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Granite monoliths inscribed with cryptic messages were blown up in rural Georgia early Wednesday, leaving behind a legacy of mystery that stretches from its origin to its destruction.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said “unknown individuals” detonated an explosive device around 4 a.m., destroying much of the Georgia Guidestones. The structure, which has been christened the “American Stonehenge,” originally consisted of four 19-foot granite slabs, a center stone, and a smaller block covering the top. Video footage released by law enforcement shows a car leaving the scene shortly after the blast, although the GBI did not specify whether the driver was related to the incident. Later in the day, authorities demolished the entire monument, citing security reasons.
The enigma of the Guidestones, located in Elberton, a city about 110 miles east of Atlanta called “the world capital of granite,” dates 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 wanted to remain anonymous, according to the Alberton Granite Association, a commercial group. People who knew Christian’s real identity took an oath of secrecy that has not been broken.
Guidestones funders wanted to make “a moralistic call” to humanity, according to the trade group, and engraved 10 guiding principles on the stones. The Multilingual Handbook for Humanity has been a popular place among visitors for the past four decades.
The instructions, repeated in eight languages on the four vertical slabs, are largely uncontroversial. They urge humanity to protect nature and care for its fellow citizens. But two entries in particular emerged: they called for the world’s population to be limited to 500 million and encouraged reproduction to improve “fitness and diversity”. (By the late 1970s there were about 4 billion living humans.)
Scientists discover the origin of the Stonehenge stones: quarries 180 miles away
Right-wing conspiracy theorists, such as Infowars founder Alex Jones, have taken advantage of the edicts as proof of a nefarious globalist scheme. In a 2008 documentary, he pointed to granite slabs as evidence that global elites were conspiring to enslave most of the world. During the coronavirus pandemic, erroneous information circulated linking the appearance of the virus to the Guidestones.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Who has disseminated and supported unfounded conspiracy theories, told Jones in an interview Wednesday that the monument represented a future of “population control” as l imagined the “hard left”.
“There is a war between good and evil, and people are done with globalism,” he said, adding that he would wait for the results of the investigation.
The Guidestones also earned a marginal mention in the state GOP governor primaries this year. Educator Kandiss Taylor, who finished in third place from victorious starter Brian Kemp, pledged to dismantle the monument and fight the “Luciferian Kabbalah” she suggested was behind it. On Wednesday, he called the Guidestones “satanic,” applauded the destruction and hinted that the incident could be an act of God.
Despite the controversy, many Alberton residents are proud of the Guidestones. The city’s mayor said the monument demonstrated the exemplary craftsmanship of local bricklayers, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“There is only one community in the world that could build a monument like this,” he added.