Former Congressman Leo Ryan

After all the excitement in defeating the Republican emissaries of greed, lies and war, a moment of silence to recognize a truly heroic Republican.

 

Leo Ryan, like dozens of other Congressmen, was contacted by relatives of American citizens held captive in Jonestown by Jim Jones.

 

While other Congressmen, both Republicans and Democrats, were bought off with a $10,000 contribution to look the other way, Leo Ryan boldly refused the money and went himself to Jonestown to investigate.

There he found Jim Jones, former Democratic appointee to HUD in San Francisco conducting his own expanded MKUltra experiments on American Citizens held hostage.

 

Jim Jones had Leo Ryan and most of his entourage murdered before they could leave Guyana. Then, concerned about repurcussions, Jim Jones forced his hostages into a mass poisoning so they could not expose him. He then, unable to face the consequences of his deepening crimes, took his own life and the life of his wife.

 

Leo Ryan represents all the good that those who accept the Republican Party blindly are partial too. While I cannot accept the U.S. sinking further into the role of a global villain via the Republican Party, I must recognize the heroics of those whose principles drive them more than greed. This is a nature that transcends political parties and strikes to the very heart of what is central and correct.

We must be constantly alert to look at the Legislator and the Issues rather than the political party.  True, the political party weighs in, especially after the Tea Party held the U.S. economy hostage and ruined our credit rating.  The importance of getting through these hard time mandated a backlash against the Republican Party for this crime against the American people and others it was ready to implement.  Yet tomorrow may be different.  We are trusting that Obama will come through for the 99% but that remains to be seen.