Jim Jones Shooting Essay

A lot of these people turned to religion to answer their problems. People felt being a part of a religion or a religious group was the best way to try and improve their lives, and also to feel like a belonged to something. This is where Jim Jones came in and influenced many people’s lives. Jim Jones took advantage of people when they were vulnerable and easy to convert to his religion. He saw this as a perfect opportunity to expand his religious group and spread his message. The one thing that Jim offered that was the biggest attraction to people was that he did not discriminate against races. The fact that he accepted all races, made him very popular, especially in the black

On October 1, 1997, in Pearl, Mississippi, a shooting took place at pearl high school, a 16 year old boy named Luke Woodham went on a shooting rampage. Early that morning he brutally killed his mother then took her car and drove to school. He was wearing a long trench coat to hide the rifle and when he got to the school, he killed two girls, one of them being his ex-girlfriend, and injured seven other people. The reason why he did not get away was because of Joel Myrick, an assistant principal for the school, who ran to his truck, got his Colt .45, and held the boy at gunpoint until the police arrived (Pearl). Later it was revealed that Joel had a concealed carry permit and used to keep his pistol on his person while in school, but after a law passed in 1995, he had to keep his gun in his truck. If this shooting had happened before ‘95 or the law had not been passed, he have stopped the shooting sooner, saved the lives of those girls, or even

Jim Jones as a Prophet November 18, 1978 it all ended. Jim Jones and his followers committed mass suicide in Guyana, South America. The history of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple is still studied a great deal today. Why did all those people follow Jones? Were they forced, were they brain washed, or was Jones just that charismatic.

DATELINE: MAY 10, 2007, BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA (US) - The tragic shootings at Virginia Tech on Monday, April 16 were over by mid-day; for Tech’s Office of Transportation and its subsidiary Parking Services group, the challenges were just beginning.

Jones turned families against each other. A man who may express a desire to leave could be turned in by his wife, or his own child. Paranoia and tension were high in Jonestown. There were armed guards to protect them from intruders, but there was the cold and silent knowledge that they were also there to keep anyone from leaving. Members would be punished for little things, such as not paying enough attention to one of Jones’s sermons (Latson, “The Jonestown Massacre”). As a form of punishment, members could be beaten or publicly humiliated. There was a speaker where Jones’s pre-recorded speeches would be played all day, even at night. By then, Jones was exceedingly paranoid and on top of that, a drug addict. He confiscated medicine to use for himself, and people began to notice that his words were becoming more slurred.

Jim Jones did a lot that seemed good in his life (Merlot). He worked with people of all different backgrounds to make their lives better and wanted to solve social problems. He spoke against the racist stereotype of the white man and towards the new idea of a united racial group. Jones also did a lot of bad in his life. Jim Jones was the craziest religious fanatic to live during the 20th century because he brainwashed most of his followers, abused his power, and led the largest mass murder for that decade in a single event.

January 8, 2011 was the best day of my life. That was the day I’ve waited for and planned for a very long time. Shooting all those innocent people, especially Gabrielle Giffords, gave me such a rush. I can say that I finally made a name for myself and got the revenge I wanted. Why did I do this? The reason why is because Gabrielle is so stupid. I went to one of her events in 2007, and when I met her, I thought she was just very annoying. She thinks she can change the world, but actually I’m the one who can change the world for the better. I can remember her terrified face when I pointed my gun right on her forehead and pulled the trigger. If the police didn’t show up, I know I could have done more damage. But anyways, I’m proud of what I

In the 1970s America was becoming progressively agitated in various categories that included, the civil rights movement, antiwar, and “A New Right.” Each which only increased the followers of Jones when speaking in favor of the people. Jim Jones and his sermons as a reverend and a leader of the Peoples Church consisted of attacks toward segregation, on the abuses of the American capitalistic system, along with antiwar feelings. This only furthered his congregation, gaining more followers that consisted of mainly African Americans. The 1970s consisted of people looking for a deeper meaning and with Jim Jones promising a utopian community, they thought they found it. He took advantage of the people’s weaknesses allowing them to trust in him

There is an assumption that if you understand the minds of serial killers, or persons who commit mass shootings, that it may help prevent mass shootings. “Mass shootings are not on the rise, but have held steady over three decades, randomly clustering in time to trick our brains into finding a pattern of increase where none actually exists” (Shermer 3). Mass shootings happen at varying times without rhyme or reason. Some think that a psychological disorder or some genetic defect could be the reason people commit these crimes. Although we cannot prevent mass shootings, we can educate on how mental health issues can be a precursor to such a tragedy, and how better laws can create a safer environment.

The “Jim Jones & The People’s Temple” article explained that Jim Jones was a notorious cult leader of the Peoples Temple. He was self-appointed pastor from a church in the Midwest. The People’s Temple was founded in 1955 by Jim Jones, he created the church to create equality in races and help other people in need. Jones wanted to create a communist community where everyone was in accord and everyone worked together. When Jones moved his people to Guyana, South America, he managed to get exactly what he wanted. The people called this new community Jonestown, many people loved this town, while others began to question the environment they lived in. Jonestown was completely surrounded by jungles and armed guards that guarded the town. To leave Jonestown members are required to have

The Peoples Temple was a racially integrated church established in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Temple with much push from investigations eventually made its way to the Northwest District of Guyana. The Temple where Jim Jones preached stressed the need for brotherhood and unity among all people. The congregation began with good intentions; helping feed the poor and give them jobs. However it quickly became a religious movement that manipulate its members into abiding by every word of their father (Jim Jones). The Temple began to ask more from its member than other churches during the 1970s did at the time. They required the members to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with Temple family instead of just your own. It also began a process known as

Hall, a sociologist analyzing Jones’ outcast past. ( Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, 2006) As an adult, Jim Jones wanted to make the world a better place. When Jones first tried to be a student pastor at an already established church, he met resistance with the church’s leaders. Jones believed the church should accept people of all races and

This case study introduces the reader to Jim Jones and his cult, the Peoples Temple. The organization is described as a communal society, where “everyone would be treated equally and share in the common good” (as cited by Ciulla, 2003, p. 193). Jones is described as a selfless leader, who opened his group to society’s outsiders. He was not interested in wealth, even though the group accumulated a large sum of money, and is described as wearing borrowed suits and working over 20 hours daily. He was deeply devoted to his congregation and his idea of creating an “interracial socialist community” (as cited by Ciulla, 2003, p. 194). As the congregation grew, however, Jones began to grow his own legend. He made outlandish statements about being God incarnate, and his followers grew more

Ever since Jim Jones was a little boy he has always believed in god and it never stop when he grew up to the point the he became a preacher for a church called people’s temple. In the beginning everything seems fine a great, Jones was a great preacher, the audience was good, it just seems like a normal church the people will go to and believe that Jones had good intention of helping people to believe in god and helping the poor but that slowly soon turn into something more sinister. The people’s temple moved to California than Jim Jones wanted to move but not only him he wanted people’s temple to move to someone where they can start fresh, talk about god and not get discrimination wherever they go. 900 and maybe more people follow Jim Jones to Jonestown in Guyana that is where they settled at and stay there for their rest of their life if only they knew what was about to come. While the days pass by the more Jim Jones stated to lose himself he started to think that he was god that the people with him was his children’s than he started to take drugs and change things for example he made everyone that came to Jonestown to give him their passbook because no one could leave the area without his permission another example was back talking or being racist and sexist if you did any of those and someone knew they had to go to Jones and tell them what you did and you will get punished for it to the point that you couldn’t even trust nobody not even your own child because they were

On November 18th, 1978 what would become known as one of the most detrimental days for many families occurred. Formally known as The People’s Temple Agricultural Project or in short The People’s Temple, a substantial amount of citizens, most if not all of them being American were led by Jim Jones in a term coined by Jones himself, “Revolutionary Suicide”. Nine hundred and nine lives were taken on that devastating day (McGehee). Jones used powerful methods of persuasion to gather nearly one thousand members of the People’s Temple to migrate to Guyana in South America to form the settlement known as Jonestown. It is believed that Jim Jones chose the secluded location of Guyana for the purpose of containing the citizens so they could not flee their new formed society. Jones was for many of the members of Jonestown a father figure as most of the children on the settlement called Jones father. The message behind Jones’ society was acceptance, equality, and a sense of belonging in the world. The mass suicide that occurred on November 18th, 1978 will later be known as The Jonestown Massacre.