ALERT Academy

[Sola]

While perusing the website of David Waller's parents I followed a link to IBLP and then to Alert Academy (as you do). It strikes me as nothing more than trying to set up a private army amongst other things. I downloaded the brochures (as you do) and this bit made me wonder.

 

As part of the application process you need:

 

 

Quote

Photographs

• 1 family photograph (any size), taken in the last year

• 2 personal photographs (any size), taken in the last year

 

Why a family photo? Will they be checking hair and skirt leg nth of the ladies? Must the recruit come from a photogenic family?

 

 

Quote

• Obtain a valid U.S. Passport

 

Umm, OK, but earlier on it says that ALERT does not discriminate on the grounds of nationality - but whatever, I'll let that one pass.

 

So the next part which got me wondering was this:

 

 

Quote

In response to a call from an authority, ALERT will deploy a team on short notice to

a disaster-stricken area to assist that authority with the needs in his jurisdiction. ALERT’s goal is

to make leaders successful while presenting the love of Christ through flexible, selfless public

service.

 

OK, I suppose that the authority probably means something like an influential pastor, or maybe even Dougie, whenever the shit hits the fan somewhere. But elsewhere on the website I read something that gave the impression that ALERT would go in when asked by local authorities in times of disaster. Local authorities to me means local, or even national, government organisations.

 

Forgive me for being sceptical, but I seriously doubt than any government in the developed world is going to want ALERT recruits. They will use civil defence and armed forces if need be. Which leads me to the conclusion that ALERT is nothing more than a private military/civil defence organisation which will come out if you request them, at a price.

 

Which brings me to my final point; how much does it cost?

 

I seriously doubt that if your area faces a major disaster your first thought will be to call a private militia (ALERT or Bradrick.org). First off, shit hits the fan and we call either 999 or 911. It's free, they come out, they provide help, we pay through out taxes.

 

Are we really led to believe that ALERT will come for free? Bullshit.

 

Are we to believe that local, or even national authorities will call ALERT? Bullshit.

 

So what is the point of ALERT?

 

They have videos and pictures of them helping in Joplin, fair enough. But how long did it take for them to get there? I am sure they were not first responders. Once the immediate emergency has passed they are helping with the clean up, with the rebuild. Fair enough. But to promote them as military/civil defence is wrong. They are not.

 

Thoughts?

[ladypuglover]

I think they would call in the boy scouts and have before calling in anyone from Alert. :roll:

[formergothardite]

They used to deny familes entry into ATI based on family photos. Dad's having facial hair.

From what I can tell ALERT is to try and make ATI guys feel like they are doing something important all while not actually doing something important. Instead of joining the ebil Army guys can join ALERT.

[fluttershies]

They used to deny familes entry into ATI based on family photos. Dad's having facial hair.

From what I can tell ALERT is to try and make ATI guys feel like they are doing something important all while not actually doing something important. Instead of joining the ebil Army guys can join ALERT.

Why is facial hair so frowned-upon? As a good Jew, Jesus would have had a beard.

[formergothardite]

If memory serves me correctly it was because Gothard said it was worn by hippies and a sign of rebellion.

[NurseNell]

I'm moving in May and IBLP's Northwood Conference Center is less than an hour from my new home. And it's in one of my favorite places so maybe I'll be seeing some Duggars and other fundies.

[Visionoyahweh]

If memory serves me correctly it was because Gothard said it was worn by hippies and a sign of rebellion.

*stroking my beard of rebellion*

Wanna bet it's just becuse ol'Bill can't grow a manly enough one himself?

[Sola]

*stroking my beard of rebellion*

Wanna bet it's just becuse ol'Bill can't grow a manly enough one himself?

Wow, so the entire religion they base their shite on, was started by a man who they disapprove of due to rebellion?

:lol:

[formergothardite]

teamperu12.blogspot.com/

Here is a blog showing what ALERT is doing now. They went to Peru and aren't doing much besides showing up after a fire was put out.

[Knight of Ni]

Photos are required to make sure the family has the "everything is perfect" smile down pat.

[Conuly]

If memory serves me correctly it was because Gothard said it was worn by hippies and a sign of rebellion.

Have these people ever READ the New Testament?

[NurseNell]

teamperu12.blogspot.com/

Here is a blog showing what ALERT is doing now. They went to Peru and aren't doing much besides showing up after a fire was put out.

And Pizza Hut pizza for lunch!! :evil: You're in Peru, eat Peruvian food. It drives me crazy to see American fast food places in other countries. It's bad enough they are everywhere here, I don't want to see them, or eat at them, when I'm in another country.

[DonnaSmith]

So I'm in a trained disaster response group through a Lutheran Synod. All I had to do to be in was to go to the training and complete it successfully. I'm actually a member of a 'competing' Synod, but they didn't care. They are focused on providing disaster relief. I could have joined if I weren't Christian at all- they wouldn't have made me pray with them or anything, because the focus is HELPING DISASTER VICTIMS!!!! This is clearly something that ALERT sees as a second priority.

Even if ALERT was first responders in Joplin or had been the one to put out a fire in Peru- it doesn't matter because these things would have been secondary. If they didn't have enough of 'their people' to form a team then they wouldn't have reached out to members of other churches or the community at large. They would have rather not helped than to have helped with the 'wrong' people. This undercuts the very principle of service.

Also, I'm not going to lie- I am super tempted to get my boyfriend to dress up as a drag queen while I (a female) wear a factory uniform and get some of my black nephews together for an application photo. I would love to see the rejection letter I get for my alternative lifestyle/working mom/multiracial/adopted-children-having family. I mean, come on, they are asking for it!!!!

[chiccy]

Also, I'm not going to lie- I am super tempted to get my boyfriend to dress up as a drag queen while I (a female) wear a factory uniform and get some of my black nephews together for an application photo. I would love to see the rejection letter I get for my alternative lifestyle/working mom/multiracial/adopted-children-having family. I mean, come on, they are asking for it!!!!

Please do it! Oh please, please.

[Guest Anonymous]

I seriously doubt that if your area faces a major disaster your first thought will be to call a private militia

You've got that right! The day of the 4/27/11 tornado outbreak, we new what was coming. The tornado that hit NW AL had already been on the round for over an hour. Plus, the day before the tornado, there was meeting of department heads and they came up with a plan of action. My dad was president of the local ham radio club at the time and had to attend that meeting. We also knew days in advance that 4/27/11 was going to be a bad day, we just didn't expect it to be that bad. Anyway, all of that planning played prevented a huge death toll.

I'm not familiar with alert, is it something like the National Guard? I know here in AL only the governor can activate the guard, which he did. Only first responders and residents of the affected areas were allowed in . Sightseers were run off and dawn to dusk curfews were put in place.

EDITED TO ADD: more info

[FloraDoraDolly]

I wonder if Gothard got the idea from Louis Farrakhan and his army of thugs?

[JesusFightClub]

Stroking Beard of Rebellion should be a custom user title...

[Elle]

If memory serves me correctly it was because Gothard said it was worn by hippies and a sign of rebellion.

And of course his word trumps Jesus.

I bet Gothard couldn't grow a very good beard, so decided no one could have them.

[SisiL78]

I am reading the teamperu12.blogspot.com page.

OMG it is hil-friggin'-larious.

Everyday they go someplace, share testimony, and "impact people".

They state, without any sort of evidence to back it up, that they "really impacted "

They did shake up their wording with the use of the words "run a program" and connecting.

Sheesh, they sorta looked at people who had been helped by more qualified people previously, then they toured around talking at people. I hate hate hate the arrogance of Americans like this. They spoke to abused children in a home, as if they even tried to truly connect with these kids. And what do the adults at a church have to learn from a bunch of backwards teens from nowheresville, usa and their tales of being saved at five years old.

They even "trained" security personnel in character qualities. The guys in the photo being trained looked so irritated.

Basically this Alert thing is just a tour through Peru, with a few nice perks like getting five minutes with the Minister of Women and touring the Presidential palace. I am going to keep reading and snarking. Meanwhile, I wonder how this is all being paid for.... Do the parents of these kids have to pay all the expenses and then let their other children go without nutritious food or heat for the next 6 months? Or is Gothard kindly footing the bill with the millions he has extracted from the families he "serves" already???

[Sola]

And of course his word trumps Jesus.

I bet Gothard couldn't grow a very good beard, so decided no one could have them.

I'm quite surprised that Gothard hasn't got a 'beard' already....

[SisiL78]

His darling Momma is his beard :-)

All a boy needs is his momma!

[mirele]

I am reading the teamperu12.blogspot.com page.

OMG it is hil-friggin'-larious.

Everyday they go someplace, share testimony, and "impact people".

They state, without any sort of evidence to back it up, that they "really impacted "

They did shake up their wording with the use of the words "run a program" and connecting.

Sheesh, they sorta looked at people who had been helped by more qualified people previously, then they toured around talking at people. I hate hate hate the arrogance of Americans like this. They spoke to abused children in a home, as if they even tried to truly connect with these kids. And what do the adults at a church have to learn from a bunch of backwards teens from nowheresville, usa and their tales of being saved at five years old.

They even "trained" security personnel in character qualities. The guys in the photo being trained looked so irritated.

Basically this Alert thing is just a tour through Peru, with a few nice perks like getting five minutes with the Minister of Women and touring the Presidential palace. I am going to keep reading and snarking. Meanwhile, I wonder how this is all being paid for.... Do the parents of these kids have to pay all the expenses and then let their other children go without nutritious food or heat for the next 6 months? Or is Gothard kindly footing the bill with the millions he has extracted from the families he "serves" already???

OMG. It sounds like Scientology "Volunteer Ministers," complete with "The Way to Happiness" booklets and "touch assists." Scientologists do the same thing, except that they show up on the scene of a disaster with their yellow t-shirts, their tents for the touch assists and their booklets, and then proceed to "get involved" (aka "interfere"). They were so proud of their "involvement" at 9/11 and the Virginia Tech massacre, for example.

[fakepigtails73]

I'm quite surprised that Gothard hasn't got a 'beard' already....

Now where is my drum snare and cymbal!! :lol: :clap:

[Katiedarling]

A beard as a sign of rebellion? Ugh. These yokels base their entire faith on cultural norms and then somehow claim that it's based on "biblical standards." In some parts of the world to be without a beard is to be considered rebellious. All of Gothard's standards are based on phony post-war era gender roles popular in the U.S. for about two minutes and then idealized by idiots for generations to come. The LDS church has many cultural standards that came to be in the John Birch Society-Ezra Taft Benson days that persist to this day nevermind the fact that Cold War is long over and Jesus doesn't care if you wear a beard and a colored shirt. Sigh.

[Fundilicious]

So did Gothard piss his pants when Joshie was sporting his chin fur a few months back?