Richard Murphy wanted to make students aware of the Impact Party executive candidates’ controversial Facebook posts.
So he made a meme.
The meme, posted on the Swampy UF memes for top ten public teens Facebook group, is a picture of Kermit the Frog wearing a UF hat while sipping tea.
The meme, which was created after an Alligator story revealed Impact Party’s UF Student Body executive candidates had racially insensitive and homophobic posts, received more than 350 likes. Mostsof the posts that were found were on Student Body Presidential Candidate Michael Murphy’s Facebook account.
The meme read “Wants us to ignore homophobic posts and focus on what he did in college. Allowed and liked the blatantly racist post on profile from 2016 during his time in college.”
“A lot of times things are brushed over and they’re not addressed in the moment,” the 21-year-old UF entomology and nematology senior said. “It’s really time that we look at what’s going on.”
Richard Murphy said if the candidate claims UF should look at what he’s done in college rather than in middle school, than it’s important to discuss his 2016 posts.
He said the posts raise the question as to why parties do not vet their candidates before selecting them.
As a Hispanic student on campus, Richard Muphy said he felt disappointed by reading the posts from the candidates.
“It makes you question whether or not you know the party has good morals or what’s going on because they’re the ones who put these candidates up.”
One of the racially insensitive posts was written by another person on his timeline and Michael Murphy liked it. It read: “Truth is… I don’t really know you but you are white so i know i can trust you ;D,” in 2011.
Also in 2011, Murphy made a post reading, “Repost this if you are a beautiful strong black woman who don’t need no man.”
In 2016, while Murphy was at UF, a picture was shared by another person on his timeline of a black individual wearing a bikini with the caption “happy birfday I got you a stripper,” which Murphy liked.
The Alligator contacted Student Body President Ian Green, who has identified as black. He declined to comment.
Multiple organizations and individuals have commented on the insensitive social media posts by the Impact Party executive ticket. The candidates acknowledged the posts and apologized.
The Pride Student Union released a statement addressed to the LGBTQ+ community at UF about the posts, stating that it condemns hate speech directed at any marginalized community.
“While one’s beliefs may change with time, it is important that those who have expressed offensive beliefs must always be held accountable,” the release read
Santiago Gutierrez, Impact’s Student Body treasurer candidate, will meet with PSU President Nathan Quinn at about noon today.
The QTPOC Collective, a UF group of queer and transgender students of color, also released a statement on Facebook Friday. It referenced UF’s history of discrimination, condemning campus organizations that are elite in nature and provide power to those who foster these ideas.
“It is undeniable that white students of economically privileged backgrounds are ushered into power through means of Greek life and other elite campus organizations,” the post read.
The organization could not be reached for comment
In the statement, the group was critical of “forgiveness of past trangressions against marginalized communities.”
Austin Buholtz, a 19-year-old UF biology sophomore, found out about the posts through friends and the Swampy UF memes for top ten public teens Facebook group. He said while opposing candidates are obviously trying to find dirt on each other, if it’s on social media, it’s fair game.
In the end, he believes this won’t have an effect on voters, and Impact will win the majority of the seats in Student Government any way.
“I think most people are either going to vote for the person they want or not,” he said. “I don’t think that’s going to really change their minds.”
