If your kid misbehaved, you’d correct them, right? The goal is always growth. Always doing better. Communities shouldn’t be any different.

For years, some of us quietly rolled our eyes when Lubbock was declared “The Friendliest City in America.” Not because Lubbock isn’t friendly — it often is — but because that title felt a little bold. A little unfinished. Friendliness, after all, should be universal, not conditional.

When Friendliness Comes With Fine Print In Lubbock

The uncomfortable truth is that kindness in Lubbock sometimes comes with requirements. Do you attend the right church? Do you vote the right way? If the answer is no, friendliness can evaporate fast. That’s not real hospitality — that’s selective acceptance. And frankly, it’s rotten-to-the-core criteria for judging who deserves basic human respect.

That reality became glaringly obvious when I recently saw a woman announce her candidacy for political office. What followed wasn’t debate, or disagreement, or policy discussion. It was cruelty. Nasty, personal attacks untethered from anything she had actually said or done. The comments weren’t clever or insightful — they were mean for sport.

The Internet Never Forgets — And Neither Do Visitors

Here’s what many people fail to consider: comments on social media don’t exist in a vacuum. They are public. Permanent. Searchable. People who are thinking about visiting Lubbock — or moving here — see that bile. Yes, social media as a whole is a dumpster fire, but that excuse only goes so far. Just because behavior is common doesn’t mean it’s acceptable.

These online moments shape Lubbock’s reputation far more than slogans or marketing campaigns ever could.

A Simple Test Before You Hit “Post”

Before typing out that comment, ask two questions:
Is my opinion even needed?
Would I be comfortable saying this to their face?

Some people will claim the answer is “yes” to both. In reality? Almost none of these situations would ever result in someone saying those words out loud, in public, to another human being.

Doing Better Starts With Owning Our Mistakes

I’m not speaking from some imaginary high ground. I’ve been guilty of being awful online myself. But I’ve worked hard to change that — to spread less poison and more positivity on my personal pages. That’s all I’m asking of people who truly love Lubbock: do better.

Read More: What To Do In Florida Beyond The Orange Bowl Game

Lubbock could be the friendliest city in America. But that starts with the image we project to the rest of the world — and how we treat each other when we think no one important is watching.

We don’t have to agree.
We don’t have to like each other.
But we don’t need to be publicly cruel in ways that damage everyone.

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