Dear Haters, I’m sorry, but I can’t hear you over my awesomeness. Thanks for being my biggest fans. Much ❤️, The NC Queen

You want to know why I hate North Carolina’s population boom? Look no further than my birthplace: Wilmington. I was blessed to spend my adolescence in the Port City, back when it still felt like home. Local culture was strong, the festivals along the riverfront were part of who we were, and you didn’t spend your day worrying about whether you were safe. You could get across town in twenty minutes. Kids played in the streets. Teenagers roamed the city without their parents fearing for their safety. Then Wilmington started growing, and little by little, the place I loved began disappearing. Outsiders took over city council. Housing prices skyrocketed, pushing the very people whose families built Wilmington into surrounding areas. Festivals were destroyed, landmarks lost the names generations had known, and statues came down to appease the woke mob. Wetlands were destroyed to squeeze in more housing, and historic oaks were ripped out to make room for palm trees. Traffic became as miserable as Raleigh or Charlotte. And now even the adults need to keep their heads on a swivel because there aren’t enough cops to keep up with rising crime. All in the name of growth. I watched a place that once felt like paradise turn into my idea of hell. And the hardest part? The people who turned Wilmington into such a desirable place are the very ones who’ve been priced out, pushed aside, and told to get out of the way. This is what happens when a community prioritizes population growth over the people, history, and culture that made it worth living in. So before you start cheering for more development and another boom in population, stop and think about what you’re actually asking for. Growth isn’t progress, and a bigger population doesn’t equal a better place to live. You can love North Carolina and still refuse to watch it be loved to death.