BB-23-c-1
May 31, 1978
Dear Carolyn and Jim,
Thank you for the hospitality of the project and in Georgetown. We thoroughly enjoyed our visits. We came home from our trip feeling better about you girls then we have in a long time. Becky is feeling so much better about herself. She’s doing what she wants. She and Mac are good for each other. You and Annie are doing what you want.
The project itself impressed us so much that it made us feel good that you are a part of it. The more I think about it, the more I am impressed with it.
As you know we saw Charles Gary [Garry] Sunday. He said “Your daughter is an exceedingly bright person.” I thought that it would make you feel good that a man of Gary’s brilliance thinks so highly of you.
Becky has been intimidated by her intelligence. I wrote her as I wrote you: intelligence takes many forms. IQ tests simply cannot measure the breadth and diversity of intelligence. I was saying to Becky that possessing the quality or character of intelligence which was hers did not make her more intelligent than people whose character or intelligence was different from hers. I was trying to say that others are more gifted intellectually in other ways than she is. I am saying to you not to be intimidated by the character of Becky’s or Gary’s intelligence. Take confidence in the character of your own intelligence. As a matter of fact, I suspect that the character of your intelligence and mine is similar. All of this is by way of encouraging you to feel good about all of your gifts including your intellectual gifts.
We saw Oakland #2 10:00 pm report which covered Gary, the Ukiah woman, and showed me responding to some questions. We had not seen the other channels, nor the SF papers. Nothing has been in the news here [Reno, Nevada] about any of this. I suspect that the interest in the story is in the SF, Ukiah, and LA areas.
We will share with her relatives and friends our experience. I’ve tried to reach Jerry Fox in Potter Valley, and will continue calling. I think that [Steve] Katsaris must be in his church.
I presume that you heard what mom and I had to say at the news conference. Mom’s responses were great, so I hope that the other channels and papers quoted her.
I want to share Gary’s statement about the Project, and your brochure, with friends. I think that the brochure is the best publicity piece you’ve done. It reads straight rather than as a PR piece. The media is clearly suspicious of all PR stuff. They discount it as self-serving. The question in the news conference, “Did you pay your way here today?” and our response that we paid our way to Guyana and to SF was a crucial question. Ch. #2 reporter stated on the air that we paid our way. This is essential to our credibility.
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BB-23-c-2
[Word blocked by hole punch] will be glad when the harassment lessens and stops. That’s a heavy pressure to live with. It also impairs good decision-making. My only suggestion for dealing with the situation, beyond what you are doing, is to keep in communication with people of different views from yours. The problem in the Nixon White House, and probably every White House, is that the decision-makers talk to themselves. The keeping open of the channels of feed back, negative and positive, is essential to good decision-making. You could fall into the trap of talking to yourselves. The most helpful thing is to be in communication with some people whose perspective is different from your own and listen carefully to them.
I noticed a tremendous difference at the project from my few visits to your services in the states. It was not until I came home then indulging on me how little adulation was expressed for you. I think you know that I am uncomfortable with adulation given to leaders. The difference of the project does not mean that they love or respect you any less. My only guess as to the reason for the difference is this: first, they are totally absorbed in the project. Second, the project speaks for itself. Third, they are not in a hostile environment where they must defend you or prove good things the Temple is doing. One reason the booklet on the project is so good is that it is straight. It’s written in a style that is asking for help as well as reporting what is being done. The picture of you and the PM was in good taste and appropriate. Everyone knows that the project is impossible apart from you, or up to this point would have been impossible. Gratitude, love and respect are obviously present.
We had such a good time with Kimo. We wish that we could be close enough to share the joy of watching him grow.
I’ve thought of writing an article, which would be in the spirit and substance of what we said at the news conference. I will not write one less you encourage me. I’d rather do something with Barbara from a parent’s angle. It occurred to me that Phil Donahue, or some such person, were to interview parents of children involved in Unification Church, Hare Krishna, Scientology, … groups that parents often have a difficult time with, we would be willing to take part. I’m not suggesting that PT is like the others, except in the total commitment that asks of its members. There may be other interviewers in LA or SF where we could tell our story. We would be willing to go at our own expense. We would not speak as either of you, but this is what makes us credible. You’d have to trust us.
I was thinking this morning as I was jogging, “If all of the things said about PT were true, and I am persuaded that they are not true, after being at the Project, I still would have to say ‘I stand with Peoples Temple and what they are doing in Guyana.”
We love you. We miss you. We pray for you and the success of what you are doing.
Love, Dad
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BB-23-f-1
December 15, 1977
Dear Carolyn,
We’re having a high wind with little rain today. The drought continues for us, although there is some snow in the mountains. The bay area is getting rain, however.
We have yet to decide the best time for us to travel to Guyana. Sometime in April might be better. Easter comes early, and it is more difficult for me to get away in the weeks preceding Easter.
It would be helpful if you would give us some information about arrangements, such as: airlines and connections, visas and immunization needed, how to plan on connections in Georgetown. We might like to visit some of the other Caribbean countries while going so far. We are not sure on how much time to allow in Guyana. We don’t want to rush, and at the same time we know that all of you are hard at work. Knowing the time in Guyana, will help in making other arrangements.
We have never left the labels people put upon themselves or others put upon them keep us from associating with whomever we choose to associate with. You speak of yourself as being a Communist, a Marxist. I find Marxist analysis a helpful tool, but I’m skeptical of all utopians who want to coerce their ways upon society, just as I am critical of others who want to coerce the rest of us for their purposes. These others include the transnational institutions, fascists, and all who manipulate economic and political structures for their own purposes.
I do not have the same feelings about communal societies in which people freely choose to participate. Religious orders have been these kinds of societies through the centuries. They determine their own discipline, and they have the right to do this. People choose to be in our [or] out. If they are coerced in or kept from leaving, that is a different matter.
We pray continually for you and Kimo, Annie and Jim, and for the success of your venture there. We love you all. For us love means respecting the freedom of those whom we love to make their own decisions. We want to be, and have tried to be supportive of you through the years. At the same time, we have and will act out of our own integrity.
I have worked in movements through the years, but something within me keeps me from giving my whole allegiance to any human being. I am not one to follow a strong personality. I will work in movements led by strong persons, but I will keep my own integrity. I will think for myself. I will decide for myself. Perhaps this is the kind of individualism that totalitarians, both communists and fascists, want to destroy. I don’t see it as individualism which is unconcerned with the total community. Rather it makes its contribution and encourages others to make their contributions to the welfare of all without making everyone alike.
Whatever community or movements you girls are part of, I will listen to hear each of you as unique human beings. When you speak the same phrases, rather than expressing your common concerns in your own ways, I will wonder how much of that is you and how much is what everyone else in the community is saying.
Paranoia is catching. We have taken from you choose as to what to write or not write, assuming the [that] our mail is
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BB-23-f-2
being read by others than you.
We can understand your concern for the people with whom you live, whom you teach, for whom you provide health services, and with whom you share food. Mother’s way of doing the same thing through the years has been to open her home to people in need. My way has been different from hers and from yours and Annie’s. We feel good about what you are doing in your work with the people.
I asked Annie questions about adoption. She did not answer my questions, but I will write her about this. We did not say that we would not help, but I hope that she will answer the questions I asked.
If your fears of fascist forces in the USA and the world are true, and I do not doubt that people of power are always trying to control centers of power and destroy those who oppose them, I would still be doing what I am doing. I don’t feel that everyone must do the same thing. If I were your age, I might choose to emigrate. (I hope that you will move slowly in terms of giving up your citizenship.) I choose to engage in the struggle here, and in ways in which I can give myself with vigor. I feel the struggle is such that people can do as you have done and as we have done and still be working for common ends, and opposed to common adversaries.
I have a problem with what you write about Herb Caen’s column in the light of something Jim said to us the first time we met.
I will close, for I want to write Annie and Becky. The check is for Christmas and however you want to use it in your work. Give our love to Annie, Kimo and Jim, and greetings to any others there whom we know.
Love, Dad
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BB-23-f-3
[Envelope addressed to Carolyn Layton, with handwritten note scribbled on the left side: “I am more of what I [illegible word] than Jim’s.”]
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BB-23-f-4
[Reverse side of envelope, with several handwritten notes, likely drafts on how to respond:
[“you’ll find how welcome you are”
[“he agrees about lables [labels]”
[“ego boost: Jim so pleased esp. letter to what comm.”
[“touched by your understanding of our p. [project]”]