Jonestown

I was watching a news special on Jonestown Massacre. Four survivors of the massacre were featured. A newswoman from NBC. Two former members and one of Jones' sons.
Ryan, the congressman who went there to check on his constituents, he was slaughtered. Over 900 people drinking the kool-aide. How does that happen? It occurred in our time. In this time. From a young age, Jim Jones showed obvious signs of sociopath behavior. He came from a disturbed home. He started killing animals and holding funerals for them. Killing animals is one of the seven behaviors on the sociopath checklist.
Then, in the 60's, dirty secrets were kept just that - secret. Families were left alone to handle their own. Especially in rural America.
So a disturbed boy became a man. And that man developed skills hiding his mental illness. How better to hide your shame, low self esteem, paranoia than to be big and loud? As Jones grew bigger and became louder it only fed his disease.
Listening to these individuals; my God how incredibly horrific. One man left with Ryan. He left his wife and children. A woman left her mother, three sisters, and nieces and nephews. The anchorwoman, shot at the helicopter pretended she was dead - that is how she survived. Jones' own son - he lost everyone.
I cried a lot listening to these people. I cannot imagine - it is not imaginable is it? Then I examine the state of our country during Jones reign of terror. He preyed on educated middle class citizens who worked hard. No matter how hard they worked they only fell farther behind.
It was an economic period when rich became richer and middle class became poor and the poor were forgotten. Does that sound familiar?
Jones spoke about helping end segregation, helping poor folks, mentally ill people, and elderly people.
When middle class become working poor; what do the poor become? Marginalized, discounted, looked over - programs are cut everyday. Obama care doesn't offer health insurance for disabled people, or elderly people...it hurts those working individuals who had employer sponsored health care. Now they pay for health care. Health care that is not anywhere as good as what they had. Small businesses are cut out. Either they become Wal-Mart'esque or close their doors.
Worrisome isn't it? Those people Jones attracted, intelligent, hard working, compassionate people who believed in helping others even while their lives became harder.
That is what we do. How many times do we hear stories of a former homeless person who starts a successful shelter. A battered woman who builds shelters for other battered woman. An addict who goes into the streets reaching out to his fellow humans.
Read a paper, watch the news - scary isn't it? The gap between rich and middle class grows everyday. The poor, disabled, elderly, sick - these folks well they are invisible. Not because a majority of mankind wants to shut their eyes. When you live at survival level - when you have to choose between heat or food it is difficult to drop a dime in a bucket.
We should be wary. We should be vigilante. We should find a better way. We have to find a better way!
A charismatic person could raise a voice of humanity. Speak of a better society. A community where all people were equal. A safe place where  poor, elderly, mentally ill are cared for. This does sound wonderful. I might sign up. Pool our resources so we could have a positive impact on our world.
Wouldn't you do that? In some way wouldn't you like to free yourselves of rent, clock punching, car payments, worrying about how you are going to send your kids to college - worrying all the time.
Oh to be free of worry. To live a life of service to others while being free to be whoever you are. Having a real village raise your children. It is tempting. Appealing, alluring, gives one a small idea of "what-if?"
Don't look at the video of Jonestown. It is sickening. Why they show it I have no idea. Read about it. Just read about it. Listen to survivors. Hear their stories. Hear how they came to join People's Temple. They were folks just like you and I. Honest folks who worked hard only to be pushed down, and down, and down - until they could not push up anymore. Do you know anybody like that? Do you sometimes feel that way? Ever visit a nursing home? Ever visit a mental hospital?
Do you know how many mentally ill people are being released into communities? It is happening all over our country. Close the institutions because they are expensive. Let these folks rent apartments, buy homes -
Do you know how many mentally ill people are incarcerated in our penal system? Not so much anymore - they too are being released into communities. Here is a bus voucher, and $20.00, good luck. Look around - it doesn't matter if you are in an urban area, a rural area, or anyplace in between. It is happening.
Are we powerless to stop it? I don't think so. Better question, will we do anything to stop it? To that I say, man I sure hope so. But I fear we won't. We can't - because so many of us are trying to pay for heat, lights, and food. Too many good people are working two jobs. Too many children go home to empty apartments, houses, boxes;
I reckon the more important question might be; Have we learned from the past or are we doomed to repeat it?