Re: psychoceramics: Re: Thank goodness, extended

[Tom Easton <teaston @ acadia.net>]

At 09:19 AM 3/30/97 PST, you wrote:
>> I'm too young to remember, but did people think the Jonestown mass suicide
>> was a big laugh-riot too?  Or is this a new "improvement" on society?
>
>Yeah, Jonestown raised a few chuckles too.  It's called "black humor" and
>it's pretty human.
>
>The difference between Jonestown and Rancho is that the Rancho people only
>killed themselves.  One of the things often forgotten about Jonestown is that
>the Jonestown people also took non-complicit parties with them -- they murdered
>Congressman Leo Ryan and perhaps one or two others.
>
>Rancho, Jonestown, Masada... all giggle fodder.
>
        I wouldn't include Masada.  They were under attack, and in their
case suicide was a rational alternative to death after rape and torture.

Tom