Subway Fears Homeschooled Kids
27 May 2008
Subway is running a story-writing contest, but it’s not open to homeschooled students. They are probably afraid that those in government schools would be at a disadvantage. And they probably would be.
Here’s the disclaimer:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Contest is open only to legal residents of the Untied States who are currently over the age of 18 and have children who attend elementary, private or parochial schools that serve grades PreK-6. No home schools will be accepted.
The, um, “Untied States”? Screenshot here.
Subway should have hired a homeschool student to write their legal copy.
More at Wizbang , Michelle Malkin, and Croydon Citizens.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Thanks for turning me on to this. I am amazed that they have not corrected the spelling of ‘United’ yet.
May 27th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Your 10 year old daughter wouldn’t have made that mistake!
May 28th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
We unwittingly started this ‘boycott’ when our BLOG entry was spread around the net. Obviously the contest itself is not very important. What is important is that, wittingly or not, Subway marginalized homeschoolers. If you believe (as we do) that this exclusion arose from concerns about the grand prize, it is based on a fundamentally flawed stereotype of homeschoolers. As American Thinker (http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/05/subway_bans_homeschooled_kids.html) and other media outlets keenly noted, homeschoolers are under frequent attack and don’t need anything to further reduce our status in society, even from a fast food chain. Neither of us believe this was a malevolent act, but it has the same effect nonetheless. What too many fail to realize is that the boycott has accomplished three major goals: 1) Change Scholastic’s policy for ‘next time’. 2) Made blue suits all over corporate America think twice about failing to give homeschoolers their due. 3) Brought the issue of homeschooling into the national spotlight. When one thinks of these effects, its pretty tough to conclude that the controversy wasn’t a worthy act.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:44 am
I think we should show the other cheek. Instead of boycott, lets all pick a day and eat at our local subway and let the individual owners know that we don’t hold them responsible. I think there is a more effective way to communicate the fact that there are many of us and we should be included. Jesus said if someone forces you to go a mile, go two (Matt 5:41). Anyone can boycott. Even so, anyone can love a friend. But to love those that persecute you shows the true nature and power of God. Grace? Forgiveness? Anybody? What light do you carry in this world?