[Handwritten letter to FBI, dated 11-30-78]
[illegible first name] Muckert
22305 Montera Dr.
Salinas, CA
Dear F.B.I.
When you examine the Jonestown murders please remember that 150 children were murdered, most with the consent of their parents. Surely a country whose President has taken upon himself the goal of advancing human rights in the entire world can spare a little inquiry into what happened to the human rights of the children in Jonestown.
Perhaps we may never see such slaughter on a grand scale again – but if we can save a few children from losing their human rights under similar circumstances, the effort should be made.
The proliferation of “religious cults” whose sole purpose is to collect money should stop.
It’s time to tax income to all religious groups so that large [illegible word] wealthy groups, such as the Catholic Church, will have to follow God’s word & divide their wealth with the poor. No church should be allowed to hoard immense wealth under the guise of doing God’s work.
I [illegible word] suggest the attorneys for the People’s Temple be questioned thoroughly on
[page 2]
what they knew about the cult before Rep. Ryan went to Jonestown.
We suggest the government provide legal service to determine the disposition of the funds of the People’s Temple and not allow Mr. Gary [Charles Garry] or Mr. Lane [Mark Lane] or any private lawyer to charge huge fees to do it.
There is no doubt the People’s Temple has, through its members, perpetuated heinous crimes and for that reason it should be terminated.
We have religious freedom in our country but this confers no right on anyone to confuse liberty with license.
There is much truth in the two articles I enclose – I am not alone in feeling as I do about the danger of tolerating too much – when cults do harm people & it’s reported to the government it should not only be “investigated”, as Jonestown was – grand juries should be allowed to gather testimony & charges should be filed where warranted – so that the courts, through the wisdom of citizen jurists, and adjudicate these matters.
[Letter encloses to newspaper columns]