Remembrance November 18, 2006

By LISA ANDERSON

The significance of today's date has just hit me.

Every year, November 18th is a haunting reminder of my family's history.

I read a blog tribute by my Dad today, which spurred me to contemplate this day.

My aunt perished 28 years ago with more than 900 others in a mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. She was 22 years old and a member of The People's Temple–– the cult led by the Reverend Jim Jones.

I never got to meet my Aunt Sharon, but wish with all my might that I could have. Many people hold assumptions that cult members are vulnerable, crazy people easily swayed by outside influences. These individuals are often dehumanized and pigeon-holed.

Sharon was a young woman filled with humanitarian ideals and spirit. She was a creative and tenacious hippie and a lover of the earth.

She, along with nearly one thousand others, was led astray by a sick and deceitful man. She was brainwashed and driven away from her family by cult members. She was not crazy, weird, or abnormal. She joined Jones' movement for its social activism and ideals of racial and social equality.

She died, far before her time, after either drinking or being injected with cyanide-laced Flavor Aid.

Sharon was a daughter, a sister, a friend, an artist, a musician, a free-spirit, a student. A bleeding heart and beautiful soul. She could have been a partner, a mother, an aunt and so many more things, had she lived.

Cults prey on our insecurities with indoctrinating leadership. They can begin as positive and healthy organizations and turn toxic quickly. We should critically look into cult tactics and warning signs. There are many organizations, even on-campus groups, that have some cult characteristics.

The last picture my family has of Sharon was one she sent from Jonestown. In it I see a beautiful young woman with an incredible smile. Though her living predicament at this point would have been miserable, according to church defector's reports, I see her spirit shining through.

Sharon remains timeless in this picture–– a young woman not too much older than me, ready to change the world and fight for her ideals. An incredible human being.

And a life taken far too soon.

Tonight, my heart goes out to the families whose hearts were broken by the Jonestown tragedy nearly three decades ago. May the consequences of this historical event guide us to protect each other.