Transcript prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.
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Part I:
(Buzz)
Jones: You follow what I’m saying? We don’t want you to go out of here because you’re liable to die. Trying to get through the snakes and so forth, and whatever else is out there. There are CIA people undoubtedly. There are people (unintelligible word). I think the attempt on my life was not a CIA plot, Mazor [Joe Mazor] and [Elmer and Deanna] Mertle (unintelligible sentence), because they’re afraid what people would– would do with (unintelligible) You understand what I’m sayin’? I want to– I want to lift your pain a little bit, but I want you all to think of (unintelligible under buzz). (Pause) All hell would break loose. Some cowards who try to make their way out (unintelligible), if you know that, if you’re cowardly, they will never forgive you. Just like Tim Stoen, and all the people trying to sell out are making mockery of us. They’re repeating in all the radio, they’re repeating it all over town. (unintelligible under buzz, tape break up). He’s kissin’ ass, and he can’t make it. He’s (tape break-up) town, and he’s a wealthy, I mean a– a (unintelligible word), not a wealthy, educated, highly educated person. They didn’t pay him enough money to make it worthwhile. He still is trying to get money out of us, which he’s not getting. And you– we took that vote, and that’s where we stand. (Pause) Uh, so I would think if anything did happen, you should stick with the later– uh, the leader and uh, know that your best protection is to stay right where you are. Because America’s going to hell as fast as it can. And as long as I’m on the scene and we’re united, they’re not going to want to have a bloodbath up here. And they’re smart enough to know– ‘cause one of the people we distrust in the lower levels of government, uh, obviously uh, c– communicated, he said that I– Well, uh, more or less he indicated whatever happened to me, that’s what would– the peo– the– the people’s future would depend on what happened on– to me. Whether they would be violent or whether they would be quiet. A number of you would not be quiet, I assume.
Crowd: Right.
Jones: You got to let that be known, no matter what happens, you got to let that be known, so there would be no incentive to destroy the leader. (Pause) Anybody have a question, ‘cause I– I want to uh, be sure that you– you understand. To kill me or to do anything against this movement would create a very bad bloodbath, and they’ve got enough difficulty with people trying to destabilize them over there in the sugar strike. (Pause) And I don’t see– I don’t see that uh, taking place. There no way they can eliminate us without a hell of a lot of noise. We proved that. Remember what– We say this country for socialism. (away from mike) Remember what who said that? Who said that? (Pause) (back to mike) When the leaders were all out signing the Panamanian treaty, and they tried to take over this place, and you ought to be glad– and listen, believe me, I lived seven days and seven nights without a sl– bit of sleep, so don’t worry about me dying tonight. (Pause) I want you to go to bed without any worry about me dying tonight. You understand?
Crowd: Yes.
Jones: So you can have peace. That’s the major thing. That’s the reason I kept you so I could get up on my feet and show you that you’re not in any danger of me dying tonight. You follow me?
Crowd: Yes.
Jones: Now. (Pause) You shouldn’t be afraid to die. How many are– That’s (unintelligible word) nothing, that’s nothing at all. How many are– uh, are– Now honestly, you remember the other night, I asked how many wanted to go back to the United States, and a couple of you were told honestly, you never heard me say another word, did you? (Pause) How many still have fear with death, ‘cause we want to help you. Penny [Kerns]? That’s right. We’ll take the name down, so we can help them. No, no discipline. Who’s back there? I can’t uh– can’t–
Woman: (Voice too low)
Jones: Beverly Livingstone? Yeah, they’re good workers. Uh, who is it?
Woman: Toi Fonzelle.
Jones: Will you take it down? Toi Fonzelle.
Woman: (Voice too low)
Jones: You folk can sit down, I’ve got nothing more to say to you, you haven’t created any unpardonable sin. (Pause) Uh, Richard who?
Woman: (Voice too low)
Jones: (unintelligible for several sentences)
Woman: (Voice too low)
Jones: (Too low) Doctor [Larry Schacht] said the inner cranial bleeding which I had, a li– a little stroke, is the most painful kind of thing that can happen, and he– he said that so you’d know. I don’t care that you do know. But I want you to know that I’m sure not asking you to take things that are– that uh– that I wouldn’t take. And I’ve always told you for years, if I heal people, I take it in my body. That’s been the process of this paranormal facto– factor. (Pause) It is immensely painful, but I handle it, and so I don’t ask to dish out anything– I’m sorry that we had to make this quick order of uh– of people to the uh, Learning Crew. (Pause) And I just want you to know that you’re not in danger because you’ve got to realize, you’ve got your future here. In America, you have no future. You’ve got all the future in the world. We stood up and resisted this son-of a-bitch when all of these were out and the damn CIA was running the– and pulled the shots, and I won the battle on the P.A. system and on the frontlines. I mean, on the shortwaves. You were here. How many were here? We won the fuckin’ battle, and if you– You ought to tell the story, it was a story of glory. I won– I said, anybod– thing happens, I got– and I got more radios. One of the things I worked out, even when the Customs was still one little department that still got some agents in it, I demanded, raised hell, and b– raised– I– I– I raised so much hell, that’s– you wouldn’t believe it. I willing to lay down my life every time a s– issue comes up. Billy [Oliver], Bruce [Oliver], (pause) (unintelligible name, sounds like Clifford). Some that you don’t even know came up. [Don] Ponts has surfaced, you didn’t even know about it, ‘cause I didn’t want Lois [Ponts] unduly worried, ’cause– not that she’s afraid, but then Tuppers came up, and she [likely Rita Tupper] didn’t know about it. It’s all batten through. It’s over with. (Pause) But each time, I let ‘em know I’m willing– I’m prepared to die. Do you follow me?
Crowd: (Quiet) Yes.
Jones: The one thing I insisted was to have four extra radios. They wasn’t going to give them to me. They wondered what the fuck I wanted with them. What’d I want with them? I want to be sure at any time, anything comes our way, I can talk to the whole world, so nothing can happen in a corner, you see what I’m saying? We got four radios in good shape. I wasn’t– They said, you only need one radio at a time. I said, I want four. And so we got four radios. You follow what I’m saying? ‘Cause things can go broke. And I want to be able to communicate, though I’ve got tremendous faculties to communicate in a level of mind beyond anything that I’ve ever seen in a mortal and I don’t believe it’ll ever come again. I still don’t believe in trying to use mind when you’ve got a radio. How many see uh, the general picture? The harassment, all these things were going on, and it’d kept on if we hadn’t got one. So you that don’t believe in ever using violence, and you won’t spell out the word, (Pause) if we had not used violence and stopped that man– we were getting this shit every weekend.
Crowd: Right.
Jones: Every goddamn miserable weekend we went through it. The last time they nearly killed Al Simon. Went through his hair, the bullet went right– isn’t that– wasn’t it Al? Who is it? Where is he? Where’s Al? Isn’t that correct, it went right sss– sizzing by– beside you, wasn’t that you the person, huh?
(Voice too low)
Jones: Yeah, well, uh, they weren’t playing. In other words, shot by his head. (Pause) Very well. If we had not answered those people– and then when they tried to kill another one of our sons, what did we have to do? They had nothing to do. You can’t be talking about stopping them, temporary measure. There no temporary measure when somebody’s got a knife to your neck. And that’s what literally had. A knife to a person’s neck. (Pause) So I’m s– I’m telling you, their major aim not to kill me at this moment. Why? Certainly I’ve got some energy. That’s true. But I can be seen anyplace around here, for 200 yards, they coulda popped me off, if somebody wanted to, with a high-range rifle. So they want to worry me to death and let you kill me. They’re afraid to kill me because they know then half the movement woulda react in violence.
Crowd: Right.
Jones: If I’d be lucky enough to be killed by – from their standpoint – by you just draining me. In this, people tonight didn’t know, they just happened to be the triggering mechanism. Then they’d get less reaction, they think. You must be prepared for reaction either way, because they’re calculating my death to be by slow process. ‘Cause if they wanted to shoot me, they coulda done it. You see what I’m saying? ‘Cause I’m not meditating on me, I’m meditating on you. (Pause) I don’t meditate to say uh, any night, don’t shoot me. ‘Cause frankly I don’t think I don’t have to do much meditating that way. They want to harass us, they want some of you complainers to drain us– What time is it?
Voice too low
Jones: Five minutes, now tell me when five minutes is up, and I’ll quit. They want to drain us by people belly-aching. And I want to know how you feel, if you’d like to be back in San Leandro, and have two kids shot to death, and nothing you can do. ‘Cause they’re supposedly fleeing from the police, but with no weapons. (Under breath) Water. (Pause) Anybody have any uh– How many uh– Now do we– I want these names. How many people are fearful of death, ‘cause we want to help you. Not in any critical way. We got ‘em all? (Pause) Come on, be hon– uh, be honest. And I appreciate your honesty, I really do, ‘cause there’s a lot of people lying here. Now come on, just be honest with it. Are we taking ‘em down? ‘Cause I don’t see– (unintelligible word) You sure. ‘Cause I want us to talk. I want ‘em to have counsel. (Sighs) Death is easy. I was in so much pain for some time before I went over, and then when you get close to death, oh Lord. It’s just easier. And I would’ve had no problem ‘cause I’ve done my best. You only have to worry when you’re trying to commit suicide or you’re trying to escape. I– I wouldn’t have to worry about reincarnation, my next reincarnation couldn’t help but be better than this. (Pause) And I don’t have to worry about reincarnation, ‘cause I’m the one that can control that factor. And it wouldn’t worry me. Now what was I trying to say? (Pause) Now, who still miss– misses America? (Pause) We know (unintelligible name). Is it America? You miss America?
Voice too low
Jones: Now, you miss your brother. You miss your children. Well, that’s a natural thing. Would you be so kind to write that down, because I will see– Like I never– One of my sweet– the sweetest things ever– (sighs) One of my young men has a ch– has a child. He had a child. And he never, never told me about it. I had to find it out. (unintelligible as voice fades) He didn’t ask me to do a thing for the child. I wanted to get the child. I’d like to know about your opi– you that are having particular problem with your family. Just be sure though that some of you don’t uh, misjudge them. Some of them know the bastards that when they are, the bastards, and– and 99 percent of them are.
Voice too low
Jones: Even so, when the thing gets bad enough and they want out, and you know, because I love you, I’ll help them. You know that. See what I’m saying? (Pause) Now, uh, uh, will you put your hands again, those that have uh– miss America. (Pause) (off mike) They must be allergic to demerol (fades).
Voice too low
Jones: How many miss America? (Back to mike) Would you tell me, uh, uh, sister in the– in the black, uh, I know your name but I’m– Flora– Le Flora uh, Townes. Would you tell me what it is you miss, hon?
Voice too low
Jones: Uh, write it down, please. Well, some of your loved ones are coming. I’m moving as fast as I can, get ‘em here. (Pause) Who misses their children?
Voice too low
Jones: Well, write it down, will you, dears, where your– where your children are? Will you write that down and have– have someone help me? Yeah, Lula?
Voice too low
Jones: Hmm? (Pause) Some of you what, honey? Yeah, yeah. Okay. You’re awfully good worker. So how many miss nothing more than loved ones? Anything else you miss?
Voices too low
Jones: So-called loved ones. And how many know that a lot of your loved ones, you’re still looking at them with too positive an eye? You know, that– that we save– uh, Mother– Mother [Irene] Edwards’ sister get on and threaten her. If Mickey Touchette threatens her par– her parents [Joyce and Charlie Touchette], what makes you think yours wouldn’t do it too?
Crowd: Right.
Jones: If Mary Griffiths’ child [likely Wesley Griffiths] will go in and threaten to kill Mother and a whole bunch of others, and go in o– and he– he shows exactly only thing he’s concerned about. He was hoping she was dead and found out she wasn’t. And he– ‘cause he went in and padlocked her house, trying to take over her house. Tried to padlock it. That’s all he was interested in. And you gotta know that about relatives, that’s where they’re at. Because they’ve been trained. They’ve been trained. So any fears you do have, write them up. Will you please do that? Okay, stand please. (Pause) We’da been out 10:15, but we have a slight, little problem. And I haven’t got a slight problem now. These suckers have gone and given me a shot for my pain. And I still got pain, but they give me such a shot that I’m out on cloud nine. (Short laugh) No, no, it’s very thoughtful, very thoughtful, what I’m ju– I just want them to understand that I’m not– I got my pain and I gotta– on an empty stomach, I got whatever in the fuck you give me. And I feel like I like to vomit about ten feet. (Pause) So you tell your neighbor of three miracles. Uh, believe me, you don’t want it– you don’t want drugs. They don’t– They don’t feel good. Whoo!
Crowd: Stirs.
Male: And as soon as you tell your neighbor three miracles, walk out quietly. Use the back way to walk out.
(tape edit)
Jones: –plan it well. Right now, we gotta salvage to make money, produce in those fields, please do, and think of every way we can of making money. ‘Cause if we get hold of major means of making money, we’ve got a good sound future. Good night. I love you.
Part II:
Woman: (unintelligible word, sounds like “Eric”), next to this is the commissary. Right next to this medical facilities, your showers–
Unintelligible voice
Woman: (Playful tone) Yeah, chocolate cake and candy and all that stuff. And you’re right next to the beautiful showers, and you sit there and sew and knit and do all the things, look out the window and play with the children. Gee, no wonder, no wonder you like it so well. ‘Course, I do too. I do too.
Ever Rejoicing: Enjoying life. You know, some years ago, I had a rest home in uh, the States and uh, I had raised my daughter and put her through college, and I was sympathizing with one of the patients, and she was fixing to get married, and she said to me, Well, I think that’s where they should be, in a rest home. They shouldn’t intrude on our privacy. And I’m s– And I told her, I said, I’ll never intrude on yours. But little did I think that Pastor Jones was going to give me a home and bring me this far to this beautiful land, and I’m very, very happy.
Mike Prokes: Bishop Jim Jones just came in the room, and he used to operate a care facility in the United States, and I know that he would like to address himself to– to that issue that you mentioned, Mom.
Jones: I guess you of course told how old Mother is, that (unintelligible word) pressing up towards a hundred years. We’re in the company of three of our fine seniors. Having owned a rest home, and then turned it over to the church, I know a bit about what it means to grow old in advanced technological societies. It’s not just the United States phenomenon. Unfortunately, due to the high standard of living that is presented to image-conscious people, both the son and the– the wife of a daughter and her husband have to work in order to maintain their own families. As a result, the elderly are often forced by circumstances to go into these rest homes. Unfortunately, in day– these days, rest homes are not very rare– but very rarely owned by private interest. They’re in the hands of large corporations, multi– transnational corporations, where there can be no personal touch. And to grow old, even though you may have known affluence, in homes where there’s not one bit of personal touch or individual concern, is frightening. And that’s why you find so much zest. I couldn’t help but enjoy the zest that I met in this room, and you might say these are not seniors who have been less privileged, they were seniors who had opportunity in the United States, had professions. Although they’re now elderly, they chose not to live in the very fine convalescent homes that Western society provides, advanced technological or capitalist society provides. They chose rather to live in this lovely new terrain of Jonestown.
Prokes: It’s beautiful for me to see that the meaning and the– the purpose that– that seniors have here. They have so much to contribute to our socialistic work, and I’m sure it has come– it– it’s because they have probably for the first time in their senior years, the opportunity to contribute. They know that they are cared uh, for, that the people care about them, and also they have a chance to express themselves in so many ways and in so many activities, and particularly in the decision-making, and as a result, uh, we are seeing things just develop at a uh, incredible rate here and in a way that is in line with meeting everyone’s needs. And this is something that– that means a lot–
Jones: And uh– I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you. And we can feel the support of the country. The government– it pursues a socialist course. The community institutions are socialist. What a difference it is to live in an environment that encourages the cooperative lifestyle, rather than discourage it.
Prokes: That’s so true, and we certainly see it here. Today, I was taking a tour of the project, and it really touched me to see how involved the seniors are in every phase of the work and activities here. I saw seniors growing their own garden, involved with the school program, in the medical clinic, uh, sewing and knitting and just doing whatever they want to do. And I’m sure this is something that uh, gives each senior– makes them look forward to every day where before, in their former environments, they probably didn’t even care about getting up in the morning.
Woman 3: That’s true. That’s certainly true, Mike. And also, uh, one thing that I can appreciate, and I’m sure that all the rest of the seniors do too, is that in this beautiful uh, place where the weather is so perfect, it’s never too hot, it’s never cold, it’s just right, uh, that in the middle of the night, even at four o’clock in the morning, a senior can get up out of bed, go for a walk, all alone, and never have a thought of being mugged. It’s something that we have never been able to do. We just couldn’t uh, take that sort of chance where we came from, but now we are free. We’re free. That is the main thing. Uh, socialism has given us this freedom. And gee, we do thank Bishop Jones for all he’s done, because certainly without his love and concern, we never would’ve had all this.
Prokes: We do have all this, because Bishop Jones dedicated his life to following the teachings of Jesus Christ, and he put into practice the equality that’s found in the Acts of the Apostles. We want to thank our listeners and urge them to write us with their comments and suggestions as to how we can better serve this great country. Any donations that could be sent would be greatly appreciated, because it would help us in helping others. Our address is Post Office Box 893, Georgetown. On behalf of Bishop Jones and all of us here at the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, may God’s richest blessings be upon you.
(Pause of several moments)
Prokes: Greetings from the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project in Jonestown, near Port Kaituma of the Northwest District. I’m Mike Prokes, and I’m here with Bishop Jim Jones. (tape edit) The thing that people would like to hear about is the uh, controversy that seems to have arisen with uh, some wire service reports about a conspiracy against the Peoples Temple. Would you please put it in perspective for our listeners?
Jones: I wish I could. I am surprised, I’m shocked, that Peoples Temple, a pacifist church, though indeed a practicing socialist church, would be singled out for conspiracy. We of course have been very much aware of it. We felt the pangs of it in certain areas of the press. But now we hear civil rights leaders stepping forward, such reputable nature, who no way connected to Peoples Temple, as the [American] Indian Movement leader, for one, Mr. Banks, Dennis Banks. And of course, Mr. Banks is [in] no way connected with Peoples Temple, nor are many others who have given affidavits of the most hair-raising variety. Mr. Banks was told that if he would cooperate in the destruction of Peoples Temple, he could redeem himself. But it was implemented in words that he would be paid handsomely, he would also uh, be assured that he would have no future legal difficulty. He has been granted extradition by the governor of the state of California [Jerry Brown]. He was warned, if he didn’t cooperate, there would be some bad ramifications in the courts, and of course, indeed, what he was told took place. For the first time, unparalleled in the history of the U.S. court system, a governor’s order not granting extradition has been revoked by the court. Some of the things are too shocking to even describe until we have more detail. One of our pilots, a black young man [likely Norman Ijames] who has been unable to get work at all, was suddenly offered a position in the ten– Well, I want to be very accurate here – in the five figures, the high five figure– five figures, if he would work for a company that’s involved in the uh, conspiracy.
Because we say involved with the conspiracy because one of their principal people that’ve marshaled the forces ag– against Peoples Temple, and it’s all started when we announced we were going to move and live in a socialist country such as Guyana. Many of the individuals who have been involved in the smear, all the sources, are connected, with one individual who is an agent who works for the same firm, and it’s not a matter of my speculation, it’s a matter of public record now, there’s an agent, being orchestrated by another investigator [Joe Mazor] who indeed has a criminal history that can be verified by anyone, 75 pages long. It’s frightening, frightening indeed. We’re seeing too much of this happening in the U.S. scene today. Andy Young has been vilified. What– what shocks one is that we would be vilified for nothing more than we stand for socialism.
I would like to give a lot of details. We can give names, we can give places, times that would cause any skeptic to be a believer, upon inquiry to our church address, I think it’s 893– Post Office Box 893, Georgetown, Guyana, we will do so. Because I don’t want to involve the radio in actual personalities, the radio station that we’re broadcasting from. They’ve put no restrictions upon us, but I feel a sort of moral responsibility. Each thing that I say – and could say at this moment – uh, can be verified. As I said, the criminal record of the chief orchestrating person. Every one of the sources that’ve been used – every one, bar none – have been involved in criminal activity or were advocates and planners of terrorist action. That one, we are presuming now with great deal of testimony and affidavits, was a provocateur in the ranks of Peoples Temple, until they were expelled becau– because we are pacifist. And that position’s been historic. Everyone who knew the functions of Peoples Temple here or in any missionary endeavor, we are pacifist. Socialist, but committed to the principles of nonviolence. It’s quite a situation, Mike, as I say, to see yourself put in this light, set up actually that violence could be done against the entire organization. As one of the sources said, an outright lie that I had spoken against the white race in terms of them being uh, weak in certain areas, and– and made aspersions on their sexual orientation. How– How ho– horrible. As I say, in this pastoral community of nonviolence and peace and justice, as I hear even now from the school adjacent to us, the singing of uh, Swahili, youngsters learning their background, becoming connected with their historic past, which gives them renewed pride. I can’t understand, Mike, why Peoples Temple would be a threat to anyone.
Prokes: Do you feel that this uh, conspiracy was initiated against us because we tried to live as socialist in a capitalist society? Is that basically the reason?
Jones: Undoubtedly. However, I am bewildered, I– I wouldn’t even begin to try to give explanation. I can say that we’ve had a strong body of support. Cesar Chavez’ farmworker movement, Angela Davis, black teachers caucus, black legislative caucus, I could enumerate hundreds of supporters– Lieutenant Governor of California [Mervyn Dymally], several Congress individuals, members of Congress and legislature, Willie Brown, perhaps one of the most renown champions of civil rights uh, legislator from California, and we could go on and on with a host of church leaders, the head of the Council of Churches [likely Rev. Norman E. Leach, could be Donneter Lane], who have come to our full support in this trying ordeal. And it’s been hell, to pull it mildly. But I presume that somehow, even though a group is practicing socialism 5000 miles away, if it is a model and succeeding, that that is a threat to certain reactrin– reactionary elements in the United States.
Prokes: Some of the harassment seems to’ve followed us here. Do you feel that it’s all part of the same conspiracy that originated in the States?
Jones: We are told by prominent attorneys such as Charles Garry and head of the Black Newspaper Publishers Association [Carlton Goodlett], and many, many other civil rights spokespersons, and socialist activists, as well as liberals, that we are indeed the victims of a gigantic conspiracy that has reached clear to this country. I uh– I’m surprised they have that kind of money available to them. We have had one instance of clear evidence of a person [Tim Stoen] trying to come here to dispute a matter of custody, where they had monies, uh, resources that would be impossible for them to have on their own.
Prokes: I uh– Do you feel that we are a big threat, or represent a big threa– threat because the– of the number of people? We have many hundreds here who are absolutely committed to live – and to die – uh, for socialism.
Jones: I suppose that very testimony, whether it’s in two or three or in uh, hundreds, as we now have here on this Jonestown community project, and a few thousand back in the States, I presume the very fact that people are pacifist, committed to nonviolent, doesn’t uh, redeem them in the eyes of those who wish to oppress. If they believe in some form of egalitarianism, and particularly if they’ve been so bold as we to name it socialism, then that is unacceptable still to the uh, community norm of the United States. As exemplified in the present administration of President [Jimmy] Carter, I think certainly is trying to take a course of uh, recognition of the right of countries to build their form of economic order, but undoubtedly, at the grassroots level of the United States, there is a frightening increase of racism, to such a degree that George Meany, a moderate labor leader of AFL-CIO, has now said that we are endangered by Nazism, a Fascist era, and unfortunately Peoples Temple has been a practicing co– a group of Christians who have demonstrated the Acts of the Apostles, and we have been on the side of every person that’s been oppressed, even people we didn’t agree with, and I suspect that that is the essential reasons, according to the authorities that we have spoken to, some of them at the very high levels of government who are sympathetic. That is the reason why Peoples Temple’s being singled out for this kind of persecution.
Prokes: What goals do you envision for the Jonestown community here?
Jones: To become assimilated into the Guyanese community at large– (voice fades) (tape edit) And of course, we’re achieving that in many ways. We’ve adopted Guyanese children, our young folk are interrelating with Guyanese youth, our services are being extended to the greater Northwest District, we’ve distributed thousands of pounds of rice weekly for some time now, and a good degree of plantain and thousands of pounds of fish on other occasions. Our medical services are now reaching out, much to our delight, to the community. We have as high a level of medical care as you could find anyplace in the world. Our doctor [Larry Schacht] did a surgery the other evening on an eye that was considered impossible, to do it by emergency net, but he did so, and saved a young man’s eye, a worker who had uh, had something burned into the cornea. There’ve been emergencies of cardiac nature, uh, where he has uh, done impossible things. And of course with him, the– the medical doctor in Peoples Temple’s Jonestown project, are a skilled list of uh, pharmacists and medical practitioners, registered nurses and licensed nurses that– of all sorts and descriptions. We hope that we’ll be able to extend our food production to meet the needs of the country’s goals, to feed, clothe and house its people, and also to reach out to the needs of the world. We certainly are intending with every bit of our fiber to extend our services to all people in Guyana.
Prokes: Thank you, Bishop Jones. Now we’d like our listeners to hear some of our community singing. They’re going to sing a song that means a lot to us, and also reflects our socialist commitment.
Jones: I’m a socialist today– I’m a socialist today, and I’m glad.
Singers: (sing) I’m a socialist today, and I’m glad.
I’m a socialist today, and I’m glad.
I’m a socialist today, I’m a socialist all the way, I’m a socialist today, and I’m glad.
I’m a socialist today, and I’m glad.
I’m a socialist today, and I’m glad.
I’m a socialist today, I’m a socialist all the way, I’m a socialist today, and I’m glad.
Jones: Another number– What– What number would you like? United forever in friendship and labor?
Singers: (enthusiastically) Yes.
Jones: United forever in friendship and labor.
Singers: (sing adapted version of Soviet National Anthem):
United forever in friendship and labor,
Our mighty people shall ever endure.
The great socialist union shall live through the ages.
The dream of a people their fortress secure.
Long live the socialist motherland,
We were built by the people’s mighty hand.
Long live our people, united and free.
Strong in this socialist dream.
Jones: That number, though commemorated to another socialist liberation, is now commemorated to our homeland of Guyana.
Singers: (enthusiastically) Yeah. (applause)
Jones: We’re on a socialist journey.
Singers: (sing) We’re on a socialist journey.
The hills aren’t so hard to climb
(Unintelligible lyrics)
We’ve got our eyes on a vision
Forever we are bound
For we’re on the road to freedom
And nothing can stop us now.
Jones: We know the way to freedom. Over in Guyana in our new home.
Singers: (sing) We know the way to get to freedom
We know the way to get to freedom
Standing at the crossroads, we know which way to go
Which way to go
We know the way to get to freedom
We know the way to get to freedom
Standing at the crossroads, we know which way to go
Which way to go
The road to the left is rocky,
People travel it now and then
The road to the left is rocky
But there’s a light shining at the end
Oh!
Prokes: You’ve been listening to a portion of the 700 residents of the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, singing some of our socialist themes. Write to Bishop Jim Jones and Peoples Temple at Post Office Box 893, Georgetown. Peace and blessings.
Singers: (sing) The road to the left is rocky,
People travel it now and then
The road to the left is rocky
But there’s a light shining at the end
We know the way to get to freedom
We know the way to get to freedom
Standing at the crossroads, we know which way to go
Which way to go.
End of tape
Tape originally posted May 2016