Owner of Florida Creamery goes on racist rampage. Hilarity ensues.

[Gunnar]

No, I dont think you come across as rude at all. The comment wasn't aimed at you in any way.

Just constantly surprised at all the tech fear. Fear of social reprisals (and parental slaps, restrictions, beatings, corrections) have always been partially how public civility and good manners are enforced.

After all what are good manners except for a 'chilling effect' on how people express themselves.  For 6 thousand years we've lived in small enough gatherings that once you got a reputation for a lout or a rude person, an entire segment of society disapproved of you.

Social Media just turns giant cities into small towns, in effect.

I'd like to believe at least part of the motivation is the 'golden rule' or whatever.

I see your point, though. I think, in this case (and many others), the cure has turned out to be worse than the malady. Part of the problem with social media is that it allows things like this to escalate immediately. And the effects can be much more widespread. Things happen so quick that no one really takes the time to reflect. I know I am completely guilty of that.

It's not like we found out that this woman is the local Klan leader or something. I think Brian G's approach was best - have fun at the woman's expense and defeat her by not taking her seriously.

Yup, the best and most fun approach. However that reaction takes a sense of humor and intelligence. After that I was laughing and not taking her posting seriously.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

To be honest, my friends and I laughed about 'Sheared for Vengeance" pretty much all day.

I kept checking back to the business page (before it was taken down) to see if HOT SHEEP had finally started 'trending' in the comments section.

[SuzySpringfield]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/07/22/the-ice-cream-is-as-bitter-and-cold-as-the-owner-after-tirade-internet-turns-on-womans-business/?tid=sm_fb&utm_term=.87d248d422b1

Once again, Jax made national news for ridiculous reasons

[Sentient]

We were just talking yesterday about the affect of social media on situations like this.  Social media makes it so easy for stupid stuff like this to snowball into ridiculousness so fast it's unreal.  Most of the time it just turns to bullying on a mass scale, I guess people think it's ok because everyone is doing it.  Bring out the pitchforks.

"Media" makes it so easy for stupid stuff like this to snowball...  This is just a micro example of Macro liberal propagandizing... repeating a lie, giving the lie credence via more media... amplifying the lie... drowning out any facts...

Perfect example, tool posts defamatory post title "racist rampage"... and now the link is FLORIDA CREAMERY OWNER IS RACIST...

Zero evidence of racism, as many even here point out.

If I was the subject of this... well Hulk Hogan shows the way to fight back...

[Adam White]

We were just talking yesterday about the affect of social media on situations like this.  Social media makes it so easy for stupid stuff like this to snowball into ridiculousness so fast it's unreal.  Most of the time it just turns to bullying on a mass scale, I guess people think it's ok because everyone is doing it.  Bring out the pitchforks.

"Media" makes it so easy for stupid stuff like this to snowball...  This is just a micro example of Macro liberal propagandizing... repeating a lie, giving the lie credence via more media... amplifying the lie... drowning out any facts...

Perfect example, tool posts defamatory post title "racist rampage"... and now the link is FLORIDA CREAMERY OWNER IS RACIST...

Zero evidence of racism, as many even here point out.

If I was the subject of this... well Hulk Hogan shows the way to fight back...

Perhaps, but Hulk Hogan IS a racist.

This woman may or may not be a bigot - there is no conclusive evidence. She's clearly an unpleasant person (or can be at times).

[David]

I guess the owner never gave a statement eh? I agree it snowballed as well, but it was an entertaining few days to say the least.

[JaxJersey-licious]

So apparently the owner of the Florida Creamery has now apologized and is trying to reach out and make amends for her awful Facebook rant...

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2016-08-05/story/apology-issued-ice-cream-shop-owners-online-meltdown

Although I feel the owner should have been more self-aware of the nature of her comments and issued an apology a week ago, let's keep in mind that there was never any history out there of her ranting like this before. No previous reviews of her establishment showed any sign that she was as prejudiced, fearful, or mean-spirited as her now infamous responses made her out to be.

On top of that I have been to the store myself a little while ago and met the owner who struck me as very friendly and attentive plus very excited that her moving her shop to Avondale was doing so well. Given that, the peculiar nature of her Facebook post struck me as someone  going through some immediate duress the topic of discussion somehow triggered. Perhaps that's why she needed some time to respond properly to this mess she created.

Whether her outreaches of apologies and forgiveness will be enough or if more needs to be done will ultimately be up to the community to decide, but I hope the business could go back to being known at that cute little kitschy ice cream shop in the heart of Avondale.