I first heard of the Peoples\u00a0Temple\/Jonestown story back in 1980 when I about nine, when I saw the movie with Powers Boothe. Iwas too young to understand much about it then, but many months ago, on a whim, I decided to find out more.<\/p>\n
I wanted a glimpse into Jim Jones\u2019 troubled soul. I searched\u00a0online for videos and articles about the Temple leader. To my surprise, I found quite a few. Then I learned that tapes with Jones\u2019 voice \u2013 the best avenue into him which still exists \u2013 were available through this site<\/a><\/span>. I\u2019ve listened to many of them, from his fiery sermons in San Francisco, to his laidback chatter in Jonestown,\u00a0all peppered with contradictions, profanity, sexual innuendos and the \u201cN\u201d word. In listening to these tapes, I came to realize that Jones could be very entertaining and charming, that he had an extensive vocabulary, and that he could talk nonstop for hours. He could change his voice, too. He sounded at times stern and rough, other times friendly and jovial, and then stoned or Daffy Duck like. But he certainly had\u00a0an annoying laugh.<\/p>\n I believe Jones was on the path of self destruction long before Guyana. He spoke of death many times and came to the conclusion that \u201cthere\u2019s no point to this.\u201d Sometimes I wonder where Jones and all of his followers would be today had they chosen life.<\/p>\n