>>> THIS MONTH MARKS 40 YEARS
SINCE ONE OF THE MOST SHOCKING
TRAGEDIES IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
JIM JONES, THE LEADER OF THE
PEOPLE'S TEMPLE, ORCHESTRATED A
MASS KILLING OF 900 PEOPLE, MANY
OF THEM CHILDREN.
>> THEY WERE ALL POISONED IN THE
JUNGLE OF GUYANA, IN A PLACE HE
CALLED JONESTOWN.
JACKIE SPEIER WAS THERE THAT
DAY.
SHE WAS TRYING TO SAVE SOME OF
THOSE PEOPLE.
BUT SHE ENDED UP SAVING HERSELF.
WATCH.
>> Reporter: IN 1978, JACKIE
SPEIER WAS A 28-YEAR-OLD LAWYER
AND AIDE, WORKING WITH
CONGRESSMAN LEO RYAN.
AT THE TIME, SWCONSTITUENTS
REACHED OUT TO RYAN ABOUT FAMILY
MEMBERS LIVING IN GUYANA, UNDER
THE LEADERSHIP OF JIM JONES.
IN AN ATTEMPT TO INVESTIGATE,
RYAN LED A CONGRESSIONAL
DELEGATION OVERSEAS, ALONG WITH
THE TEAM OF NBC NEWS, IN HOPES
OF MEETING JONES AND HIS
FOLLOWERS.
JACKIE SPEIER WAS AT HIS SIDE.
>> ONE OF THE TACTICS IS TO
DELAY.
>> Reporter: THEY WAITED THREE
DAYS BEFORE GETTING PERMISSION
TO TOUR THE COMPOUND THAT HOUSED
OVER 900 PEOPLE.
THEY WERE MET WITH SMILING FACES
AND CHEERING CROWDS.
>> I'M HERE TO FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN
RAISED ABOUT YOUR OPERATIONS
HERE.
THERE'S SOME PEOPLE HERE THAT
BELIEVE THIS IS THE BEST THING
THAT HAPPENED TO THEM THEIR
WHOLE LIFE.
>> Reporter: SHE REMEMBERS THAT
MOMENT AND FEELING UNSETTLED BY
THE RESPONSE.
THAT SAME NIGHT, CHURCH MEMBERS
SECRETLY BEGAN TO PASS NOTES TO
THE DELEGATION ABOUT THEIR
DESIRE TO LEAVE.
THE NEXT DAY, THE TEAM GOT TO
WORK.
>> DO I UNDERSTAND YOU TO SAY
THAT YOU BOTH WANT TO LEAVE
JO
JONESTOWN ON THIS DATE?
>> YEAH.
>> WHAT IS YOUR WISH TODAY?
>> TO GO BACK HOME.
>> WHERE IS HOME?
>> THE U.S.
>> Reporter: WHEN JIM JONES WAS
QUESTIONED ABOUT LOSING MEMBERS,
HE RESPONDED.
>> PEOPLE PLAY GAMES, FRIEND.
THEY LIE.
WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT LIARS.
ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO GET OUT OF
HERE CAN GET OUT OF HERE.
>> Reporter: ON NOVEMBER 18th,
THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED.
THE DELEGATION, INCLUDING 15
DEFECTORS, WERE TRYING TO LEAVE
THE COUNTRY.
WHEN THEY WERE AMBUSHED.
RYAN AND FOUR OTHERS, INCLUDING
NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT DON
HARRIS, AND PHOTO JOURNALIST,
BOB BROWN, WERE KILLED.
NBC'S SOUND MAN WAS WOUNDED.
JACKIE SPEIER WAS SHOT FIVE
TIMES AT POINT-BLANK RANGE.
BACK AT THE COMPOUND, JONES LED
MORE THAN 900 OF HIS FOLLOWERS
TO THEIR DEATHS, AFTER
INSTRUCTING THEM TO DRINK A
CYANIDE-LACED BEVERAGE.
JACKIE SPEIER WAITED 24 HOURS
FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION AND
SOMEHOW SURVIVED IT ALL.
CON
CONGRESSWOMAN JACKIE SPEIER IS
SHARING HER MEMORIES ABOUT THAT
DAY AND THE CHALLENGES SHE HAD
SINCE, IN A BOOK TITLED
"UNDAUNTED."
SHE IS HERE TO TALK TO US ABOUT
IT.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
IT WAS A HORRIFIC EVENT TO GO
THROUGH.
I WAS WATCHING YOUR FACE
WATCHING THAT CLIP.
WHAT COMES BACK TO MIND FOR YOU
AND WHAT ARE YOU FEELING
EMOTIONALLY?
40 YEARS ALMOST TO THE DAY.
>> IT'S A HEARTWRENCHING LOOK
BACK.
IT WAS FULL OF ANGST AND PAIN
AND FEAR.
YOU KNOW, COMING TO THE END OF
ONE'S LIFE.
THAT'S WHERE I WAS, LYING ON
THAT AIRSTRIP, THINKING I WAS
GOING TO DIE THERE.
THE WHOLE RIGHT SIDE OF MY BODY
WAS BLOWN UP.
I HAD A BONE COMING OUT OF MY
RIGHT ARM.
SO, WHEN I SURVIVED, I JUST
WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I
DIDN'T SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE
AS A VICTIM, THAT I WAS A
SURVIVOR, AND THAT I WOULD MOVE
ON AND DEDICATE MY LIFE TO
PUBLIC SERVICE.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT I HAVE DONE.
>> I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR A NUMBER
OF YEARS.
YOU'RE A FREQUENT PRESENCE ON
MSNBC.
I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS PART OF
YOUR STORY UNTIL A FEW YEARS
AGO.
HOW MUCH DID WHAT HAPPENED ON
THAT AIRSTRIP, HOW MUCH DID THAT
SHAPE YOU?
DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE A
CONGRESSWOMAN FROM CALIFORNIA
HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THAT?
>> SO, I THINK YOU BECOME MORE
FEARLESS.
ONCE YOU'VE LOOKED DEATH IN THE
EYE, YOU'RE NOT AS AFRAID.
AND I RAN FOR CONGRESS, TO FILL
CONGRESSMAN RYAN'S SEAT AND I
LOST.
AND THE BOOK IS ABOUT BEING A
THREE-TIME LOSER AND LOSING FOR
CONGRESS, LOSING FOR THE
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
IT'S ABOUT 14 YEARS LATER, BEING
CHALLENGED, ONCE AGAIN,
HORRIFICALLY, WHEN MY HUSBAND
WAS KILLED IN AN AUTOMOBILE
ACCIDENT WHEN I WAS THREE MONTHS
PREGNANT WITH OUR SECOND CHILD.
IT'S A LIFE THAT HAD LOTS OF UPS
AND A FEW LOWS THAT HAVE ALLOWED
ME TO REALLY PUT THAT INTO THE
BOOK.
SO, PEOPLE CAN TAKE HEARTACHE
AND TURN IT INTO HOPE.
THAT'S WHAT I WANT THIS BOOK TO
BE ABOUT.
>> WHEN I WAS PREPARING FOR YOU
TODAY, THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT
GRABBED MY ATTENTION.
YOU TALK ABOUT THE POWER OF
TRUSTING YOUR GUT.
AND EVEN IF THAT SITUATION, WHEN
I MENTIONED IN THE CLIP WHEN YOU
HEARD THE PEOPLE APPLAUDING, IN
THAT MOMENT, DID YOU FEEL LIKE
SOMETHING WAS WRONG?
YOU LOOK BACK IN YOUR LIFE WHEN
YOU WERE ABLE TO GET THROUGH
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES.
WHAT WAS YOUR GUT TELLING YOU?
TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> THERE WAS A -- AN UNUSUALLY
LONG APPLAUSE.
AND IT WAS A LITTLE FRE NETIC.
I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT GOING ON
THAT TRIP.
I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF
PURCHASING A CONDO IN D.C.
AND I MADE THE CONTRACT
STIPULATE THAT IT WOULD BE NULL
AND VOID IF I DID NOT SURVIVE
THE TRIP.
I HAD HUGE PREMONITIONS.
PEOPLE WILL SAY, WHY DID YOU GO
THEN?
AT THE TIME, IT WAS 1978.
THERE WERE FEW PWOMEN THAT HAD
SENIOR ROLES IN CONGRESS.
IF I DIDN'T GO, THAT WOULD SET
AND SO, THAT WAS THE RATIONALE.
>> STAY WITH US.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR BOOK
COMING UP, AHE
>>> WE'RE BACK WITH
CONGRESSWOMAN JACKIE SPEIER,
TALKING ABOUT HER NEW BOOK,
"UNDAUNTED."
LET'S DIG INTO YOUR BOOK A
LITTLE BIT.
TALK ABOUT WHAT PUSHED YOU TO
SIT DOWN AND WRITE IT.
ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WHEN A LOT OF
PEOPLE HAVE A DRAMATIC EVENT,
THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT IT.
>> I WANTED IT TO BE A SURVIVAL
GUIDE FOR WOMEN IN PARTICULAR,
PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY.
FOR WOMEN GETTING INTO POLITICS
TODAY.
THERE'S THINGS I WOULD DO
DIFFERENTLY NOW, IF I HAD ONLY
KNOWN.
>> THINGS LIKE WHAT?
>> YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T WAIT MY
TURN, FOR STARTERS.
YOU JUST HAVE TO PUT YOURSELF
OUT THERE.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE WILLING TO DO
IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, TO GET
LEGISLATION PASSED.
YOU CAN'T EVER GIVE UP.
NOT THAT I'D EVER GIVEN UP.
BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE
LESSONS THAT I'M HOPING WILL
COME OUT OF IT.
AND YOU HAVE TO -- WHEN I FIRST
GOT TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE,
YOU CAN'T JUST WORK ON SOME
WOMEN'S ISSUES.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BROADER
PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEN, ONE DAY, I THOUGHT, IF
I DON'T WORK ON WOMEN'S ISSUES,
WHO IS GOING TO DO IT?
I SPENT A LOT OF MY YEARS
WORKING ON THE WOMAN'S AGENDA
BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR
COUNTRY TO BE ONE THAT IS NOT
90th IN THE WORLD IN THE NUMBER
OF WOMEN SERVING IN ELECTIVE
OFFICE ON A FEDERAL LEVEL.
>> WHETHER IT'S PROFESSIONAL
WITH YOUR CAREER OR PERSONAL
WITH THE TRAGEDIES THAT YOU
DEALT WITH, HOW DO YOU PUSH
THROUGH?
>> THERE WERE TIMES THAT WERE
REALLY TOUGH.
WHEN MY HUSBAND DIED AND I WAS
LEFT WITH ONE 5 1/2-YEAR-OLD AND
PREGNANT WITH A SECOND, WHERE I
WAS A HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY AND IT
WAS A FINANCIAL DISASTER BECAUSE
HE WAS THE BIG BREADWINNER, IT
WAS HARD.
IT WAS HARD TO GET OUT OF BED.
I WAS TELLING MY FATHER ONE DAY,
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN BRING THIS
BABY IN THE WORLD.
I'M FEELING LIKE I CAN'T DO
THIS.
AND HE SAID TO ME, JACKIE, GET
OVER IT.
IT WAS ONE OF THE SHOCKING
REALIZATIONS THAT TOOK ME A
WHILE TO APPRECIATE THAT I HAD
TO GET OVER IT.
I HAD TO MOVE ON WITH LIFE.
AND THIS BOOK IS ABOUT HOW YOU
CAN REALLY MOVE FROM BEING A
VICTIM TO A SURVIVOR.
THERE'S BEEN TIMES WHEN, YOU
KNOW, I HAD A COUPLE OF
MISCARRIAGES, 1 AT 17 WEEKS THAT
TURNED INTO AN ABORTION.
WE ADOPTED A BABY AND THE BIRTH
MOTHER TOOK THE BABY BACK.
IT WAS QUITE A ROAD.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE
A FASCINATING BOOK.
WHAT AN AMAZING STORY.
AND LOOK HOW FAR YOU'VE COME
FROM ALL OF THAT, HUH?
>> WELL, THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING IN MY LIFE, THOUGH, HAS
BEEN GIVING BIRTH TO THESE