Jones: How very much I've loved you. How very much I’ve tried my best to give you a good life. (applause, acclamation) But in spite of all of I've tried a handful of our people, with their lies, have made our lives impossible. There’s no way to detach ourselves from what’s happened today. Not only -- we're in a compound situation, not only are there those who have left and committed the betrayal of the century, some have stolen children from others, and they are in pursuit right now to kill them because they stole their children. And we are sitting here waiting on a powder keg. I don’t think this is what we want to do with our babies– I don’t think that’s what we had in mind to do with our babies. It was said by the greatest of prophets from time immemorial: “No man lay – takes my life from me; I lay my life down.” (Acclamation.) So to sit here and wait for the catastrophe that’s going to happen on that airplane– it’s going to be a catastrophe. Almost happened here. Almost happened, the congressman was nearly killed here. You can’t steal people’s children. You can’t take off with people’s children without expecting a violent reaction. And that’s not so unfamiliar to us either – if we, even if we were Judeo-Christian – if we weren’t Communists. The worldly -- "the kingdom suffers violence, and the violent shall take it by force" (cf. Mat 11:12). If we can’t live in peace, then let’s die in peace.

(Applause.)

Jones: We’ve been so betrayed. We have been so terribly betrayed. But we tried and as Jack Beam often said, I don't know where he's at right this moment, where's Jack?  He said "if this only works one day it was worthwhile."

(Applause.)  Thank you.

(Recording pause)

Jones: Now what’s going to happen here in a matter of a few minutes is that one of those few people on that plane (Larry Layton) is going to shoot the pilot. I know that. I didn’t plan it, but I know it’s going to happen. They’re gonna shoot that pilot and down comes that plane into the jungle. And we had better not have any of our children left when it’s over because they’ll parachute in here on us. I’m telling you just as plain as I know how to tell you. I’ve never lied to you. I never have lied to you. I know that’s what’s gonna happen. That’s what he intends to do, and he will do it. He’ll do it. Unfortunately(?) being so bewildered with many, many pressures on my brain, seeing all these people behave so treasonous– it was too much for me to put together, but I now know what he was telling me. And it’ll happen. If the plane gets in the air even. So my opinion is that we be kind to children and be kind to seniors and take the potion like they used to take in ancient Greece and step over quietly because we are not committing suicide; it’s a revolutionary act. We can’t go back; they won’t leave us alone. They’re now going back to tell more lies, which means more congressmen. And there’s no way, no way we can survive. Anybody wish to, anyone that has any dissenting opinion, please speak. Yes. (Inaudible.) You can have an opportunity, but if the children are left, we’re going to have them butchered. We can make a strike, but we’ll be striking against people that we don’t want to strike against. We want, we’d like to get the people who caused this stuff, and some, if some people here are prepared to know how to do that, to go in town and get Timothy Stoen, but there’s no plane. There’s no plane. You can’t catch a plane in time. He’s responsible for it. He brought these people to us. He and Deanna Mertle. The people in San Francisco will not– not be idle over this. They’ll not take our death in vain you know. Yes, Christine.

Christine Miller: Is it too late for Russia?

Jones: Here’s why it’s too late for Russia. They killed. They started to kill. That’s why it makes it too late for Russia. Otherwise I’d say, Russia, you bet your life. But it’s too late. I can’t control these people. They’re out there. They’ve gone with the guns. And it’s too late. And once we kill anybody– at least that’s the way I’ve always– I’ve always put my lot with you. If one of my people do something, it’s me. And they say I don’t have to take the blame for this, but I don’t live that way. They said deliver up Ujara (Don Sly, who attacked Rep. Ryan with a knife), who tried to get the man back here. Ujara, whose mother’s been lying on him and lying on him and trying to break up this family. And they’ve all agreed to kill us by any means necessary. Do you think I’m going to deliver them Ujara? Not on your life. (Agreeing shouts of "no!") No.

Man 1: Is there any way if I go, that it’ll help?

Jones: No. You’re not going. You’re not going. You’re not going. I can’t live that way. I cannot live that way. I’ve lived with– for all. I’ll die for all.

(Applause.) (Recording pause)

Jones: I’ve been living on hope for a long time, Christine, and I appreciate you’ve always been a very good agitator. I like agitation because you have to see two sides of one issue, two sides of a question. But what those people are gonna get done once they get through will make our lives worse than hell. Will make us– will make the Russians not accept us. When they get through lying. They posed so many lies between there and that truck that we are– we are done-in as far as any other alternative.

Miller: Well, I say let’s make an airlift to Russia. That’s what I say. I don’t think nothing is impossible if you believe it.

Jones: How are we going to do that? How are you going to airlift to Russia?

Miller: Well, I thought they said if we got in an emergency, they gave you a code to let them know.

Jones: No they didn’t. They gave us a code that they’d let us know of an issue; not us create an issue for them. They said that we– if they saw the country coming down they agreed they'd give us the code. They'd give us the code. You can check on there and see if it’s on the code. Check with Russia to see if they’ll take us in immediately, otherwise we die. I don’t know what else you say to these people. But to me death is not– death is not a fearful thing. It’s living that’s treacherous(?).

(Applause.) (Recording pause?)

Jones: I have never, never, never, never seen anything like this before in my life. I’ve never seen people take the law and do– in their own hands and provoke us and try to purposely agitate murder of children. There is no use, Christine; it’s not– it’s just not worth living like this. Not worth living like this.

Miller: I think that there were too few who left for twelve hundred people to give them their lives for those people that left.

Jones: Do you know how many left?

Miller: Oh, twenty-odd. That’s a small …

Jones: Twenty-odd, twenty-odd.

Miller: Compared to what’s here.

Jones: Twenty-odd. But what’s gonna happen when they don’t leave? I hope that they could leave. But what’s gonna happen when they don’t leave?

Miller: You mean the people here?

Jones: Yeah. What’s going to happen to us when they don’t leave, when they get on the plane and the plane goes down?

Miller: I don’t think they’ll go down.

Jones: You don’t think they’ll go down? I wish I would tell you you’re right, but I’m right. There’s one man there (Larry Layton) who blames, and rightfully so, Debbie Blakey for the murder– for the murder of his mother– and he’ll– he’ll stop that pilot by any means necessary. He’ll do it. That plane’ll come out of the air. There’s no way you can fly a plane without a pilot.

Miller: I wasn’t speaking about that plane. I was speaking about a plane for us to go to Russia.

Jones: How … to Russia? You think Russia’s gonna want– no, it’s not gonna, it’s, it’s, it’s– you think Russia’s gonna want us with all this stigma? We had some value, but now we don’t have any value.

Miller: Well, I don’t see it like that. I mean, I feel like that– as long as there’s life, there’s hope. That’s my faith.

Jones: Well– some– everybody dies. Some place that hope runs out because everybody dies. (Acclamation.) I haven’t seen anybody yet didn’t die. And I’d like to choose my own kind of death for a change. (Acclamation.) I’m tired of being tormented to hell, that’s what I’m tired of. (Acclamation.) Tired of it.

(Applause.) (Recording pause?)

Jones: I have twelve hundred people’s lives in my hands, and I certainly don’t want your life in my hands. I’m going to tell you, Christine, without me, life has no meaning.

(Applause.)

Jones: I’m the best friend you’ll ever have. I want, want, I have to pay– I’m standing with Ujara. I’m standing with those people. They are part of me. I can detach myself. My attorney says detach myself. No, no, no, no, no, no. I never detach myself from any of your troubles. I’ve always taken your troubles right on my shoulders. (Acclamation.) And I’m not going to change that now. It’s too late. I’ve been running too long. Not going to change now.

(Applause.)

Jones: Maybe the next time you’ll get to go to Russia. The next time round. This is– what I’m talking about now is the dispensation of judgment. This is a revolutionary– a revolutionary suicide council. I’m not talking about self– self-destruction. I’m talking about that we have no other road. I will take your call. We will put it to the Russians. And I can tell you the answer now because I am a prophet. Call the Russians and tell them, and see if they’ll take us.

Miller: Not that I'm afraid to die, by no means.

Jones: I don’t think you are. I don't think you are.

Miller: But, ah, I look at all the babies and I think they deserve to live, you know?

Jones: I agree. But also they deserve what's more; they deserve peace. (Acclamation.)

Miller: We all came here for peace.

Jones: And we’ve– have we had it?  (Crowd: "No!")

Miller: No.

Jones: I tried to give it to you. I’ve laid down my life, practically. I’ve practically died every day to give you peace. And you still not have any peace. You look better than I’ve seen you in a long while, but it’s still not the kind of peace that I want to give you. A person’s a fool who continues to say that you’re winning when you’re losing. Win one, lose two. What? I didn’t hear you, ma’am. You’ll have to speak up. Ma’am, you’ll have to speak up.

Woman: (Inaudible.)

Jones: That’s a sweet thought. Who said that? Come on up and speak it again, Honey. Say what you want to say about… (inaudible) No plane is taking off. Suicide. They have done it. Stoen has done it. Somebody ought to live. Somebody, can they talk, can they not talk to San Francisco– see that Stoen does not get by with this infamy?

Crowd: That's right!

Jones: This infamy. He has done the thing he wanted to do. To have us destroyed.

Miller: When you– when you– when we destroy ourselves, we’re defeated.

Jones: We're not defeated.

Miller: We let them, the enemies, defeat us.

Jones: Did you see– did you see, “I live to fight no more forever?” (I Will Fight No More Forever: 1975 TV movie about Nez Perce Indian tribe)

Miller: Yes, I saw that.

Jones: Did you not have some sense of pride and victory in that man? He would not subject himself to the will or whim of people who tell that they're going to come in whenever they please and push into our house. Come when they please, take who they want to, talk to who they want to– does this, is that living? That’s not living to me.

Crowd: No!

Jones: That’s not freedom. That’s not the kind of freedom I sought.

Miller: But I think where they made their mistake is when they stopped to rest. If they had gone on they would’ve made it. But they stopped to rest.

Jim McElvane: It's over, sister, it's over. We've made that day. (cf. Jack Beam quote above) We made a beautiful day, and let’s make it a beautiful day.

(Applause.)

Jones: We win when we go down. Tim Stoen has nobody else to hate. He has nobody else to hate. Then he’ll destroy himself. I’m speaking here not as the administrator, I’m speaking as a prophet today. I wouldn’t step in this seat and talk so serious if I didn’t know what I was talking about. There's any way to call back the immense amount of damage that’s going to be done, but I cannot separate myself from the pain of my people. You can’t either, Christine, if you stop to think about it. You can’t separate yourself. We’ve walked too long together. (Acclamation.)

Miller: I know that. But I still think, as an individual, I have a right to–

Jones: You do, and I’m listening.

Miller: – what I think, what I feel. And think we all have a right to our own destiny as individuals.

Jones: Right.

Miller: And I think I have a right to choose mine, and everybody else has a right to choose theirs.

Jones: Mm-hmm.

Miller: You know?

Jones: Mm-hmm. I’m not criticizing, I'm not trying...

Woman: Why don't you leave then?

Jones: What’s that?

Woman: She talks like she one of them who wants to; go ahead! (Child shrieks.) "You're all individual lives." That's what you sayin'.

Jones: Just today, that's what twenty people said today, with their lives.

Miller: Well, I think I still have a right to my own opinion. (Crowd shouts angrily.)

Jones: I’m not taking it from you. I’m not taking it from you.

Jim McElvane: Christine.

Woman: Do you wanna leave?

Jim McElvane: You’re only standing here because he was here in the first place. So I don’t know what you’re talking about, having an individual life. Your life has been extended to the day that you’re standing there because of him. (Acclamation.) (Recording pause?)

Jones: I guess she has as much right to speak as anybody else, too. What did you say, Ruby? (Inaudible.) Well, you’ll regret that this very day if you don’t die. You’ll regret it if you do, though you don’t die. You’ll regret it.

Miller: (Inaudible.) … You’ve saved too many people.

Jones: I’ve saved them. I saved them, but I made my example. I made my expression. I made my manifestation, and the world was ready, not ready for me. Paul said, “I was a man born out of due season.” (cf. 1 Cor 15:8)  I’ve been born out of due season, just like all we are, and the best testimony we can make is to leave this goddamn world.

(Applause.) (Recording pause.)

Voice: Peace, peace.

Woman 1: You must be scared to die.

Miller: I’m not talking to her. Will you let– would you let her or let me talk?

Jones: Keep talking.

Miller: Would you make her sit down and let me talk while I’m on the floor or let her talk? (Woman 1 shouts back angrily.)

Jones: Improper to tell the leader what to do, it really isn't. (Angry shouting.) I’ve listened to you. You asked me about Russia. I’m right now making a call to Russia. What more do you suggest?  (Angry shouting.) I’m listening to you. If Russia gives me one slight bit of encouragement. I just now instructed them to go there and do that.

Woman 1: And you have been(?) all(?) fucking good in Russia(n?), goddammit! (Possible reference to Russian-language classes in Jonestown?)

(Voices.) (Recording pause.)

McElvane: All right now, everybody hold it. We didn’t come– hold it. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it.

(Recording pause?)

Jones: []onger to maintain... (Voices.)  To lay down your burdens. I’m gonna lay down my burdens. Down by the riverside. Shall we lay them down here inside of Guyana? What’s the difference? (Clapping.) No man didn’t take our lives, right now. They haven’t taken them. But when they start parachuting out of the air, they’ll shoot some of our innocent babies. I’m not lying– I don’t wanna (inaudible) Christine. But they gotta shoot me to get through to some of these people. I’m not letting them take Ujara. Can you let them take Ujara?

Voices: No, no, no, no!

Miller: You wanna see John (Victor Stoen) die?

Jones: What’s that?

Miller: You mean you wanna see John, the little one, …

Jones: I want to see (angry voices shouting) … peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace.

White Woman 3: Christine, are you saying that you think he thinks more of them than other children here? That's what you’re saying …

Jones: Do you think I’d put John’s life above others? If I put John’s life above others, I wouldn’t be standing with Ujara. I’d send John out, and he could go out on the driveway tonight.

Miller: Because he’s young. They're young.

Jones: I know, but he’s no different to me than any of these children here. He’s just one of my children. I don’t prefer one above another. I don’t prefer him above Ujara. I can’t do that; I can’t separate myself from your actions or his actions. (Shout.) If you’d done something wrong, I’d stand with you. If they wanted to come and get you, they’d have to take me. (Voices.)

Emotional elder black voice: We’re all ready to go. If you tell us we have to give our lives now, we’re ready– I'm pretty sure all the rest of the sisters and brothers are with me. (Acclamation.)

(Recording pause.)

Jones: ...some months I’ve tried to keep this thing from happening. But I now see it’s the will– it’s the will of Sovereign Being that this happen to us. That we lay down our lives in protest against what’s being done. That we lay down our lives to protest in what’s being done. The criminality of people. The cruelty of people. Who walked out of here today? Did you notice who walked out? Mostly white people. (Acclamation.) Mostly white people walked. I’m so grateful for the ones that didn’t– those who knew who they are. I just know that there’s no point– there’s no point to this. We are born before our time.(Acclamation.) They won’t accept us. And I don’t think we should sit here and take any more time for our children to be endangered. Because if they come after our children, and we give them our children, then our children will suffer forever. (Clapping.)

Miller: ...if I had a different idea...

Jones: I have no quarrel with you coming up. I like you. I personally like you very much.

Miller: These people get hostile when you try to…

Jones: Oh, some people do– but– yes, some people do. Put it that way– I’m not hostile.

Woman: (angry shout)

Jones: You had to be honest, but you’ve stayed, and if you wanted to run, you’d have run with them, because anybody could’ve run today if they would've wanted to? I know you’re not a runner. And I– your life is precious to me. It’s as precious as John’s. And I don’t– what I do I do with weight and justice and judgement.  I’ve weighed it against all evidence.

Miller: OK, that’s all I’ve got to say. (End of Miller's 15-minute debate with Jones.)

Jones: What comes now folks? What comes now?

Man 3: Everybody hold it. Sit down.

Jones: Say. Say. Say peace. Say Peace. Say Peace. Say Peace. What’s come. Don’t let– Take Dwyer on down to the east house. [U.S. Embassy official Richard Dwyer, who Jones assumes had returned from the airstrip, as had been planned before the shooting.] Take Dwyer.

White Woman 4: Everybody be quiet, please.

(Recording pause. The gunmen apparently have returned from the airstrip.)

Jones: (Inaudible) … got some respect for our lives.

McElvane: That means sit down, sit down. Sit down.

Jones: They know. (Groan.) I tried so very, very hard. They’re trying over here to see what can be, what can happen in (inaudible). Who is it?

(Voices.)

Jones: Get Dwyer out of here before something happens to him. Dwyer. I’m not talking about Ujara. I said Dwyer. Ain’t nobody gonna take Ujara. I’m not lettin’ em take Ujara. Gather in, folks. It’s easy, it’s easy… Yes, my love.

Elderly Woman 5: At one time, I felt just like Christine felt . But after today I don’t feel anything because the biggest majority of the people that left here were white, and I know it really hurt my heart because–

Jones: Broke your heart, didn’t it?

(Faint "You copy?" heard twice here is from an underlying recording.)

Woman 5: It broke my heart to think that all of these years these white people have been with us, and they’re not a part of us. So we might as well end it now because I don’t see …

Jones: It's too late. You must stop talking. The congressman has been murdered.

(Recording pause. Music and singing are from an earlier recording on the tape.)

White Woman: We're ready.

Black Man: -- you cryin for, huh?

Black Woman:  (Recording pause?) It's all over.

Jones: It’s all over, all over. What a legacy, what a legacy. But the Red Brigade's the only ones ever made any sense anyway. (Red Brigades were a communist group that murdered Italian Prime Ministor Moro six months earlier.) They invaded our privacy. They came into our home. They followed us six thousand miles away. Red Brigade showed them justice. The congressman’s dead.

(Indistinct noises. This is the earliest point on the tape at which poisoning may be happening.)

Jones: Please get us some medication. It’s simple. It’s simple. There’s no convulsions with it. It’s just simple. Just, please get it. Before it’s too late. The GDF [Guyana Defense Force] will be here, I tell you. Get movin’, get movin’, get movin’.

Woman 6: (Voices.) Shut your mouth!

Jones: Don’t be afraid to die. If these people land out here, they’ll torture some of our children here. They’ll torture our people. They’ll torture our seniors. We cannot have this.

Voices: That's right! That's right!

Jones: Are you going to separate yourself from whoever shot the congressman? I don’t know who shot him.

Voices: No. No. No. Hell, no! Hell, no!

(Recording pause?)

Jones: Speak our peace. And those who had a right to go, and they had a right to– How many are dead? Aw, God Almighty, God.

Woman: Patty Parks is dead.

Jones: Hmm?

Woman: Patty Parks.

Jones: Patty Parks is dead?

Child: Hey, look!

(Recording pause)

Woman 7: ...and the others to endure long enough in a safe place to write about the goodness of Jim Jones?  (Is this comment by/about Annie Moore? She and other top leaders were found in a separate building. She wrote a 4-page final note praising Jones, and the final single shot heard c.11pm by Stanley Clayton is believed to be her suicide.)

Jones: I don’t know how in the world they’re ever going to write about us. It’s just too late. It’s too late. The congressman’s dead. The congressman lays dead. Many of our traitors are dead. They’re all layin’ out there dead.

Black woman: Right on! OK. Good! Good!

Jones: I didn’t, but my people did. My people did. They’re my people

Voices: That's right!



Jones: and they’ve been provoked too much. (Acclamation.) They’ve been provoked too much. What’s happened here’s been too-- been an act of provocation.

Angry Woman: They did it themselves! They did it! (Inaudible.)

Woman 8: If there’s any ways possible to, uh, have them to give Ted something to take him, I’m satisfied, okay?

Jones: Okay.

Woman 8: I said, if there’s anyway you can do, to have them give Ted something, so he won’t have to let him go too okay, and I’m satisfied.

Jones: That’s fine. Ted, yes. Yes. Yes.

Woman 9: Because I said I never wanted to live if you die, so this is-- And I appreciate you for everything.

Jones: (Inaudible.)

Woman 9: You are the only. You are the only. And I appreciate you.

(Applause.) (Recording pause.)

Jones: Please, can we hasten? Can we hasten with that medication? You don’t know what you’ve done.

Woman: Dad, I want you to know, you've given me the bestest(?) days of my life!

Jones: I've tried.

(Applause.) (Recording pause.)

Jones: Move. Please move.

Man's Voice: ...teaching(?)...

(Recording pause.) (Music from earlier recording.)

(Baby crying, voice says "Ssssssss". Recording pause.)

Jones: They saw it happen and ran in the bush and dropped the machine guns. I never in my life. But there'll be more.

(Recording pause.)

Jones: You’ve got to move. Are you gonna get that medication here? You’ve got to move.

Woman: Hurry up!

Jones: Marceline, in about forty minutes.

Judy Ijames or Joyce Touchette: You have to move, and the people that are standing there in the aisle, go stand in the radio room yard. Everybody get behind the table and back this way, okay?

Distant Woman: Please everybody...

Judy Ijames or Joyce Touchette:  There’s nothing to worry about. Everybody keep calm and try and keep your children calm.

Distant Woman: Have the older children give love to the little ones that are scared.

Judy Ijames or Joyce Touchette: And the older children can help love the little children and reassure them. They’re not crying from pain. It’s just a little bitter tasting. They’re not crying out of any pain. Annie Miguel, can I please see you back …

(Recording pause.)

McElvane: … Things I used to do before I came here. So let me tell you about it. It might make a lot of you feel a little more comfortable. Sit down and be quiet, please. One of the things I used to do– I used to be a therapist. And the kind of therapy that I did had to do with reincarnation in past life situations. And every time anybody had the experience of going into a past life, I was fortunate enough through Father to be able to let them experience it all the way through their death, so to speak. And everybody was so happy when they made that step to the other side.

Jones: When you step (inaudible) only thing you can do but step that way.  It’s the only way to step. That choice is not ours now. It’s out of our hands.

(Children crying in the background.)

McElvane: If we have a body that’s been crippled, suddenly you have the kind of body that you want to have.

Jones: Try to calm. Tell 'em it's something to give 'em a little rest, a little rest. Calm the children.

McElvane: It feels good. It never felt so good, family, I tell you. You’ve never felt so good as how that feels.

(Children crying in the background.)

Jones: And I do hope that those attorneys (Mark Lane and Charles Garry) will stay where they belong and don’t come up here. What is it?

Man's Voice: What happened?

Jones: What is it?

Man's Voice: What did you say John?



Jones: Did what? (Woman groans.) It's hard, it's hard, it’s hard but only at first– only at first is it hard. It's hard only at first. Living– you’re looking at death and it only looks– living is much, much more difficult. (Affirmations.) Raising up every morning and not knowing what’s going to be the night’s bringing. It’s much more difficult. It’s much more difficult.

(Crying and talking.)

Irene Edwards: I just want to say something to everyone that I see that is standing around or crying. This is nothing to cry about. This is something we could all rejoice about. We could be happy about this. (Applause.) They always told us that we could cry when you’re coming into this world. But when we’re leaving it, and we’re leaving it peaceful. I think we should be happy about this. I was just thinking about Jim Jones. He just has suffered and suffered and suffered. (Applause.) We -- you guys are already gone (honored as God?), and he don’t even have a chance to enjoy his self here. (Applause.) I wanted to say one more thing, to say one more thing. That’s few that’s gone. There’s many more here. He's still-- We-- That’s not all of us. That’s not all yet. That’s just a few that  has got a chance to get to the one that they should tell their story to -- their lives to. I’m looking at so many people crying. I wish you would not cry. And just thank Father. Just thank him.  I've been here about...

(sustained applause.)

Irene Edwards: I’ve been here uh one year and nine months. And I never felt better in my life. Not in San Francisco. But until I came to Jonestown. I've enjoyed this life. I've had a beautiful life. And I don’t see nothing for us to be crying about. We should be happy. At least I am. Let's thank... (Inaudible.)

(Applause.)

Black Woman 11: … wouldn't be alive today. I just like to thank Dad cause he was the only one that stood up for me when I needed him. And thank you, Dad.  (Applause.)

White Woman 12: I’m glad you’re my brothers and sisters, and I’m glad to be here.

Jones: We don't have a lot of testimonies.

White Woman 12: Okay.

Jones: Let's get on with it.

Woman: --quiet, you're right.

Jones: Please. For God’s sake, let’s get on with it. We’ve lived– we’ve lived as no other people have lived and loved. We’ve had as much of this world as you’re gonna get. Let’s just be done with it. Let’s be done with the agony of it.

(Applause.)

Jones: It’s far, far harder to have to watch you every day, die slowly– and from the time you’re a child until the time you get gray, you’re dying. (Acclamation.) Dishonest, and I’m sure that they’ll– they’ll pay for it. They’ll pay for it. This is a revolutionary suicide. This is not a self destructive suicide. So they’ll pay for this. They brought this upon us. And they’ll pay for that. I leave that destiny to them.

(Child screams, cries.)

Voices: You're all right, you're all right.

(Recording pause.)

Jones: --who wants to go with their child has a right to go with their child. I think it’s humane. I want to go– I want to see you go, though. They can take me and do what they want– whatever they want to do. I want to see you go. I don’t want to see you go through this hell no more. No more. No more. No more. (Child screams; voices) We’re trying. If everybody will relax. The best thing you do to relax, and you will have no problem. You’ll have no problem with this thing if you just relax.

(Recording pause.)

Man 4: …of the children here a great deal because of Jim Jones. And the way the children are laying there now. I’d rather see them lay like that than to see them have to die like the Jews did, which was pitiful anyhow. And I just like to thank Dad for giving us life and also death. And I appreciate the fact of the way our children are going. Because, like Dad said, when they come in, what they’re gonna do to our children– they’re gonna massacre our children. (Affirmations.) And also the ones that they take capture, they’re gonna just let them grow up and be dummies like they want them to be. And not grow up to be a socialist like the one and only Jim Jones. So I’d like to thank Dad for the opportunity for letting Jonestown be not what it could be, but what Jonestown is. Thank you, Dad.

(Applause.)

Jones: It’s not to be afeared. It is not to be feared. It is a friend. It’s a friend … sitting there, show your love for one another.

Jones: --when they come, don't let them take--

Jones: Let’s get calm. Let’s get calm. Let’s get calm.

(Children screaming.)

Jones: We had nothing we could do. We can’t– we can’t separate ourselves from our own people.

(Children screaming.) (Recording pause.)

Jones: --for twenty years laying in some old rotten nursing home.

(Voices.) (Recording pause.)

Jones: --taking us through all these anguish years. They took us and put us in chains and that’s nothing. This business– that business– there’s no comparison to that, to this. They’ve robbed us of our land, and they’ve taken us and driven us until we tried to find ourselves. We tried to find a new beginning. But it’s too late. You can’t separate yourself from your brother and your sister. (Affirmations.) No way I’m going to do it. I refuse. I don’t know who fired the shot. I don’t know who killed the congressman. But as far as I am concerned, I killed him. You understand what I’m saying? I killed him. He had no business coming. I told him not to come.

Woman 13: Right, right.

(Recording pause.) (42 seconds of children crying.) (Recording pause.)

Jones: I, with respect, die with a degree of dignity. Lay down your life with dignity. Don’t lay down with tears and agony. There’s nothing to death. It’s like Mac said, it’s just stepping over to another plane. Don’t be this way. Stop this hysterics. This is not the way for people who are Socialists or Communists to die. No way for us to die. We must die with some dignity.

Voices: That's right.

Jones: Soon we will have no choice. Now we have some choice. Do you think they’re gonna allow this to be done– allow us to get by with this? You must be insane. (Children crying.) Look children, it’s just something to put you to rest. Oh, God.

(Children crying. Child vocalizes.)

Jones: Mother, Mother, Mother, Mother, Mother, please.

Woman shrieks: Don't take my--

Jones: Mother, please, please, please. Don’t– don’t do this. Don’t do this. Lay down your life with your child. But don’t do this.

Woman 14: --telling all this to you.

Jones: Free at last. (Applause.) Keep– keep your emotions down. Keep your emotions down. Children, it will not hurt. If you’ll be– if you’ll be quiet. If you’ll be quiet.

Child: No! No!  (15 seconds of crying, screaming.) (Recording pause.)

Jones: It’s never been done before, you say. It’s been done by every tribe in history. Every tribe facing annihilation. (Affirmation.) All the Indians of the Amazon are doing it right now. They refuse to bring any babies into the world. They kill every child that comes into the world. Because they don’t want to live in this kind of a world. So be patient. Be patient. (Children screaming.) Death is– I tell you, I don’t care how many screams you hear. I don’t care how many anguished cries. Death is a million times preferable to ten more days of this life. If you knew what was ahead of you– if you knew what was ahead of you, you’d be glad to be stepping over tonight. Death, death, death is common to people. And the Eskimos, they take death in their stride. Let’s be digni– let’s be dignified. If you quit tell them they’re dying– if you adults would stop some of this nonsense. Adults, adults, adults. I call on you to stop this nonsense. I call on you to quit exciting your children when all they’re doing is going to a quiet rest. I call on you to stop this now if you have any respect at all. Are we black, proud, and Socialist, or what are we? (Affirmations.) Now stop this nonsense. Don’t carry this on anymore. You’re exciting your children.  (Affirmations.)

Jones:  --all over, and it stood. No, no sorrow– that it’s all over. I’m glad it’s over.

Voices: That's right!

Jones: Hurry, hurry my children. Hurry. All right, there, let's not fall into the hands of the enemy. Hurry, my children. Hurry. There are seniors out here that I’m concerned about. Hurry. I don’t want to leave my seniors to this mess. (Child crying.) Quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly…. Sisters, good knowing you. No more pain now. No more pain, I said (inaudible). No more pain. Jim Cobb is laying on the airfield dead at this moment.

(Applause.)

Jones: Remember the Oliver woman said she– she’d come over and kill me if her sons wouldn’t stop her? These, these are the people– the peddlers of hate. All we’re doing is laying down our life. We’re not letting them take our life. We’re laying down our life. (Affirmations.) --taking their lives. They just want peace.

(Recording pause.)

Man 5: All I would like to say is that my, uhm– my so-called parents was filled with so much hate–

Jones (clapping in admonition): Stop this, stop this, stop this, parents. Stop this crying, all of you.

Man 5: – Hate and treachery. I think you people out here should think about how your relatives was and be glad about that the childrens is being laid to rest. And all I’d like to say is that I thank Dad for making me strong to stand with it all and make me ready for it. Thank you.

Jones: --all they do is taking a drink. They take it to go to sleep. That’s what death is, sleep. (Children screaming.) --of it, I’m tired of it all.

Woman 15: --loving thing we could have ever done, most loving thing all of us could have done, and it’s been a pleasure walking with all of you in this revolutionary struggle. (Child crying.)  No other way I would rather go than to give my life for socialism, communism, and I thank Dad very, very much. (Applause.)

Elderly Woman 16: --that uh, Dad’s love and mercy, goodness and kindness and bring us to this land of freedom. His love– his mother was the advance– the advance guard to socialism. And his love, his mercy shall go on forever unto the fields of–

Jones: Where’s the vat, the vat, the vat? Where’s the vat with the Green C on it?

Elderly Woman 16: --go onto the-- fine, and thank you, Dad.

Jones: The vat with the Green C in, please. Bring it here so the adults can begin.

Jones: --beg you, don’t, don’t fail to follow my advice. You’ll be sorry. (Child cries.) You’ll be sorry.

Jones: --that we do it, than that they do it.

Voices: That's right! That's right!

Jones: Have trust. You have to step across.

(Child crying.)

Jones: We used to think this world was– this world was not our home– well, it sure isn’t– we were saying– it sure wasn’t.

Woman: That's right, Dad.

Child: I don't want--!


Jones: He doesn’t want to. Tell him. All he’s doing– if they will tell him– assure these children . Can’t some people assure these children of the relaxation of stepping over to the next plane? They will set an example for others. We said– one thousand people who said, we don’t like the way the world is. (Affirmations.)

Voice: Take some.(?)

Jones: Take our life from us. (Affirmations.) We laid it down. We got tired. (Affirmations.)

Voice: Think of happy times.

Jones: We didn’t commit suicide, we committed an act of revolutionary suicide protesting the conditions of an inhumane world.

(Music from underlying earlier recording.)