the box at all, but just a– just a kind of a– uh, something draping it. I didn’t want coloration, I just sort of wanted something for two-fold reasons, that would be soft to the– to the, uh, box. I suppose a little bit of the– the illusionary– the say, resurrection– I don’t– I’ve seen everything else happen. I– I– it wouldn’t be as soft as that, but what was more concerning to me was that some fool later trying to say that we’d done something to her, which she could have been dug up and there would have been no sores. I wanted her padded, but that wasn’t done, that wasn’t done. I wanted, uh, I wanted her to be– because there wasn’t a mark on her body. We’ve given good medical care. And the same with Emmet [Griffith]– that Emmet, uh, his wife [Mary Magdaline Griffith] didn’t want him moved at times, and wouldn’t even have a slight little bruise on him, but you have to move patients. And– and– and if they won’t uh, let you move them– you must move them. Because you don’t– there’s far more pain they’ll develop from these horrible decubiti, the bed sores that eat right into their bone. And there’s nothing so painful– they never heal on people who are laying. And uh, so we– we saw that– that she didn’t have a mark on her body, and I thought, well, we could– maybe we could be inventive and find some old sacks or some old pieces of rag, but uh, when I got in, all, uh, all I saw was a– was a curtain. And perhaps I didn’t communicate myself, and very likely, so I didn’t make any issue of it, but it was hell to go through. And I saw a good pair of socks, and I thought, well, there is– uh, here’s a mother over here that she’s standing in line who could use that pair of socks. I couldn’t put those warm for us– good, brand-new socks on her. But, the hell to have to go through and take that off– I don’t give a shit about facing a war, it, uh– to me, anything– I went through as much hell as I’d want to last night, from the years on back, that capped it all, uh, what I had to go through last night, and I thought, they never will get these nails in there. I had to stand, and, uh, just in my feeling and it was right– I– I was right in my feeling, to see that it was done just like it ought to be done. And I know that my son, uh, Stephan [Jones], felt the same kind of compunction over there at the grave, uh, did an ex– excellent job, to see that dirt would not go down on the remains, and, uh, to be sheltered that he will do with each of you if that were to happen, if you didn’t believe in healing or couldn’t follow medical advice, as my mom just couldn’t doit– she wouldn’t do it. She’s a strong-willed stubborn soul. And, uh, I– she coulda had many more years but, uh, she just, uh, umm-umm [No]. She had her way of doing things. And that– that at one point worked great things for you and me, in the sense that she stood up against the FBI for hours and hours and hours, and it worked great things for you and me. And a lot of you folk are good folk, but you just won’t listen to anything medically. We walk around with tons of f– flesh on your– on your bones and expect me in the last minute to heal you. No, I can’t. Can’t.
Crowd: Murmured affirmation
Jones: When you don’t follow instructions, and you don’t listen to what I tell you, you walk around just begging for a stroke and begging for a high, uh– high, uh, hypertension and diabetes, don’t expect me to pull some kind of uh, a, uh, wand, a miracle, and pull a stunt, and something out of the grab bag at the last minute, and say “Well, I’ll do as I please if Father’s gonna heal me,” no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You have a right to go up there and eat like a dog, but you also have a right then to die.
Crowd: Right!
Jones: Because I can’t do anything about that. I can’t do anything about it. I do more than any on– on Earth has ever done, and ever– anyone– a human being will be able to do. I have seen resurrection from me, and I know it never existed from anybody else, and I doubt if anybody else will be able to do it that comes down the road. I have done phenomenon that astounded me, and phenomenon that don’t mean a damn to me, and perhaps that’s just exactly why it doesn’t. Other than the few times I’ve saved people from para– paralysis, or strokes, or my mom like I did two nights before, from being paralysed. That would’ve been a crime, to see her uh, unable to talk, or unable to move, one side unable to even, uh, barely more than listen, and her tongue hanging out from complete paralysis, and, all this, the saliva going down her throat, down her face, and down her clo– uh, her gown, that woulda been a hell. I did pull her out of that, but, in that beautiful will of hers, she even resisted that, she didn’t want any part. Didn’t want to take from me, didn’t want to take from me, didn’t want to take from me. And only thing she’d ever talked to me about, was uh, the time I came by for one day, since I been here, I got to lay down for an hour and rest. And she talked to me once, and said, “Jim, you got to rest, my son, you got to rest on my bed.” And that was the way she looked at me. And as she told different ones of you, like Tish [Leroy], “I could never become as a child to him. Everybody else is a child to him.” She said, “I can’t be– I’m going to be the mother. And I’d have to be the child to him to receive from him. I’d have to be the child to receive healing. And I can’t think in those ways, I can’t take the energy from him.” She believed I could do it for you. And indeed would do it in times, in the matter of pneumonia, she put the cloth on. Said she’d wouldn’t [unintelligible word] extra care. She’d wear the cloth, you know. But, uh, to get the kind of faith, and then also to get the kind of structure– ‘cause she’s strong willed. She just did not want to– The night that she died, I told her, “Mom, you’ve got to change that position. You’re laying in the wrong position.” “I don’t want to be bothered, I don’t want to be bothered.” I said, “Well, Mother, I love you, it’s your business, it’s your business, but–” She said, “I don’t want to be bothered,” and she looked up at uh– at Cheryle [Darnell McCall], I think, and I know– Esther [Mueller], and she said, uh– she said “Will you tell these two ladies, will you tell these two ladies that I want them sitting in peace!” Well, that was my mother. But they were trying to help her, because she was– she was leaning on that toilet, and uh, sitting on that toilet too long, and bent over, and I knew it, and I was trying to get her to move, and trying, but I thought then, it’s better that she have peace. Better to sit here in peace. Because you can’t change– And I said that to my mom, and I say it to you, “It’s hard to change people. Can’t teach old dogs – sweet, lovely, loyal, old dogs – hard to teach old dogs new tricks.”
Crowd: Murmured affirmation.
Jones: They just don’t want to listen to you. So she knew more about how she wanted to sit on the toilet, and she made her decision, she– she had that right to die. She was– She having trouble getting her breath, and she worried about everything. And the major one– the major things that was done to her was to worry her with some of the things around here. People always go in and tell her, when something happened to me or– or we’re in some kind of a crisis and when the two [likely Brian Davis and Tommy Bogue] ran away, they had to tell her, and she worried about that for hours, had a major attack. And then her next major attack is when uh, something happened here to me and Stephan, and when Stephan suffered the most, and– So, some people here with a big mouth just kinda helped kill her, and our enemies out there helped kill her, because she just didn’t have the will to fight all that. She worried too much about the people she loved. I have that same problem. I have that same problem. So, you have to worry and watch that you don’t worry me too much, as I worry about all of you. But, uh, actually, when I think they’re going to put– give us no choices, and it means that we’re maybe able to fight for Guyana, or fight those– uh, those fascists outside and those inside that may have those CIA connections, and fight with the good socialist leaders of this country and actually a ba– a physical battle– it doesn’t bother me at all. [unintelligible phrase], you’d sure wake up when we’d talk about that, because you– that means that a good half of you will die. Right on the spot. You won’t have any choices, one way or the other, about that. Some of the others, you may run and you may bolt, but you– you’ll still die sometime. And we who die first– because some of us will not uh– will not bolt and will not run, and we’ll run up and then meet it and if we run out of guns, and we run out of a weapon, and we run out of a cutlass, they’ll still have to kill us. [Wnintelligible word] make somebody kill you, you can make somebody kill you.
Crowd: Applause, cheers.
Jones: Peace. You certainly can make somebody kill you. And then, if you don’t like what they’re going to do, and I’m about to– to tell them, to tell them, listen, tell them on that radio, they better release those Social Security things, tell them there’s gonna be a– there’s gonna be a fast, we will put on a fast, every one of us– we seniors will put on a fast and we will not eat. And they’ll have to come out here and make us eat.
Crowd: Applause, cheers
Jones: Peace. You hear what I’m saying? I didn’t say our children. But some of us will put on a fast. By God, we– we will be heard and we’ll get right on that radio and tell ‘em a– all over the fuckin’ world that we’re gonna fast, ‘til we get our goddamn money.
Crowd: Applause, cheers
Jones: We got a right to do that. Peace. And before we starve, I’ll have some other things, but I won’t tell it over the radio. Next thing we’ll do, we’ll keep that little trade secret. But I’m– I’m certainly not gonna let us stand here and starve to death to suit the fascists. [Short laugh] But we’ll tell ‘em we’re gonna fast a while, and we will, we’ll make it nervous, we’ll make some– we’ll make some headlines in certain parts of the world, if the capitalist world ignore us. And even they like the story, they like to hear about socialists that are s– uh, that are fasting, going [stumbles] without their food, so, they’ll write a little bit about that. And I’m sure they’ll write about the next, uh, second and the third and the fourth stages of it. Mm-hmm [Yes]. ‘Cause I got some– I got it all laid out. You know, some of you plan about, oh, you know, who you’re going to marry, and the relationship committee, and who you’re going to fuck. I got a lot of plans too. My– I ain’t thinking about fucking– I’m thinking about raping.
Crowd: Applause, cheers.
Jones: Peace. And I ain’t thinking about dicks and vaginas. Got different folks who are gonna visit us in different times. I got all kinds of, uh, programs. Based upon how– what kind of a birthday party they want, or what kind of an anniversary they want, when all these distinguished people come through. And some of you are too naïve, you don’t know what I mean, what– what Jim Jones is all about, you can’t even follow him. You haven’t even– you haven’t even smelled where he’s at, yet– much less followed him. You don’t even know who he is, and you might miss him if you didn’t have a real good look at him, you wouldn’t even know who he looked like. You really haven’t got next to him, but I’ve got all kinds of things in store. They better release that goddamn money, because I don’t die easy. That’s one thing I refuse to do, I don’t die easy. I don’t accommodate my enemies. I raise a lot of hell when they start taking your rights away, when they start doing things to you that are not right, I like to make ‘em lot of hell ‘em.
Crowd: Scattered applause
Jones: Peace. You– you who are stupid pissants, and reptiles, and lord of the primates, you can make the whoopie, if you want. But, uh, your whoopie makes me sicky. And so you can make your whoopie while I do something that’s far more significant. You fuck– you can’t hardly get it on in the first place anyone [unintelligible word] with you don’t know what you had. But I surely will know, if they keep fucking with you, I will know what’s gone take place. I got me some big plans. Big here, there, and everywhere. Mm-hmm.
Crowd: Applause
Jones: Got lots of plans. I only just have to just gargle right over the radio, and all hell’ll break loose. Not quite that s– significantly. But just– just one word, to one person. And another word to another person. And it sounds like aimless little talk about the sunshine. But if I start that conversation, the whole fuckin’ world’s gonna know that wecame along. And I may lose a lot of my memory, but I won’t lose those words. One word starts one group to praying, another word starts another group to praying, another word starts some other group to praying, another word starts some little old sister on her way to shopping in San Francisco to go some other plane. [Pause] [Short laugh] Yeah.
Crowd: Light applause
Jones: [Pause] They wanna get off that– off our fucking backs. That– these– these people earned this money. You–
Unidentified woman: too quiet
[Tape edit]
Jones: –serious about it. Now I don’t know, I been through this shit so much, I don’t know what to do with this shit. [Pause] They’re here telling these people– it– outrageous. I don’t know. Here we go again, this is shit about the time [unintelligible word]. I– I want to hear from the good man back there, Ron [unintelligible], some of you people are so outrageous [stumbles over words, unintelligible] not gone be very well. Yes, uh, you were here to say something, Ron.
[Tape edit]
Jones: [Stumbles over words] –talk about death? Sure, it’s all pressures. It’s pressures– intimidating pressures. Pressures pressures pressures pressures. ‘Cause they tried all kinds of shit already. They threaten them with the International Monetary Fund. We– we’re fairly secure, you can feel reasonably secure, with the government, the– the present government, unless they throw a coup d’etat, you know. Unless they just think they come in with napalm bombs– then what the fuck do we– uh, they haven’t been able to do that in Africa, so I doubt they’re going to risk it over here, uh, they, uh, got thrown out of Vietnam. The United States is slightly hesitant to start another one because that’s when the young boys – the narcissistic boys and their mamas – start protesting. That’s the only reason we got out of Vietnam, because our people wouldn’t tolerate that war anymore. And we don’t know how to win ‘em anyway. We never win at jungle warfare. We lost it in Cambodia, we lost it in Vietnam, and they’re afraid of having jungle warfare anywhere ‘cause they lose every goddamn place they go. The United States just doesn’t have the belly, and uh, the steel, the spine, to fight a war in a jungle. So, uh, they’ll have to do it in all kinds of monkeyshine like they’re pulling right now. And they tried uh, innumerous pre– innumerable places. They promised uh, bad press, and they promised good press. They told this government that they would tear them up with– in the press, or they told them they would, uh, build ‘em– they’d build them up if they, uh, pushed us out. Got rid of our– the association with us. But they’re very, very afraid of a radical, communist group in their northwest district. They’re very afraid of that– uh, the United States is, and the imperialists. Not this government. Because the Prime Minister [Forbes Burnham] turned right around and said that we were indispensable to the security of Guyana. Now I haven’t fully asked him about what all the hell that meant, but I– I can figure it means quite a bit. That’s a strong statement. We are– uh, we are committed– we are committed to Peoples Temple’s existence in our northwest district. I’m quoting several top-notch people, government people, and one of the best lawyers in the country– uh, there are three different quotes that are in my mind. One of them, as I said, uh, “We are committed to the existence of Peoples Temple in our northwest district. Peoples Temple’s survival in the northwest district is indispensable to Guyana”. Now that’s indispensable. You can’t– that means they’re not gonna spend that. They needthat. They want that. Now why they want it, I don’t know. There’s a struggle inside any country – always – there’s just some CIA elements and there are some right-wing elements. They’re small though. The greatest, uh– the greatest bulk of the leadership, the power leadership of this party – the Peoples National Congress – are Marxist-Leninist. But you got some dudes in there that are not. And those dudes, uh, have tried and they’ve connived, and there’s been conniving going on with somebody here– you got, uh– By the way, tell them that, uh, number they got from, uh, the telephone bill that we got, tell them that number’s not a telephone number, they may have forgotten it, it’s a telegram. On C.K., somebody hear that? They’ll know what I mean. C.K., huh. C.K. that number, [stumbles over words] –telephone bill, shit, yeah, I get telephone bills, I’ll get your fuckin’ drawers if I wanna find out what the hell you’re doing.
Voice in crowd: [Soft]
Jones: That’s what you have to get to do. I didn’t do that. No, I never did it in the States, but I do it now. I’ll buy whatever the hell I can get. You buy telephone bills and you find some interesting shit. Hmm? You know you can buy a telephone bill? And buy your mail? You can buy anything in the United States. [Aside] Yes, you may go to the restroom. [Continuing] You can buy anything you’ve got a price for. But after a while, I’m sick of this shit, you gotta see, I, uh, you can buy– That’s the one thing about capitalism that, uh, it’s natural seeds of decay. They love money. They’ll even take communists’ money if it’s big enough. You follow what I’m saying?
Crowd: Affirmation
Jones: They’ll get– they’ll take communist money, they’ll take our money, to give uh– give us information on Customs. They’ll take our money to give us information about the FBI. Don’t tell me they won’t, because I’ve already got it. They take my money, to get me information on what that criminal [Joe] Mazor is doing. They’ll take mymoney to give me information on who Grace Stoen– Grace Stoen is talking to. And don’t spare her neck. She is a evil bitch. Oh yes, all kinds of little connections she’s had, all kinds of connections, from White Socialist Council, Klu Klux Klan, Mafia, tried everything they could to get everything they– anybody– anybody they can get on our back, she’s tried it. And don’t spare Mr. Tim Stoen, too, he– he’s also, all these motherfuckers, they talked about some of the best things that ever did. The– The pride of our life, wasn’t what we did in the church building, it was a few things that we did that caused little babies not to get bombed in Vietnam. I’m not going back over that shit, ‘cause some of you don’t– you don’t remember it. I spelled it right out, when I thought the world might come to an end three years ago, or four, I spelled it out just plain as day, but I– I stopped, I stopped bombs from dropping on babies. And I’m not sorry about that, but old Tim Stoen, by God, we got his bill, and son of a bitch, and Grace Stoen, they both talked all about that, about four hours, that shit they talked – blah blah blah blah blah – they talked. And, uh, so, why don’t we hear about it? Well, they don’t wanna give us quite that honor, because if they took us down for what I really am, I’ll be the only leader in the whole fuckin’ western world, you see, and then they– they’re a little hesitant to do that.
Voice in crowd: Yeah!
Jones: They’re hesitant to give me my credits for stopping trains and stopping bombs and that kind of shit. They’re a– They’re a little hesitant to do that, because if they do, there’s nobody else left in America that stands for people and lifts the cause of uh, revolution, and then they would automatically give me– and I’d get a tag of being a revolutionary. Even though the sentence for the crime that they could charge me with would be death. They’re still unwilling to give me a– uh, charge me with a crime that would honor me amongst the revolutionaries of the world, and that oughta give you some encouragement. That’s where revolution’s coming in the world. There’s enough revolutionary sentiment, they do not wanna give Jim Jones credit for some of the best things he did. They’ve told all kinds of shit, but they do not wanna give credit for the one thing. And if you remember that one, spectacular thing, maybe you don’t – wake up honey, you’ll fall off that chair – they don’t want to [unintelligible word, sounds like “shoot” or “suit”] yourself. They don’t wanna give me credits for a thing that would make us revolutionary. Clearly, even though I’d be the most wanted person in the United States. You know I could be sentenced to death, and called a uh– an espionage agent, or called a traitor. A traitor to capitalists. I sure am. I’m a traitor to capitalists. Any goddamn time I can get a chance, I’ll be a traitor to capitalists.
Crowd: Right!
Jones: And capitalists are undoing themselves, ‘cause they’re leading me closer and closer to the ones that are behind all this shit, ‘cause capitalists will fink on each other if you pay them. I– Don’t tell me, I know, I’m doing it! Say, you use your metaphysical gifts. I’ll tell you when I used my gifts. Every time I healed you of cancer, every time I opened a blind eye, when I open– [stumbles] the, uh, the miracles, and cured paralysis on my mom and cured the paralysis on this Williams boy, all those marvellous things, all those things, and when you’ve went to town like Rose Peterson, with cancer all over your body, and your lymph glands, and then you get there and the doctor says, “I am perplexed. Your pastor has done some work, he’s been praying for you, I– You don’t need me now.” All they did was send her across to Suriname – to another country – for radiation ‘cause it was too late, nothing more could be done, and then all of a sudden– [unintelligible word] that’s me. I don’t have– I can’t pay no capitalist to do that shit. That takes a lot of energy for me to do that, you see, that takes a lot of energy. So if I can pay some motherfucking capitalists to give me a phone bill, I’ll pay that. [Unintelligible aside] Don’t give me no shit. I can get anything I want to buy. And I know how to buy it. I got people back there doing that, too. I got folks back there that don’t– don’t act socialist. They walkin’ around feeding and dining, and wining, and you’d think they were some high classy chassis in the social set.
Crowd: Delayed affirmation
Jones: And some people, you don’t– you don’t know. You don’t know when you gonna wake up– You’re gonna commit treason, you better be sure you know who you’re dealing with. ‘Cause after we’re all dead over here, you might go to a social party, after you trying to, uh, get your little reward, your little thirty pieces of silver, for selling out the greatest people on Earth. And you walked in with the Judas tribe and the wife of Judas might be one of the ladies I’ve laid to make a socialist.
Crowd: Cheers, applause
Jones: And she might give you a slow poison in your champagne.
Crowd: Right!
Jones: [Stumbles over words] I like these little fuckers– I like to look at you now, ‘cause you don’t know how clever I am. One thing you’ve all done is underestimate me. I made plans for treason long ago, ‘cause I knew I couldn’t trust enough of you. I knew I couldn’t trust anything but communism and the principle in me. Yes, restroom. I knew that that’s what I had to depend upon, not to depend upon the [unintelligible], and never put all your eggs in one basket. Said honey, I put my eggs– I laid my [unintelligible] in many places.
Crowd: Applause
Jones: Now you figure that out if you want to. [Pause] Now I can go get me information that I need, when I need it. [Melodic] Happy days are here again. Think about that, honey, when you think about selling out.
Crowd: Murmurs
Jones: Go back to New York, you won’t be safe. You go back to California, you won’t be safe. You go to Pennsylvania, you won’t be safe. Your ass ain’t gonna be safe. Don’t pull no shit. Say, they’re all getting by– they’re only getting by, only one reason, all I have to do is go [makes “puck” noise]. I’m just trying to get my people out without anymore trouble. [Laugh under breath] Yeah, yeah, that– That’s true. Talking in code there, uh, talking in tongues. Anybody understand– Anybody want to question just what I’d said? I’m– I’m sure that some of you ought to question, ‘cause some of you got ideas that you’re gonna pull sometime, that you’re gonna regret. ‘Cause if I were in the grave, if I was out there, parked out there with my beloved mother, that I had to nail, I’m a man, in many ways, of steel, though I feel every ache and pain. The suffering is intense. It’s more real than you, ‘cause you don’t feel like I feel about people. You’re learning, some of you, but you haven’t come where I’m at. You don’t have that loyalty, that terrible feeling of pain with every breath that someone takes when they’re sick. It gets to me. And so, honey, I’ve made long, long plans to take care of these people I’ve tried to protect. These beloved people that’ve given so much. You better let them live in peace. Better not fuck over. Better not fuck over. You better hope I keep talking to you. ‘Cause when I stop talking to you, and I start calling up some of my uh, aces in the hole– and I will, thank you, [unintelligible name]. It’ll be dangerous business, then. Sister right and sister left. [Pause] But you can’t put me in the grave and get away from me.
Crowd: Calls of affirmation
Jones: [Stumbles over words] That old song used to be a lie. You singing, “lay in the grave he arose, low in the grave he lay, but up from the grave he arose, with a mighty triumph over his foes.”[1]
Crowd: Right!
Jones: You could plant me out there, but I’m not gonna let it be, you see. You plant my momma and some of those good people– some of those good people laid down their– their– their mantle, uh-uh [No]. Won’t make a difference if we’ve all laid down our mantle. You could run out through that field, you could run out through that field after we’ve all laid down, fighting the capitalists, if they ever chose to get in here. But I wouldn’t worry about that, ‘cause I’ve got lots and lots of tricks up my sleeve. But anyway, if the worst were to come to the worst, and you were to run away, and you were to get away – if they came in here – you couldn’t, you’ve seen folks try to run away before, but the government’s on our side, you [unintelligible word]– you watch that. You watch folk try to go through a jungle and end up with their arm cut off, so somebody can get their ring. And you heard the news the other night when I read to you about somebody up at Matthews Ridge, they talk a walk up in– a fucking crocodile, that, uh, had somebody inside it. [Stumbles over words] And so if you take a walk now, you’re in lots of distress. But say, they come in – the United States use some fascist army around us – to come in here and invade us, and they made a path through the jungle so you could walk, and get a– get a boat so no snakes could get to you for a little while. And you got all the way back to New York, or Chicago, or Detroit, or Miami, or Philadelphia, or Los Angeles, or San Francisco, or any other place, I just na– named a few. You won’t get by.
Crowd: Murmured response
Jones: Anybody think of why that should be? Anybody got any questions about such a policy? [Pause] Anybody got any questions why that policy should be invoked? I think that’s a fair policy. When people’ve given their all, we’ve gone through hell and high water and sacrificed, put our everything together. Some going around– going around– they never want to have one thing that somebody else doesn’t have, and share their last bit of this or that. And give away things, while others keep hiding things back. Giving up their watches so they can bring in more food. You think I’m gonna let somebody betray that? Nuh-uh. When some of us have had to put the nails in our own loved one’s coffin, and then have to see that they got buried right and put the dirt on them. Umm-umm. Ain’t gonna forget. Anybody got any questions about such a policy? Everybody understand the policy? Are you sure you understand the policy? Then be careful. ‘Cause Santa Claus is checking his list. Going over it twice, seeing who’s naughty and who’s nice. [Long pause] I’m all ready for about ten infantry divisions, and a regiment. I’m in good shape. How about you?
Crowd: Applause, cheers. [Pause]
Jones: [Unintelligible sentence, quiet] Get after that situation. [Unintelligible] –get therapy. It’s all right. Any other questions? I gave you a mouthful there, with an earful. I– You must have some questions, shit. I– You couldn’t have got all I said. The old girl’s out, huh? [Pause] Oh, she looks sick. Can’t s– can’t hold it. And she might be dead, baby, check on her. The old bitch deserves to be dead. Hmm. [Pause] Some people fucking with me, you know. It don’t play to fuck with somebody that’s got a live wire.
Crowd: Applause, “No!”
[Tape edit]
Jones: Right? Can’t revive folk when they uh, ornery as hell.
Unidentified male: That’s right!
Jones: That’s one old bitch I won’t have to deal with tonight, I’m glad for that. We’re all glad for one confrontation we won’t have to deal with.
Crowd: Applause, calls
Jones: [Small laugh] It’s– It’s wonderful. You say, “that’s a bad way to have ‘em behave”. No, no, if you knew what I know. Some of you know what I’m talking about. These people that can accuse us of taking their things, and then go around and steal. They steal off everybody else under the sun. They stole to get the stuff that they got to get here, then they get pissed ‘cause they had to turn it over. Mmm-mmm [Yes]. Mm-mm.
Crowd: Murmured affirmation.
Jones: Ohh, lord God, it’s a good thing to believe in communism. Don’t believe in people, ‘cause communism is a goal I can reach. Say, nobody was ever gonna reach it. I did. You see every now and then some beautiful seniors pushing at it, and some kids around here doing a good job. You watch for ‘em. You look at a lot of shitheads, you’ll find ‘em here, there’re a shithead– two, three shitheads for every one good head.
Crowd: Right.
Jones: But as long as you can find one good head, you can’t make any excuses, so you got– Your light has come– light’s come. Communism– it is right and fair. You know it’s only right, that everybody should share equally.
Crowd: Right!
Jones: You know it’s right that people shouldn’t [unintelligible]
Crowd: Murmured response
Jones: You watch their faces, you can [unintelligible word] too well. [Unintelligible – quiet]. Ain’t gonna have to worry about them. Oh, yeah, yeah, but, when it’s your mother, and you got to take them off, it’s not the fact that socks are for people, I don’t worship the body, I know that her mind’s going on, and immortally on, eternally on, in perpetuity on, and if she wants another body, I can arrange that, if she wants one. But it’s, uh– You know it’s sincerely right, that you couldn’t put any good socks, brand new socks, on somebody’s feet when there some folk here don’t have brand new socks. ‘Cause some folks hoarding them.
[Tape edit]
Jones: Though good, you have [unintelligible] reported about you. You also said that if this was a prison, it wouldn’t be hard to overthrow the guard. Oh, well, Jair [Baker] [makes melody through teeth] ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. It ain’t a prison, but it would be a hell of a time to overthrow the guards, Jair. [Light, but threatening] If I were you, I’d watch that shit. Watch that shit. ‘Cause I got some weapons that you can’t see. [Pause] Only one to mess with you all night, Jair. Just be happy you’re not with Penny [Kerns]. ‘Cause it’s kept [unintelligible] life. Me or you, but I’ll do it. If they try to sneak some food off his plate onto someone else’s– look, you either caught him or you report him. Jair [unintelligible word] about living area and clothes. You see, son, when you do better with a Penny, then you need a Penny. You need a Penny. Obviously need a Penny. Sadie try– Sadie caught him, huh? Say the crime.
Unidentified woman: [Unintelligible] uh, I– There was so many girls there and I thought it was her, but it was the girl, it was the uh– Linda Mitchell, uh, Linda Mitchell was the girl saying Yvonne somebody– Yvonne Mor–
Jones: Golden or Mor– Mor–?
Unidentified woman: Yvonne Morrison, and she’s on security right now, but–
Jones: Mhm-hmm [Yes]. Be sure to get all the things done right. I don’t like anything written up that’s not, to me, done right.
Unidentified woman: Stumbling over words, unintelligible] uh– the important thing [unintelligible] tried to get it corrected.
Jones: Well, you need to get back there and get it corrected, after you turn it in, honey, that’s no excuse.
Unidentified woman: I will, Jim. Thank you.
Jones: Mm-hmm. What about it– What’d he do, [stumbles] give his food to somebody?
Unidentified woman: Uh, he uh– he had a plate of rice, and then, uh, I said Jair, I said, “How come you not ate your rice yet?” Uh, he said, uh, he was trying to [unintelligible] it was a plate of rice, heated on the back of some– some squash on it–
Jones: Mm-hmm–
Unidentified woman: And then he had a plate of rice, and they took [unintelligible] was gonna take it outside, and [unintelligible]. I said– you know, I asked him, whose plate is that? And then so, uh, he said– And then he say– he said he don’t know. And then so he started putting rice– he started to put his rice on that plate, and then I said– I said, well how come you put the rice–
Jones: [Unintelligible aside]
Unidentified woman: –on that plate then? He now going, like, uh, the green squash [unintelligible] was his, but he wasn’t going to eat the rice, you know, so he put his rice, he put the rice on the plate where the squash is, and he says he’s going to, you know, [unintelligible] all the stuff that’s still on that plate. And then so I told him–
Jones: [Interrupting] Lotta things can be done [unintelligible]. There’s some meals that were thrown away, uh, a whole uh, pot of food. Somebody throwing some food– and I’m in a very, very, uh, dangerous mood. I’m starting some slow whammies tonight, and I’m starting some more rapid ones. Better keep your eyes on me, little girl. I’d get my eyes straight so I can see me, right behind the post, I’d look right– straight at me, that’s the best thing, to keep your eyes on me and not the post. [Clicks tongue] ‘Cause I’ve run out of patience with you, my old girl. That’s rough when I run out of patience. [Pause] And I’ve run out of patience with a lot of you people ‘cause I love you, and I’ve tried to reason with you. I’ve– nobody on Earth to reason with you. Now there’s something wrong with the rice? Is there something wrong with the rice round here? You people don’t like the rice? All you have do is raise the complaints and we’ll see what we can do about the rice. The rice is good. Did you not season the [unintelligible word], what’s wrong with the rice?
Jair: Uh, nothing, Father, it’s just that it had some– it had two bits of cassava in there, I just–
Jones: Two bits of cassava?
Jair: –cassava and like–
Jones: You don’t like cassava?
Jair: Yes, I do, but, uh, I think it’s, it’s– sometimes it gets a little too starchy so I– I didn’t, I didn’t wanna eat it.
Jones: [unintelligible] How– how many don’t like cassava and rice mixed together? [Pause] All right, all right, it’s all right. Come on, put your hands up, I’d, uh, I [Stumbles over words] you tell me what you’d like, and don’t like– I love you. Neither– neither do a lot of folk, it seems. Just don’t mix no more cassava and rice.
Crowd: Murmured affirmation, acknowledgment
Jones: Okay. Then you put the cassava on one side and the rice on another, and if the folk want the cassava, they– they will take it, you see? I, uh, I want you to have [Stumbles over words]– if that many people don’t like rice and cassava, I don’t mind. You see that doesn’t make you a– a treason– a treasonous person. I– I think you should eat it, now that you’ve had it, and you shoulda known how to get the correction to me, you should know how to make– this is what a Peoples Rally is for, to say, “I– I like such and such and such and such”. Or we, we– [stumbles over words] what, we got the same food, for Christ’s sakes, we can make the best of it, you know. We don’t have to mix it all together like a stew. And some things mix like stew, some things don’t mix so well like a stew. And– Yes, my dear? [Pause] Little louder please. [Pause] When you [unintelligible] the cooks to what?
Voice in crowd: Murmured response.
Jones: They cleared for them to go at 10:30 to cook breakfast, now. [Stumbles over words] Why, it wasn’t asked of you, but, uh, it sounds reasonable, if you were fixing to get– to, uh, have your breakfast, if that, uh– who uh– who– who did– who did clear it?
Voice in crowd: Murmured response.
Jones: Huh? [Pause] How many are there– I don’t like anything getting us out of a Peoples Rally, but we have to on occasion. I want to have a good breakfast tomorrow. What is it? You getting pork? You putting some pork on the plate tomorrow, hm?
Voice in crowd: Murmured response.
Jones: Who?
Voice in crowd: Murmured response.
Jones: Ah, who are the other five, honey– ain’t no five’s with me, there’s names. There’s no note? Bertha [Unintelligible] who?
Voices in crowd: (too soft)
Jones: And what– are you putting some ham on her plate tomorrow? [Pause] [Unintelligible] put 200 pounds. I knew that didn’t make reasonable sense to me. Yeah, the sister meant well, but I mean– you know you can’t do it with no 200 pounds. 400 pounds and you get a reasonable portion. You wanna have some pork tomorrow afternoon, then?
Voice in crowd: (too soft)
Jones: You wanna have what?
[Tape edit]
Jones: –wanted to say, Jim, you tell those two young men back there– hm? [Pause]
Voice in crowd: (too soft)
Jones: Tomorrow afternoon. Okay. You gonna be at tomorrow’s meeting? Yeah, Monday. And now– then, who– who knows how to butcher so they don’t lose the most? [Stumbles over words] They only got one knows how to butcher? [Marshall] Farris? If you can stand up again so they know how to butcher, they’ll butcher this– uh, back there [trails off]. Hm?
Male in crowd: (too soft)
Jones: Brother Farris? Brother Farris? [unintelligible word] they won’t lose anything, and you can save damn near everything. Better bring some water? Hm? What is it? Pete– no, he can.
Voice in crowd: All but the hide.
Jones: All but the hide. S’ right, Helen, it’s not funny, and it tastes good. That hide oughta be– I hope to hell we’re gonna use that hide, you see, as something valuable.
Voices in crowd: (too soft)
Jones: Mmm– What do you want? You had your hand up, what do you want, Jair?
Jair: –Just wanted to suggest that, uh, oil from the hamburgers should be used for cooking. Leftover oil.
Jones: Uh. Leftover oil from the hamburger can be used for cooking. Well, we wanted to hear everything, you use everything. Okay, Jair, you know you can stay longer with Penny– the longer– don’t conduct– conduct yourself, and don’t get any ideas about overthrowing the guard. ‘Cause there’s a lot of guards you’d got to overthrow a’fore you get out to the jungle with the snakes.
Crowd: Affirmation.
Jones: What’s the matter– the little monkey. [Pause] Reuben don’t like to be nice in church? Reuben, behave yourself. What’s the matter with you, Reuben?. Can’t carry on like that. Sound a little bit like a vampire bat. But, uh, had a little viper snake come in here today and he– he– he got past the guard, and I’m telling you he didn’t look like much, but boy, he coulda knock your ass– they’d have carried you out in a coffin. ‘Bout that long [clicks tongue].
[Tape edit]
Jones: [Microphone distortion] [Reading reports] –helps. I tried getting him up at 3:30am, he helps with the w– wood, to get him used to getting up early, he– uh, has an attitude about this. Has followed all instructions and is a pleasure to have around. Has a great sense of humor, and I think he wants to get it together. Was concerned about his pattern of oversleeping and will help to correct this somewhat in the next few days. He also helps organise the clean clothes, and will come in and helps with the childrens. Sloppy around the living area. What was– What was he on there for?
Unidentified woman: –late for work.
Jones: I see. Hm? How long has he been on there?
Unidentified male: Unintelligible
Jones: Mm-hmm. Hm. Just late one time, or how often?
Unidentified male: I was late three days straight, Dad.
Jones: Mm-hmm [pause]. Are you anarchy, or very structured? Hm? Tell him, Penny’s. Okay. All right.
Voice in crowd: (too soft)
Jones: All right, all right. Now, now, now, now, now, now. [Whistles] Well, if it’s three days in a row, that’s bad business. Two days more, work good, and if no– no problems, then you’ll be off.
Unidentified male: Thank you, Dad.
Jones: Mm-hmm. Mary– Mary Griffith? Do you know while Mary’s off discipline, she chose to stay in her department while it’s functioning very well, so far as I know, and then today, I told her she could move, she said she’d prefer to stay a while. There seems to be less conflicts with her here, she helps with the children. Now that I like. I needed that. I’ve had a hell of a– hell of a day– These last few days have been bad for me. Thank you. [Tape edit] Uh, tell me, Vincent, uh, Lopez has asked to go on the, uh, karate, wanted to get off at 6. He said he needs a structure, he isn’t doing what he should be doing with uh, Marvin Kice, is that correct? I didn’t feel like he, uh, does what he wants to do. [Pause] Now, now– Oh dear. Well, we’ll let that– we’ll let that– he’ll go on– he’ll go on the karate team, but he’s off at 6, okay. Karate team here says he’s going to the night shift with Penny. He wasn’t asking to go on the night shift, was he?
Unidentified Male: No.
Jones: Okay. That’s good, I wish people would discipline themself. Picked up her ex and good attitude, keep living area most neat and clean report, [unintelligible word] the work and follows all instructions, and stopped her bossy pattern and asks if she can do things. Off tonight. Vities Cannon doing well. Works better in her patterns, pleasant to live with. [Stumbles] Most of the time follows through without continual supervision. She has been bad– but dry every night. [Unintelligible] She is good at checking in with me, and takes confrontation well. Self-criticism. That’s good. Penny, put your self-criticism– every supervisor ought to do that. Now, how long has she been on?
Penny Kerns: Uh, Vities has been on about a month now, Jim.
Jones: Hmm. Okay. Well, where does– where do you wanna try– Vities, now, please do make it, so don’t go back there. It sounds good– the report sounds good. What is she doing? Where did Vities go? [Unintelligible] Hmm?
Voice in crowd: (too soft)
Jones: Start over. Start with Jan– Jan [Wilsey] and Russell [Moten]? Fields. [Unintelligible word] Uh, are they fine? Jan? Okay? Vities? That okay? That’s good. I love the fields.
Unidentified woman: Uh, Vities also said Jan, that she said she feels very guilty over the pain that she’s caused you and she wants to try to make up for it.
Jones: Thank you. That’s sweet. That you remember all the things that I personally have said. And I appreciate her attitude. Okay. The Learning Crew. [Sighs] Whatever. Marcus Anderson, four days, work’s poor, actually– acts real elite, but he has a positive attitude after [unintelligible] but work is still the same. Now the attitude’s good, but you’re gonna have to increase the work to get off now, kids.
Marcus Anderson: Yes, Dad.
Jones: Stay with it back there, honey. Hold in there, hold in there. Hold in there. Just gotta hold in there. Having a lot of trouble holdin’ in there, are you? Just gotta hold in there, honey. That’s it– just, just hold in there. That’s good. Gotta think on Father tonight to stay with it, you know. ‘Cause you’re not in too good shape. [Long pause]. Willie Malone. Has a positive attitude all along. Also works very well. Used to stay on the crews– wishes to stay on the crew as an example. Was taken off. No problems since he’s been on the crew. That’s excellent. Wants to stay on the crew. That’s marvellous.
Willie Malone: [Quietly] Thank you, Dad.
Jones: You can stay on there by day and move by night, if you’d like.
Willie: Thank you, Dad.
Jones: I want to put down specially and take note of that. Thank you, those that have asked. Appreciate that, [unintelligible name]. It’s good, isn’t it?
Crowd: Slow response
Jones: I like to hear that.
Crowd: Applause.
Voice in crowd: Unintelligible
Jones: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, you work right on. Excellent. Excellent. Now there’s some of it marked out in blue here, on the Learning Crew. What’s this mean? It changed it, or it’s bad? [Pause] I–
[Tape edit]
Jones: Well, we’ll just go on. It means– underlined, is that what I assumed. Bad behaviour?
Voice in crowd: (too soft)
Jones: Okay.
[Tape edit]
Jones: Keep on. You’ll have improve it to get off of it, honey. David Goodwin. One week, one day. Work’s good, attitude poor. Once had to be taken to the coordinator’s off– uh, office for discipline. Working attitude– still the same. Well, we’ll continue as is. Tom Partak. Works good, but slow. Consistent, but attitude varies. Today’s pace– worked much faster. You keep that up, y– keep the pace up, and your attitude– won’t be long before you’ll be off. Okay. [unintelligible name]– One week, four days. Take a visit in the uh, jungle. Last three days work since the visit to the friend that works with us in the jungle. His working attitude– very good. Ain’t nothing like a walk through the jungle, is there, [unintelligible name]?
Young woman: Yes, Father.
Jones: Works consistently. But, today he kinda forgetting. Didn’t work as well as the last three days, just after the jungle trip. Well, you know, you have to go back. You have to go back if you slip, now. Three days is pretty good, for you. You just drop down, but if I get a report– we– you see you come off the Karate Crew to the jungle trip. And you have to use the jungle trip– jungle trip, only you’ll get more of it next time.
Young woman: Yes, Father.
Jones: You gonna be– gonna be changing this?
Young woman: Yes– Yes, Father.
Jones: Counting on it. Okay.
Young woman: Yes, Dad.
Jones: Kenny Reed, four days. Working attitude very good, works consistently, no problems at all. Hm? [Unintelligible] lopsided. What’d Kenny go on for?
Kenneth: I wasn’t on time for work, Father, and uh, made– made– made a joke out of it, uh, when [unintelligible].
Jones: Mm-hmm. What– what was your work before?
Kenneth: Working in the kitchen.
Jones: [Pause] Okay. [unintelligible word] go back if you can– in and out of these committees, then you’ll have to go back, sit– sit yourself, please. You’ll go back on the learner’s crew – the Learning Crew – if you go back on the Learning Crew. I’m gonna have to toughen up the place, with you– you– the ones that come back. Do you hear it, chaps? Gonna have to work harder. Coordinators on the Learning Crew. You hear me? [Sebastian] McMurry and [Benjamin O’Neal] Robinson, we can’t have people just running in and out of there. Now do you want to stay on there and uh, off the, uh, night, or do you wanna go back in the kitchen when you get through? You got two more days. Provided you don’t mess this, good man, [unintelligible]
Kenneth: I would– I’ll go back to the kitchen, Dad.
Jones: For two days– two more days. You keep it up– keep up the pattern. The other person that I said’s going back, in two days, uh, Ronnie Dennis, where does he go?
Voice in crowd: (too soft)
Jones: He’ll go back to land clearing, two days. Hear what I said? Okay. Just want be sure we get it straight. Jerome Anderson. First three days, work and attitude poor. Had to be taken to coordinator for discipline. Today’s work very good. Why– ‘cause we’re getting– Peoples Rally’s getting close?
Jerome Anderson: Uh, the first three days I was working slow, and I– picking– I was working slow, and I’m picking up my pace, Dad.
Unidentified male voice: Why [unintelligible]
Jerome: No reason.
Jones: Ah, there’s a reason. Any old man like your dad knows why the reason is, it’s Peoples Rally tonight.
Crowd: Agrees
Jones: Don’t bullshit us now. [Unintelligible] They all know that there’s a [unintelligible word], you know.
Jerome: That’s right, Dad.
Jones: Mm-hmm. [Pause] Well, some people never learned how, and that’s a tragedy, that you didn’t learn how to work. But don’t let me come back now and see this kind of report next time.
Jerome: Thank you, Dad–
Jones: [Interrupting] Hold on there, hold in there and do the work every day. If you wanna get off there, that’s the way to get off. It’s consistent work, all of you, every day. Working hard, and no– no mouth. And attitude good, cooperation, in every way, Mm-hmm?
Jerome: Thank you, Dad.
Jones: Mm-hmm. [Pause] Let’s see, [unintelligible]. Now left. Let’s see now, you know what that means – I presume– what that means is, uh, the age old art. That’s never turned into much of an art. On the three months of their relationship, no sex and they were already sent to discipline once for breaking the no-sex rule. Late to work, has a [unintelligible sentence] and was seen, after 7am this morning in their cottages. Hm?
Unidentified woman: Cottage area.
Jones: Cottage area. By then, breaking the no-sex rule. Let’s see, relationship committee, [unintelligible sentence as Jones skims the page he is reading from], total lack of respect for the structure that Jim has provided us. [unintelligible sentence]. See that [unintelligible name] be put on birth control, or– put on– put on birth control. Known history of this meddling around. If she’ll end up pregnant, it will be– will be due to too much trust, I guess. I don’t know what the hell– what– what makes you– what makes you guys think that you people are gonna be above the rules. Now we’ve backed off the rules and told everybody, no matter what their age, no matter what their situation, was to go in and ask– ask. You have a good work – yes – a good work improvement, now your work has been as good as uh, Poncho as hers, probably woulda been some kinda consideration with it, but you go and break rules and don’t ask anybody. I can’t– I– I don’t know how in the hell you expect me to protect the movement when you don’t keep rules. We can’t have lots of babies coming in the world. Three people in [unintelligible] babies.
Poncho: Uh, Dad, I had the preventions taken to get–
Jones: I don’t believe in that word– what is the prevention? I wanna hear it.
Poncho: I had some rubbers, Dad.
Jones: Where’d you get ‘em?
Poncho: I had– there was– there was some, that I had. I had two of them from before, and then I had another–
Unidentified male 2: Where’d you get them?
Poncho: That– it was Rose’s. Some that Tommy Lee had. Tommy Lee had– Tommy Bogue.
Jones: Interrupting, voices overlap – potential third voice: “I didn’t give you them”?] [Unintelligible]
Poncho: Tommy Bogue gave me them.
Jones: I know Tommy Bogue, I know, but how’d you get them?
Poncho: I found one of them, Dad.
[Murmured, agitated response from crowd]
Jones: You found one of them? Just where?
Poncho: It was like– back here.
Jones: You found them when they pulled them out here?
Poncho: Yes, Dad.
Jones: Oh, Jesus Christ. You found it? You know you didn’t find it, [unintelligible] you must have taken it.
Poncho: Yes, Dad.
Jones: Just like [unintelligible].
Unidentified woman: Are you trying to cheat, Poncho, because I remember before when you guys was messing around, and Tinetra [Fain] was all afraid ‘cause she thought that she might be pregnant, ‘cause you guys didn’t use any prevention. And it– and it really is a lot of bullshit, everybody wants to fuck, and bring all these babies here that we really don’t need right now, but nobody wants to be bothered taking care of them.
Jones: She knows some–
Unidentified woman: It really pisses me off.
Jones: She down there taking care of some that the mothers don’t want ‘em. One mother made the smart-ass remark and uh, said, “well, I don’t,” uh, “I don’t need to, uh, worry about this when we got, ‘cause we’re going to have nothing before long.”
Crowd: Undercurrent of anger
Jones: I’m sure that must make some people feel real good, huh? I’m particularly pissed at him– I’m waiting on her to come back. Waiting on that boat to roll in with her ass, mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mmm. She caused those Anderson boys a lot of trouble by telling them big stories, mm-mm-mm-mmm. Waiting for that boat to roll in.
Unidentified woman: Well, Tinetra, I’d like to say to you, you know, just, what is going on in your head? You know when you fuck, you get pregnant. And, uh, you were working in the nursery, and I had to take you away from working with the babies because you didn’t have any patience with them, you didn’t want to be bothered. That’s why I put you working with the laundry. It really makes me mad, it really does.
Tinetra LaDese Fain: It wasn’t– it wasn’t that I–
Unidentified woman: Shit, we here to work. Not to lay up and fuck. It really pisses me off.
Unidentified woman 2: –young men, that’s a really good example, I might add.
Unidentified male: Well, where’s your proof? Where– Where’s your proof? Seven o’clock in the morning–
Unidentified woman 2: No-no-no-no-no, I– that was just a comment about the work situation, this wasn’t when they were in the cottage. You’ll have to ask the people in the cottage, the one they were in, though I don’t know that.
Jones: Laying up and fucking is right, and, as I say, it’s why anybody who– whatever kind of relationship, you wanna clear it– but do clear the relationship. I have no objections to relationships of any sort, be they between consenting adults. Just clear them. You understand me? If you feel that there’s some senselessness over in the Relationship Committee because you might have a different sexual orientation than a normal capitalist, then bring it by me. Write a note up to me. Mm-hmm.
Unidentified woman 3: Poncho, I have talk–
Jones: [Interrupting] You all hear that?
Crowd: Affirmative response.
Jones: I wish right now we’d all get our minds on something, as the sister said, above the pants, because I– we’re in a real tight spot. We’ll come through. We’ll come through because we can’t be defeated. You can’t defeat people who’ve gone through as much as some of us have gone through– can’t be defeated. You make a victory out of it one way the other. Yes, go ahead, Mary?
Mary: Uh, I think that Poncho and Tinetra should be made to stay apart until they decide to keep the rules and regulations like anybody else. Because I have talked to both of them, and I think that she should stay her ass, [unintelligible] where Poncho is.
Unidentified male: [In background] [Unintelligible: sounds like “Poncho’s been over to hers”]
Mary: [Begins off-mic, unintelligible] –the dorm, I know that.
Unidentified male: Unintelligible response
Poncho: Dad, uh, I feel– I feel that, uh, ain’t– There’s no justification for what I did. And it was just my own selfishness, Dad, and uh, I feel that– I feel that, uh, I– I– I– I want to get married to her– for, you know– and– and– and– and, uh, the only reason why the, uh, relationship was changed to three– or what– whatever it was, I don’t know what it– that day, I wasn’t here– but like, I was told that I could– At first I was told to come last Friday. The Friday before, and–
Unidentified woman: To talk about it.
Poncho: –was to talk about it. And uh, the reason why was [unintelligible] say come in, and said don’t come, because, uh, we had– we hadn’t been going together for a year, because of– I was going with her before I left, and then when I come down here, we said maybe a year, but while I–
Jones: I changed all that, I said that it could be based on their work. The Relationship Committee has to get to work, find their work, find out their– what their work performance is, find these other redeeming things, you don’t just hand out arbitrary rules anymore. Uh, but, they– That means more work for the Relationship Committee, but that’s what it’ll have to be. And that’s their own– Naturally, it comes out– it takes time, it takes study, it takes work study of your– of your individual case, but you’ve messed it over without proper consultation and giving us background. Your work isn’t up to par– if you people are out in the cottage area, when it’s 7am.
Poncho: As far as that, Dad, we– we couldn’t do it. We can’t go to work until it gets light out there, in the bush. And, we have been working– and our work promise is up, I feel, up to par because like we be pushing all day, we don’t be taking any more breaks at all, Dad.
Jones: [Quiet] What is he saying? [Stumbles over words] He trying to say [unintelligible]? About taking breaks? Can’t work until [stumbles over words]. You– you make up for that [unintelligible]. You don’t go taking breaks– That’s good, that’s very good– and you work– yes, you wanted to say something?
Male voice: Uh, yes, Dad, for the last– uh, all week, we been working [Unintelligible]. We haven’t been taking any kinds of breaks.
Jones: That’s very good, we sure need that clearing. We knew that. [Pause] But your attitude has not proved– and prove– You broke our law. You got– you just can’t let you people just drift in by acting out and getting anything that they want, so there has to be some kind of a compromise situation, before you can get into this relationship you want. Uh, you can’t force us, you can’t [stumbles]– force us to bend by your own pressures. Uh, otherwise, everybody else in this whole goddamn place gonna act out to try to do it. So, somebody has to show everybody– [Unintelligible] [stumbles] that they can’t do what you’re now doing to get your way.
Poncho: Uh, if– if– I don’t know whether the Relationship Committee is willing– was, was suggesting to break– break our relationship up or not. Uh, I mean– as far as–
Jones: That’s what your mother [Mary Johnson Rodgers] said, I don’t know what, uh, they’re gonna do. I don’t uh, break up a relationship, but I will break it– I will– I’ll keep you apart, I know there’s gonna be a period of time where you’ll kept apart, and then if your work– both of your work’s excellent, then you can get into a relationship. Now I want to hear more about what advice, uh, there is and the consent of the people, and yourselves, on the time limit. Understand what I’m saying?
Male voice from crowd: Yes, Dad.
Jones: I don’t wanna try to break up people who seem to be interested in each other. I do think we need to get that article out, uh, it’s called “Addiction of Love”, which we reinforce each other’s weaknesses. In Psychology Today, USA, wrote that [stumbles over words] they carried that article, it’s a very, very sick article, showing that love and sexual interest in each other was based on a sickness worse than drug addiction,[2] that we don’t find people that complement our strengths, but we find that we complement each other’s weaknesses– we reinforce each other’s weaknesses. And we cover for each other’s weaknesses. And when you read the article, you’ll become– the word– very word love makes you sick. And we need to find that, I, uh, don’t know who’s got the article, it needs to be read by someone, save my voice, it gonna be read over the PA system, you need to study it, because it’s very horrifying. And you can see why [Vladimir] Lenin just abandoned love during the first section, so called. Any kind of one-to-one relationship, he’s– he’s said to be stopped. We’re in a revolution. And we’re in a revolution. And later he– when he allowed some relationships, he abandoned marriage– he said it’s terrible. Marriage builds a [stumbles] a limited perspective of family relationships, takes you away from the greater family, and I see people who write their letters, that, uh, horrifying letters– they say, well, there’s nobody like their family, nobody that understands but the family. What they’re really saying, if you go on and read the letter, it says that nobody will cover for us like each other. We cover for each other very well. And goddamn, that’s no place for a revolution. If you want to be sick, don’t get sick in a revolution. We’re in a revolution. They’re attacking the whole government of Guyana, by denying in their– theirright to receive cheques. And undoubtedly, as Ron said, it’s directed at us. But it’s an attack on the whole government and who knows which step it’ll take next. But you said you always wanted to be able to live and fight for something. In America you couldn’t fight for anything, shit, you gotta fight some mugger on the streets. You had to look out your ass, and [stumbles] watch both aft and stern, stern and aft. All the time, had to get your mind on what was going on, because– Oh, dear, my dear mother. She used to say that, “stern and aft.” How much we never wake up, till someone’s gone– They’re gone, you know, they’re gone. There’s nothing so final. But you had to watch yourself coming and going, backwards and forwards. Here you’re in a spot, at least, where you can fight for what you believe in. There’s a revolutionary situation. Our people are not here. They were struggling yesterday, with somebody on the CB unit, trying with the people coming in, trying to discredit somebody that we’d had faith in. Sowing division. We don’t know exactly what it meant– but they used our codes on the CBs, and if I had alerted the place, we’da had an unnecessary diversion, and then maybe, maybe worse. We woulda been worse if everybody had been alerted and been on the battlefront when those people came in. We were being set up yesterday, undoubtedly. Weren’t we?
Crowd: Affirmation
Jones: ‘Cause they used, they cried– [stumbles] that’s all been changed. But tonight, somebody you– you’ll call for your new numbers, and you’ll say– then you’ll say base. Well shit, there ain’t no time before they work through if they know who you are, or where you are. Now wha– you got to learn to use the code number, and keep it with that. And if it’s an emergency call, now it’s changed. Don’t ever give that emergency call over the– over the uh, frequencies. But if I have not followed my better judgement, and not listened to that person gagging, and coughing, and going on like “help, help, help,” whatever in the hell they were doing– Huh?
Voice in crowd: I’m in the swamp.
Jones: Yeah, I’m in the swamp, I’m in the swamp, help me, and a bunch of shit. And if I had alerted the people, we’da had this whole fucking place in readiness, and some people drove in. ‘Cause we had bad radio– we had radio– poor radio contact, and radio failure. [Unintelligible]. Bad business. And during the day, I think we’re going to have to– to tune in all monitoring over to that, uh, that back house, you follow me, uh, that, back, uh–
Voice in crowd: (too soft)
Jones: Well, so that we don’t have any kinda people not call in during the day, and that’s bad business. We gotta be regular. There should be some discipline, those systems given to me, about every little thing I have had to deal with the other night. I want something here from them. Never mind, I don’t want to bring it up here, we wouldn’t be able to deal with it. The two sisters know what I’m talking about. Not the, uh, security. We’ll remind them. So. It’s a revolutionary situation. And you people are out, following your ass. What knows fully– what next will be, what next will be.
Voice in crowd: (too soft)
[End of tape]
Notes:
[1] Misremembering the hymn “Up from the grave He arose”.
[2] Jones is likely referring to an article in the August 1974 edition of Psychology Today, titled: “Love Can Be An Addiction: Interpersonal Heroin.” https://peele.net/lib/love.html