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Granite monoliths inscribed with cryptic messages were detonated in rural Georgia early Wednesday, leaving behind a mysterious legacy that stretches from their origin to their destruction.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said “persons unknown” detonated an explosive device around 4 a.m., destroying much of Georgia’s waystones. The structure, which has been dubbed “America’s Stonehenge,” originally consisted of four 19-foot granite slabs, a central stone, and a smaller block covering the top. Video footage released by law enforcement showed a car leaving the scene shortly after the blast, though the GBI did not say whether the driver was involved in the incident. Later in the day, authorities demolished the entire monument, citing safety concerns.
The enigma of Guidestones, located in Elberton, a town about 110 miles east of Atlanta that calls itself the “Granite Capital of the World,” can be traced back to the late 1970s. At the time, a man identified as RC Christian commissioned the project on behalf of a group of out-of-state Americans who wished to remain anonymous, according to the Elberton Granite Association, a trade group. The people who knew Christian’s true identity were sworn to secrecy that would not be broken.
The Guidestones’ funders wanted to make a “moralistic appeal” to humanity, according to the trade group, and engraved 10 guiding principles on the stones. The multilingual Handbook of Humanity has been a popular visitor attraction for the past four decades.
The instructions, repeated in eight languages on the four upright tablets, are largely uncontroversial. They call on humanity to protect nature and care for its fellow citizens. But two entries in particular raised eyebrows: They called for the world’s population to be capped at 500 million and encouraged reproduction to improve “fitness and diversity.” (There were about 4 billion people alive in the late 1970s.)
Scientists discover the origin of stones at Stonehenge – quarries 280 miles away
Right-wing conspiracy theorists such as Infowars founder Alex Jones seized on the decrees as evidence of a criminal globalist scheme. In a 2008 documentary, he pointed to the granite slabs as evidence that global elites have conspired to enslave most of the world. During the coronavirus pandemic, misinformation was spread that linked the outbreak of the virus to the Guidestones.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.), who promotes and supports baseless conspiracy theories, told Jones in an interview Wednesday that the monument represents the future of “population control” as envisioned by the “hard left.”
“There is a war of good and evil and people are done with globalism,” she said, adding that she would await the results of the investigation.
The Guidestones also received a secondary mention in this year’s GOP gubernatorial primary. Educator Candace Taylor, who finished third behind winner Brian Kemp, vowed to dismantle the monument and fight the “Luciferian cabal” she says is behind it. On Wednesday, she called the Guidestones “satanic,” applauded the destruction and suggested the incident may have been an act of God.
Despite the controversy, many Elberton residents are proud of the Guidestones. The city’s mayor said the monument is a testament to the exemplary craftsmanship of local masons, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“There is only one community in the world that can build such a monument,” he added.
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