Just this past week, everyone has made a stink about the Subway contest which excludes Homeschoolers by name. Yeah, well, as they say, "It's a free country". Subway can do whatever it wants to do with it's own company and their promos and contests, just like I can do whatever I please with Joyful Momma's Contests and Promos (er...if I ever get it together and plan some contents...)
The thing is, when we get our feathers ruffled over things like this we are missing the big picture, which includes,
1. How the World perceives Christians in General....
Before I got saved, I thought Christians were a bunch of knee jerk reactionists who looked hard for things to be offended over. Sadly that is true of some Christians, but it definitely lies to a lost and dying world about what Christianity is all about. This sort of thing kept me from understanding what the gospel is all about for a long while.
2. A Double Standard about how we want to be treated...
We get angry when one of "our groups" gets excluded from something...and we say that this is a free country, and we have the right to not be excluded, etc....true...but part of being in a free country is not being forced to associate with those you don't want to associate with. Subway for some reason decided to make the contest just for conventionally schooled kids. That's their right. I don't even think it means they "hate" homeschoolers. They are just putting this on for a certain group.
On the flip side, say someone came along and said, "I think that HSLDA should have their contests open to public schoolers!" We would say, "We have the right to exclude them. It's a free country." Right? Hmmm? We don't want any outside forces dictating to homeschooling organizations, churches, para-church organizations, or other Christian organizations about who we can and cannot associate with, and include. We don't want an external body telling us that we need to allow, for example, gay marriage on our property so as to be "fair" and "inclusive". Private businesses and organizations have the right to decide this for themselves...at least for now they do. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, my friends. The rights we demand are the same rights we need to give to others. If we demand inclusion, we need to expect others that maybe we disagree with to demand the same.
3. Is it really hurting anyone?
Come on, is anyone really hurt by the fact that one contest out of hundreds excludes homeschoolers? Is this the only contest you can take part in? There are many contests out there that exclude public schoolers and private schoolers, and are open exclusively to homeschooled students. For a whole listing of contests, see this list.
Ultimately, though, it's up to you if you boycott them or not. After all, it's a free country.
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5 comments:
HI
I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your blog. I wanted to respond to this post becaus I know the coule who was on FOX and Friends. They are homeschoolers, but are NOT christians. Their point was not that homeschoolers were excluded from this contest, but that it was done because of the sterotypes some people and companies have of homeschoolers. While I am a christian, I am glad someone became a voice for homeschoolers in an otherwise sea of quiet voices.
Tanna
www.tannashome.spaces.live.com
Hi
I wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your blog! I alos wanted to responfd to this post because I know the couple that was on FOX. They homeschool but are NOT christians. Their point was that Subway was sterotyping homeschoolers,not that homeschoolers should be included in the contest. I am a christian and am glad someone became a loud voice, in a sea of quiet ones.
Tanna
www.tannashome.spaces.live.com
I do agree, somewhat. I don't like negative stereotypes about homeschoolers, but at the same time, given the prize that was listed ($5000 worth of gym equipment for your school), I realized that they were trying to donate prizes to schools not reward individual students, like most contests.
I have mixed feelings about the contest. It could have all been settled simply by saying that homeschoolers would have to donate the money to their local school.
As a private company though Subway has the right to include and exclude anyone they would like from their contests.
"t could have all been settled simply by saying that homeschoolers would have to donate the money to their local school."
Although, that may have gone over like a lead balloon. ;)
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