Yeah, I agree with them too, but I have to say that the truth of the matter is that the designers of this contest probably just didn't think that through enough to come to that conclusion (and they'd probably have needed to write that into the rules to REQUIRE that a home-schooled grand prize winner would donate the athletic items to a larger group, even if it is his or her own homeschool group.).
I think this is more a case of ignorance than bias. I don't think Subway was trying to exclude home-schoolers as a matter of preference. That said, I do think that a number of tough letters sent to Subway could potentially bring them to the realization of how they could have accomodated HSers and may affect a change. I intend to write my own response suggesting just such a change.
They obviously did think it through. That's evidenced by the inclusion/exclusion of homeschooling at all.
If they wanted the equipment to go to a school (which they obviously do), by including home-schoolers, they would have had to include quite a bit of legal to ensure that it did. "Home-school" can manifest itself in many different ways. It would mean they would have to set various conditions for the prize...
.."We'll 'give' the grand prize to the winner, but
if the winner doesn't have a school, they'll have to give the prize they won away (to a school within these defined parameters that Subway sets),
unless [maybe] that home-schooler is a part of a home-school group that falls within certain parameters, that Subway(?) defines as 'school-worthy'"
Can of worms? Hmm. Not to mention that so many homeschooling parents have a vendetta against public school (Huh? Wha??) that it could very easily become a soapbox opportunity where Subway all of a sudden is sitting in the middle of some sort of "pro home-school/anti public school" thing. How about if DX's kid won? Anyone think it wouldn't be used as some sort of anti-public school soapbox opportunity?* Please. Look at it now.
And what legal complexities would be involved with the conditional prize? Would
all winners be required to be able to donate to any school they wanted? Or would that just be home-schoolers? I don't think they could do that? So all winners would be allowed to choose the school that got the equipment. Except home-schoolers would have to. Maybe. Unless their home-school group met a certain criteria. And since the school that received the equipment might not be determined by the child's enrollment, would the kid get to decide where it was donated, or would the parents? I suppose the parents. How does the winning kid benefit? They get to have their parents give away the grand prize? That's cool, but not quite the same as playing with the new equipment you won for your school. (I guess they'd get the gift basket, though). And what would the minimum requirements be for a home-school group to actually receive the prize?
Just a few things that came to mind.
But I do agree Nori, it's too bad that home-shool kids aren't included. It seems like there could have been another contest or something, so all kids could be included. It must be frustrating sometimes. But I don't see this as an "attack." I think that given this contest, which is obviously meant as a way to donate to a school, it makes sense that home-schoolers might not be included.
*No offense intended DX ... Just a hunch lain: