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Georgia Guidestones partially destroyed by explosion

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WikiMedia

The Georgia Guidestones, a roadside monument nicknamed “America’s Stonehenge,” was partially destroyed Wednesday morning by an explosion, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

In a statement, GBI said: "The preliminary information indicates that unknown individuals detonated an explosive device at around 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6th."

As of Wednesday afternoon, no suspects were named and no motive identified.

The Guidestones, first erected in 1980, were a somewhat obscure roadside stop in Elbert County, Georgia, for most of their existence. But in 2008 and again in 2014, the Guidestones were vandalized with spray paint, with messages decrying the “New World Order.”

The Guidestones became more widely known in May of this year, when Georgia gubernatorial candidate Kandiss Taylor made their destruction a main focus of her campaign. She labeled the stones “Satanic evil” and made the stones a centerpiece of her fundraising efforts for the office. Comedian John Oliver did an entire segment on the Guidestones and their place in the Georgia governor’s race that month.

The Guidestones grew from mysterious origins and are credited to a person identified only as Robert C. Christian. It is widely believed that the monument was meant to be a beacon for human civilization following a nuclear war, but the meaning behind the 10 guiding principles (writtent in eight languages) has long been the subject of speculation, as to whether they are benign or sinister. The principles as inscribed read:

  • Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
  • Guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity.
  • Unite humanity with a living new language.
  • Rule passion — faith — tradition — and all things with tempered reason.
  • Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
  • Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
  • Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
  • Balance personal rights with social duties.
  • Prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite.
  • Be not a cancer on the Earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature.

A separate tablet for the Guidestones claims they are intended to mark a new “Age of Reason.”

Scott Morgan is the Upstate multimedia reporter for South Carolina Public Radio, based in Rock Hill. He cut his teeth as a newspaper reporter and editor in New Jersey before finding a home in public radio in Texas. Scott joined South Carolina Public Radio in March of 2019. His work has appeared in numerous national and regional publications as well as on NPR and MSNBC. He's won numerous state, regional, and national awards for his work including a national Edward R. Murrow.