Um Calgary?
I know you’re busy but you know that shoebox program? The one intended to convert poor kids to Christianity? The one that benefits from tons of glowing local news coverage each year? The one you can’t publicly question without being labelled a Scrooge ? The one that you — yes you — help support with your tax dollars — you knew that didn’t you? — thanks to the involvement of local emergency services (ambulances and helicopters!) that back the cause each year ?
Yes that’s the one. Operation Christmas Child. Run by Franklin Graham and Samaritan’s Purse.
Well you might be interested in knowing that Samaritan’s Purse trotted out none other than Sarah Palin to help give out shoeboxes in Haiti on the weekend. From CNN :
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin arrived in Haiti on Saturday as part of a humanitarian delegation led by evangelist Franklin Graham and his relief organization Samaritan’s Purse.
"I am pleased that Gov. Palin will accompany us on a brief trip to Haiti this weekend and I appreciate her willingness to visit Haiti during such troubled times" Graham said in a statement on the organization’s website.
"I believe Gov. Palin will be a great encouragement to the people of Haiti and to the organizations both government and private working so hard to provide desperately needed relief."
Palin — along with husband Todd and daughter Bristol — "distributed Christmas shoe-box gifts to children held the feet of baby cholera victims and offered solace to homeless quake survivors" according to AFP .
But don’t worry Calgary. None of this was political. Nasty reporters tried to talk politics with Palin but she wouldn’t have it. "The reason why I won’t be answering questions is because we don’t need to be getting political here today okay folks" she said.
That’s a relief isn’t it? Imagine if it had been political. That would mean that in addition to supporting Samaritan’s Purse’s missionary work Calgary taxpayers would in a roundabout way be helping Palin in her endless quest for more more more publicity before the 2012 U.S. election.
And that would be kind of embarrassing no?
