Kristy Kelly: Go hard for your own backyard
It’s an ill bird that fouls its own nest.
What should have been an exciting announcement about Kinston rising to the occasion and becoming a finalist for the 2025 All-American City Award turned into a gathering of the Out-of-Towner-Hater Club—egged on by people too disillusioned to see what’s in front of them.
This negative free-for-all that has played out over social media the last few days is disheartening. But it’s the silence from positive voices—the ones who believe in this town—that has sent the loudest message.
I don’t know enough about the award itself to have an opinion on Kinston’s chances, but reducing an entire city to potholes and targeted violence is neither fair nor accurate. The cascade of criticism from people who long ago abandoned the town they claim to have deep-seated affection for has emboldened those who just enjoy being controversial. Together, they’ve pushed a narrative that Kinston is the cesspool of all cities and has no business being a contender for anything good.
Letting external voices control the story of your city is asinine to me. If you don’t want to go hard for your own backyard, fine. But why let someone else tear it down?
With upcoming events like the Easter Egg Hunt in Mitchelltown, the Renaissance Faire at the fairgrounds, and the BBQ Fest downtown rapidly approaching, the people working to improve the quality of life through community-building efforts shouldn’t have to be inundated with messages that make it seem like all of their energy is wasted.
Why would anyone want to keep volunteering if they feel like their efforts don’t matter?
Every community has flaws, and Kinston is no exception. But our biggest flaw is a lack of participation and engagement from those who claim to care the most. The loudest critics are often the ones who wouldn’t attend a meeting if their life depended on it. They aim their negativity at the very people donating their time and energy to move the community forward. And it’s disgusting to see their work reduced to cannon fodder by people who are only active online.
Everyone who isn’t part of the solution is part of the problem. Myself included. It’s easy to get mad and complain. Easier still to post something negative and get instant validation because misery loves company. But it’s much harder to stand in the face of hate and speak up.
Well, this is me speaking up. This is me saying: Take a better look around before describing Kinston through a historical lens that no longer fits. No, this isn’t the Kinston of old—where cars cruised down Queen Street and everything was “the best it’s ever been.” This is the Kinston where people work hard every day to push the city forward.
It’s the Kinston where law enforcement works to bridge the gap between policing and being in the community. It’s the Kinston where Parks and Rec put in tireless hours to make sure families have clean, safe spaces to relax and play. It’s the city and county employees, working within tight budgets and rigid systems, who keep our aging infrastructure from crumbling. It’s elected officials finding means for city and county improvements despite a stagnant tax base that does not support the entirety of their goals.
And it’s the hundreds of volunteers across dozens of organizations who come together to build a Kinston they believe in.
I’m tired of the naysayers ignoring all of that. When they go online to bash Kinston, they aren’t criticizing some faceless system—they’re insulting the same people standing behind them at Food Lion or sitting across from them at Pizza Villa.
Then they wonder why there aren’t enough volunteers to keep things going.
When people put in the work, the city benefits. And to all the people who are putting in the work: Please know you have my most heartfelt thanks, and the appreciation of so many who do see you and can’t wait to attend the events you bring to life.
To the people who find enjoyment in fouling their own nest: Maybe try therapy. Or a support group. If nothing else, try silence. I’ve heard it’s a virtue.
We don’t have to agree on everything, but let’s at least agree to love where we live enough not to tear it down.
We have to do better, to be better.
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