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Subscribe to RSSThreats of school violence and Mayan apocalypse rumors result in dozens of Michigan schools closing early for the holidays. WDIV's Paula Tutman reports.
More than 30 Michigan schools closed for the holidays two days early, in part because the Mayan calendar predicts the world will end on Friday, an official said.
Matt Wandrie, superintendent for Lapeer Community Schools, said doomsday "rumors" are running rampant in several districts, adding to fears raised by last week's school shooting in Newtown, Conn.
"Given the recent events in Connecticut, there have been numerous rumors circulating in our district, and in neighboring districts, about potential threats of violence against students," Wandrie wrote on his website.
"Additionally, rumors connected to the Mayan calendar predicted end of the world on Friday have also surfaced," he added.
He noted that Twitter was lighting up with posts with sentiments like: "Friday would be a great day to go out w/ a bang."
The ancient predictions of apocalypse were a "secondary concern," with rumblings about violent threats against schoolchildren a bigger issue, he said.
CNBC: In Mayan doomsday, marketers see $$$ opportunity
Wandrie said all rumors of threats had been "investigated and determined to be false" but were still a "serious distraction" for students heading into the holiday break, and parents were vowing to keep children home.
So officials from five districts in Lapeer County covering 33 schools decided to just scrap the last two days of classes, extracurricular activities and athletic events.
"Although we in the county are reluctant to cancel school because the rumors are unsubstantiated, we feel it is the most appropriate decision given the gravity of recent events and our present circumstances," he wrote.
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I saw a story on the evening news about a doomsday prepper who was ready for the Mayan Calender to end. He had a bunker with supplies, gas masks, rifles, shotguns, Army rations, etc. etc.
When asked how any of this would help him if the world was going to go away he responded that at least he would go down fighting....
Huh? Fighting whom? What? Freaking crazy people. On Saturday he's going to peek out from under his Army cot, adjust his tinfoil hat and notice that the world is still intact. Hmmm, maybe they were off a day or two? Wait a week, another month- things will still be pretty much the same. Maybe then he, and many other whack-jobs like him, will throw in the towel about this insanity and go on to lead productive lives, contributing to society.
Yeah...until the next doomsday prediction.
What an absolute travesty.
Mayan Calendar and the end of days.
Armored backpacks.
A whole host of other things that are being fed to people to keep the crazy going and for what...? To play on the increasing fear everyone seems to be having? Some day there will be a catastrophy that will happen. Does that mean we are supposed to live in constant fear every waking moment of every day? What kind of living is that?
Shame on the media for antagonizing that very fear.
What do folks from Michigan and Pakistan have in common? Both highly religious, conservative and have belief systems that the rest of us find hysterical. The Paki's think that polio oral vaccine will cause men to become sterile and women will become hyper-sexual. Ignorant Michiganders believe that the Mayan calendar will mean the end of days so they have to prepare for the rapture and their trip to meet Jesus. Who is more crazy here?
Hmm, I'd have to say the Mayan thing is a little crazier...
Both are equally crazy because both have no basis in fact or evidence.
"Stranger story" doesn't equal "more crazy." More creative, perhaps.
William360414 your an idiot not all of us in Michigan believe its the end of the world based on something that others predicted its like when you believe in mediums or fortune tellers people all over the world believed something would happen today and just because they reported on schools closing in Michigan doesn't mean no other states haven't done the same instead of everyone commenting so many hateful comments on here and making nasty comments on these sites about lets move on and stop reporting about this tragedy and about how we don't need to ban or gun control and people that say how these people that lost their children are crazy for praying to God and believing its soul less and heartless people like you that will destroy the world with your weapons we need to start somewhere and if it means banning weapons then whatever it takes this punk got a hold of the weapons because his mother bought them shes just as guilty she knew her son was a psycho she made it easy for him how ironic he used her guns to kill her to I have no sympathy for this family only for the children and their families and teachers who died because of these guns in the hands of a psycho.
Quit worrying. That was a prediction for Mayans, and you're not Mayans. Besides, they were off. Their world ended centuries ago.
For me this is about a bunch of teachers and school administrators wanting to extend their Christmas break that we all pay for. Nice!!!!!!!
Ignorance is a very frightening thing!
Brilliant action and brilliant reporting! The rationale behind these closings represents a very high level of education. We need to extend the period of required education to at least the end of the semester after reaching age 20. Our present education system does not provide adequate life-coping skills in this age of high technology when human knowledge doubles around every 10 to 15 years.
Well this is our last day, I wonder when it's going to end. At least I did the right thing, sold everything I owned and went to Vegas. I've sure been having a good time being a high roller...and, of course, with the world coming to an end you certainly don't have to worry about using protection with the hookers! Well, the end could happen anytime now, I think I'll go injest a snowball, nice knowin' ya!
Open website for official website "End of world", "Kalki Jesus"
"Additionally, rumors connected with the Mayan calendar...have surfaced." It's a sad day when educators so blatantly indulge the most profoundly stupid elements of the community.
And we wonder why young people think old people and school officials are stupid and out of touch.. OK, now keep the kids in school until July 3rd and let them learn the reall meaning of education..
Dear School Systems:
Just how low can you sink?
You're supposed to be *educating* kids, not feeding their fears. You're supposed to be telling these kids that this is New Age bulls**t propagated in the '70s by someone who was trying to sell books!!
This is the my Sound for the Maya and for us, We lives juhuuuuu The end of calendar is not the Apocalypse peace !
The end of the Mayan calendar means...it's time to buy a new Mayan calendar.
This Mayan "prophecy" stuff is just ridiculous. I almost find it hard to believe that there are so many gullible people out there who actually believe it. In Samoa and a few other places, it's already 12/22/12 and they're still there. Only Allah knows when the world will end. People who think they know better than Allah are just foolish.
right.... yeah....way to prove them crazy...
@Kevin: Only Allah knows eh? You're an idiot.....Jesus would SLAM your Allah in a steel cage match hands down......
Buddha would body slam them both in 2 seconds!! His bum rush attack is deadly!
Suppose I has said "God" instead of "Allah"? Allah means God.
Guys must see this. Movie 2012
Wow, unbelievable. We now close our schools based on doomsday nut-job conspiracy theories.
Just out of curiousity, do the nut-jobs have until midnite tonight, or is it high noon?
Go skins BEAT philly!
On the 22nd people will crawl out of their bunkers looking for the next dooms day date, or recalculate the Mayan calender and set a new date. I am going to just continue to trust in God and know that science for the most part is based on theory. I can not believe how easily influenced people are. Only a liberal would be influenced by the arrogance of man and believe that science is greater than God.
Uhhh I am not a liberal and I believe in science. I am a Republican actually and I don't believe that trusting in science makes you arrogant. Not believing in science makes you an idiot. However, science did NOT say the world would end today. That is your first mistake. Second mistake is a theory is not a guess. A hypothesis is a guess, a well educated guess. A theory is a well confirmed type of explanation one that has been tested many times over and not proven incorrect. Such as the Theory of Relativity or the Germ Theory of Disease. I would put my faith in science every day of the week. Not saying I don't believe in God but I do put my faith in science.
This is why most Americans are thought of as morons. It is also why media and government do and say whatever they want. Lapeer, Genesee, Sanilac and Tuscola Counties did close their schools, but not because of the Mayans. They likely would have closed today due to horrible roads covered in snow and ice. In the wake of the CT tragedy, multiple fools made threats with lists of different students in multiple school districts throughout these counties. These kids learned the effectiveness of making such a horrible threat by following the media. We remember the names and actions of the mentally ill sociopaths who murder, but not the victims. This teaches kids negative actions get attention and to react instead of be proactive. The schools closed to investigate the threats and find the suspects. The media and government get away with reporting lies and doing what they want because most people are idiots and believe whatever they read and instead of looking into it, like the schools did, they react. Action without knowledge and understanding. Not only is NBC wrong with this report, but Lapeer is an hour and a half from Detroit, all these counties did was try to keep their kids safe, this state overall voted for Obama and we reacted appropriately to a threat. You all reacted to a lie as if it was a truth. Way to do what the media and government want you to do, follow blindly like a moron. This is brought to you by a licensed therapist in Lapeer that lives in Genesee County in Flint. Yes I am at work, I am a democrat who voted for Obama, I own a gun but haven't harmed anyone and no there isn't mass hysteria here. The only stupidity and hysterics I've seen is in the media and on the internet. Stop reacting and start thinking for yourself. If you don't live here you have no clue whats going on by following the media. Mental health reform is nationwide, not just locally. This state has one of the few and best integrated mental health systems in the country. We treat based on thorough assessment, not on medicate and get rid.
I believe in natural disasters but I didn't believe that the world would end today if the schools here closed because of some sort of threat other then doomsday then its understandable but this is crazy, its like when the millinium came in 2000 people thought that the market was going to crash and technology was not going to be able to change, so a lot of people rushed out and stocked up on water and canned goods thinking it was going to be a destruction, the only way the world could end is if mankind destroys it with massive nuclear weapons diseases and wars but mankind managed to survive even these disasters in past history, the only thing we have to fear is fear its self, lets pray for the children who were killed last Friday that's the only disaster and tragedy that happened on a Friday we need to be more afraid of the middle east terrorists attacking us and animals like this psycho who killed 20 children and their teachers in cold blood, we all need to change this world and not destroy it for future generations.
What a stupid reaction. Nonsense.
To Michigan:
The Mayans might have been a day off, a week off, a month off, several months off. Better keep schools closed indefinately.
That's what doomsday theorists always say when the world doesn't blow up when they said it would. They "miscalculated"....
Anybody else ever take the time to note that EVERYBODY who supports all of this babble in regards to the "end of the world" based on ancient fairy tales or misinterpretations of scribbling on stone walls by people who lived their lives by celebrating the removal of their neighbors heads are SELLING SOMETHING that will keep them from having to WORK in order to make a living?
Humans have been plagued since time began by free loaders who will plant idiotic stories into children's heads, hoping that they will remain there well into adulthood.
It's obvious that it works for some of us.
The Michigan Militia should have mobolized to protect the citizens of Michigan from disaster