FLDS: Town reaches uneasy peace with polygamist sect<\/a><\/b> New film by ex-wife takes aim at FLDS<\/a><\/b> \n \u2022 California State Senator Jackie Speier has lost her bid for the Democratic nomination for the office of Lieutenant Governor. Ms. Speier, who is completing her final term as a Democratic State Senator representing Burlingame south of San Francisco, was defeated in the June primary by State Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi.<\/p>\n Sen. Speier came to national attention during the Jonestown tragedy of November 1978. As a legislative assistant to Rep. Leo Ryan who accompanied the congressman on his trip to Guyana, she was severely wounded at the Port Kaituma airstrip during the attack which killed Ryan and four others on November 18.<\/p>\n Ms. Speier included that experience in her campaign material. The introduction to her campaign site opened with these words:<\/p>\n \u201cIn 1978, I dared to survive what should have been a fatal shooting. While on a congressional fact finding mission in Guyana, our party was ambushed by followers of the Reverend Jim Jones. I was left for dead and spent 22 hours on the tarmac waiting for help to arrive. It is this defining moment that helped me fully appreciate the importance of fighting\u2026 fighting for what you believe in and the essential importance of never giving up, no matter what the odds against you. It taught me that we all must strive to make a difference.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Similarly, the Democratic state senator opened her campaign biography with these words:<\/p>\n \u201cSenator Jackie Speier\u2019s legacy as a policy-maker and public servant in California for over 25 years is one of leadership, passion and courage. Her remarkable commitment to public service was forged in tragedy 25 years ago on a remote airstrip in Guyana and continues through today in her dual role as a State Senator and recently named Assistant President Pro-Tem of the California Senate.<\/p>\n \u201cJackie\u2019s story and her ferocious commitment to public service truly began that day in Guyana in 1978. As a young congressional staff person she nearly lost her life in an attempt to uncover facts regarding the Reverend Jim Jones and his People\u2019s Temple followers. Over 900 people died that fateful day including Congressman Leo Ryan. Jackie was shot five times and left to die. As she has said many times, those 22 hours of waiting for help to arrive, alone on the tarmac molded her philosophy, her zest for work and life, and allowed her to see that no one is guaranteed a tomorrow. It is this extraordinary event that has shaped her legislative agenda and overcome special interest forces in order to steer a course of progress on behalf of all Californians.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Sen. Speier will leave the State Senate due to term limits, although her website\u2019s thank you note to campaign workers vowed that \u201cit\u2019s not my last campaign.\u2026 [W]hen my term in the State Senate expires, I will look for new opportunities to serve the great people of California.\u201d<\/p>\n News stories from the campaign during which the issue of Jonestown was raised include:<\/p>\n Empowering women<\/b> Speier Visits Waverly St.<\/b> In guv\u2019s race, no one wants to be a politician<\/b> State Sen. Speier to keynote Commencement<\/a><\/b> Jackie Speier, Candidate For Lt. Governor, Faced Many Hardships<\/a><\/b> Bay Area Sikh Community hosts fundraiser for Democratic Lt. Governor Candidate<\/b> Grads encouraged to better society, humankind<\/a><\/b> Candidates line up to run for California lieutenant governor<\/b> Adversity won\u2019t keep Speier down<\/b> \u2022 In December 2005, Eddie Mills, the son of Al and Jeannie Mills, was detained by California police in connection with the murder of his parents and sister Daphene almost 26 years earlier. A few days later, the prosecutor in the case declined to press charges, and Eddie was released. He has since returned to Japan where he lives with his wife and two children.<\/p>\n Al and Jeannie Mills \u2013 who were known as Elmer and Deanna Mertle during their years in Peoples Temple \u2013 left the church in 1974 and became two of its most vocal critics. They founded the Human Freedom Center as a refuge for other Temple defectors and were active in the Concerned Relatives organization which was founded to focus media, political, and government pressure on Jim Jones. Because of their defections and their high-profile campaigns against him, Jones often lashed out at the Mills, calling them traitors and threatening retribution against them.<\/p>\n The three members of the Mills family were shot in their Berkeley home in February 1980, more than a year after the deaths in Jonestown. Nevertheless, their murders raised the fear that Temple \u201chit squads\u201d \u2013 ex-members who would supposedly avenge the deaths in the Jonestown community against its perceived enemies \u2013 had become active. Those rumors dissipated when the police turned their attention to Eddie as a suspect.<\/p>\n The initial investigation was eventually shelved, but early in 2005, the police re-focused their attention on Eddie, who was 17 at the time and who was in the house when the shootings occurred. He was left unharmed. According to several surviving members of the Mills family, the police asked them to turn over any evidence they may have of Eddie\u2019s involvement. Family members answered police questions, but \u2013 since they maintained their belief in Eddie\u2019s innocence \u2013 felt there was no evidence to turn over to officials.<\/p>\n The reason for the renewed \u201ccold case\u201d investigation was unknown, since apparently no new evidence was uncovered, nor have advances in forensics technology assisted in reviewing existing evidence.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, Eddie was arrested at the San Francisco airport on December 3 upon his return to the U.S. for the first time in several years. He spent several days in the Redwood City jail before being transferred to the East Bay. On December 8, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges, citing a lack of evidence, and Eddie was released.<\/p>\n For earlier news stories of the Mills\u2019 1980 murders, see The Mae Brussell Website<\/a>.<\/p>\n In addition to news articles, Jonestown and Peoples Temple is often mentioned in the mainstream media both as cultural icons and in serious considerations of religious issues.<\/p>\n 1. News about Jonestown generally<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n San Francisco Examiner archives to Cal; 5 million items biggest donation ever to UC Berkeley library<\/a><\/b> Los Angeles Times promotes \u201ccult apologist\u201d recommended by Scientology<\/a><\/b> 2. Jonestown in cultural references<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Mises on Everything<\/a><\/b> Conspiracy book is filled with the usual suspects and some unusual ones<\/b> Beware of Cyberstalkers<\/b> Pimping Suicide, Pimping Jesus<\/a><\/b> (response) Art gets ready for the end of the world<\/a><\/b> Hurry Up, Rapture<\/a><\/b> Operation Apocalypse:\u00a0 “888” Results <\/a><\/b> 3. Citing Jonestown in serious articles<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Tantalizing Clues to Alcoholism in Suicide Bombers<\/a><\/b> Remembering the 60’s: Same issues, different times<\/a><\/b> Loose Cult Talk: There just might be a better way to solve theological disputes<\/a><\/b> Islam and Co-existence <\/a><\/b> How I Found My Buddhist Path …along the Infinite Corridor<\/a><\/b> Irrational Iran: Like Saddam, Iranian leaders have wholeheartedly embraced terror as a weapon of foreign policy<\/a><\/b> Prominent Evangelical Succumbs To Community Racket<\/b> Bush’s Lost Chance<\/a><\/b> Mass Conversion: Dynasty cult Suicide <\/a><\/b> \tFinally, Casey McKinney<\/a> reviewed Never Drank the Kool-Aid<\/i>, a book of essays by writer Tour\u00e9.<\/p>\n 4. Guyanese perspectives<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\nby Karen Brooks, The Dallas Morning News<\/i>, June 15, 2006<\/p>\n
\nby Ben Winslow, Deseret Morning News<\/i>, August 27, 2006<\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"California](\"http:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/03-speier.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nby Linda Davis, Contra Costa Times<\/i>, March 7, 2006<\/p>\n
\nAsian Week<\/i>, San Francisco, March 3, 2006<\/p>\n
\nby John Wildermuth, San Francisco Chronicle, <\/i>March 31, 2006<\/p>\n
\nSan Francisco State News<\/i>, April 12 2006<\/p>\n
\nKCRA News, <\/i>Sacramento, May 17, 2006<\/p>\n
\nThe Panthic News, <\/i>May 21, 2006<\/p>\n
\nSan Francisco State News<\/i>, May 27, 2006<\/p>\n
\nby Tom Chorneau, San Francisco Chronicle<\/i>, May 28, 2006<\/p>\n
\nby Patty Fisher San Jose Mercury News<\/i>, June 14, 2006<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nby Rick DelVecchio, Chronicle Staff Writer, April 5, 2006<\/p>\n
\nA news perspective with analysis from cult expert Rick Ross, April 13, 2006\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nby C.J. Mahoney, Ludwig von Mises Institute – Auburn, Alabama, 7 December 05<\/p>\n
\nby Lisa Tolin, Winston-Salem Journal<\/i>, December 29, 2005<\/p>\n
\nby Clint Van Zandt, MSNBC, February 6, 2006<\/p>\n
\nby Rob Kall, OpEd News, March 27, 2006<\/p>\n
\nIn Defense of Christ and True Christianity<\/a><\/b>
\nby Anthony Wade, OpEd News, March 27, 2006<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nby Richard Dorment, The Telegraph<\/em> (Britain), April 8, 2006<\/p>\n
\nby Number Six, Watching the Watchers<\/em>, April 16, 2006<\/p>\n
\nby Captain Eric H. May, Al-Jazeerah<\/i>, August 11, 2006<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nby Doug Thorburn, www.PreventTragedy.com, August 2005<\/p>\n
\nby Carol Wolman, OpEdNews, December 3, 2005<\/p>\n
\nEditorial, Christianity Today<\/em>, March 15, 2006<\/p>\n
\nby Habib Siddiqui, Media Monitors Network, March 13, 2006<\/p>\n
\nby Jim Rosen, MIT Technology Review<\/em>, Mar\/Apr 2006<\/p>\n
\nby Hugh Hewitt, World<\/em>, April 22, 2006<\/p>\n
\nby Frederick Meekins, American Daily<\/i>, April 25, 2006<\/p>\n
\nby Eleanor Clift, Newsweek<\/i>, May 19, 2006<\/p>\n
\nby Premendra Agrawal, Sulekha.com<\/i>,\u00a016 October 2006\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n