Once hearing about this very rude and racist post, I immediately thought it was a joke. Not for the reason that racism does not still occur, but for the fact as to who would be so ignorant as to posting it on not one, but two social networking sites? You know, the public things that receive hundreds of views by friends or followers each day. After realizing that this was in fact an actual post by an actual student at Florida State, my first reaction was why. Why would someone title an African American as a “monkey” and why would you assume that no African American’s attend Florida State University? Although FSU is a PWI, as stated in the funkydineva article, that in no way translates to FSU consisting of only Caucasian students or faculty. This post is problematic in numerous ways. Not only does it bring light to the fact that racism takes place, even at a higher level institution, but that these small-minded people are basically being applauded for sharing their prejudice views to the world. It’s strongly upsetting that this girl would ever say, think, or post something like this, but what’s even more upsetting is that she had followers like and comment on her status, claiming that they not only agreed, but laughed at her choice words. Wouldn’t one think that it’s the best opportunity to voice your opinion in stating that she’s 100 percent wrong, and tell your “friend” that it is in no way an acceptable thing to say about people? Apparently not for Miss Thurston and supporters. Of course we have this thing called the First Amendment and it grants everyone the inalienable right to freedom of speech and press, but that kind of gets put off to the side once you offend another human race. It’s very apparent that racism is still occurring today, with or without this post. People are constantly making statements that aggrieve others. It takes place in person, through text, and most recently online. Social media sites play a vital role in all of this but they can’t be the ones to blame. Maybe the girls parents, her friends, or maybe it’s just her. There are those that are raised proper you could say, but just don’t know how to express anything nice or decent. Yeah, pretty much. It’s assuring though that many are taking offense to this and telling Florida State to take action, which they apparently are doing. In this day and age and the various cultures that surround us, there’s always going to be those that are straight up ignorant, but there comes a time when they should be informed of their rudeness and how it affects those around them. When people claim that we’re entering a “post race” culture, I can’t help but to wonder when? Though progress has been made with the first African American president elected, and whatever else you want to include, it doesn’t seem like these posts and alike are ever going to stop. It’s a little surprising to me that so many people are in shock over this. It isn’t the first time racism has taken place and it unfortunately will not be the last. However, by so many taking a stand, it does show that we will never accept racism as an okay thing and we’ll never cease to let others know when they say something that’s better left unsaid. Well most of us that is. I’m not necessarily sure that this obscene status was intended to cause such an uproar, but it did nonetheless. Whatever the girls reasoning behind the rude post was, it sure got the attention she maybe was seeking for. It’s a lesson for everyone that regardless of what you say to someone in person or online, there’s still an audience present. It’s just that with social media, you literally have access to whatever you want to say at your fingertips, without even necessarily saying it. That’s a bit disconcerting if you ask me. But then again, something can only obtain as much power as you are willing to give it.
It is stereotyped that boys stick with blue, while girls have pink. The author expresses her point by stating that selecting this gender stereotyping from an early age can be very damaging for the children, which is how it is harmful. This seems to be a generalized stereotype that may always be existent. These two different stereotypes are ones that are widely known and that many believe to be true. Each author expressed how they are wrong and should not always be attributed to specific genders, and how it can potentially be helpful or harmful for those it applies to. 
kme13 