10 Things to Be Grateful for This Thanksgiving

In a 24/7 news cycle dominated by negative coverage and apocalyptic headlines, it’s easy to lose sight of all the positive developments taking place in the world. Here are 10 things Americans can be grateful for this Thanksgiving.

1. Major advances in cancer treatment

2023 has seen a number of major breakthroughs in cancer treatments that could dramatically slash mortality rates.

One promising innovation which AMAC Newsline reported on earlier this year is a revolutionary device that could be implanted directly into a patient and reduce death rates from some cancers by 50 percent. Other research in genetics and gene editing has created optimism within the medical community that hard-to-treat cancers might now become far more manageable.

Overall, cancer death rates in the United States have fallen by 33 percent since 1991 – an astonishing feat that doesn’t get talked about enough. With more advances happening every day, millions of lives will be saved in the future that would’ve been lost just a few decades ago.

2. Breakthroughs in fusion energy technology

Amid all the political bickering about renewable energy vs. fossil fuels, the world may be on the cusp of a major scientific breakthrough that would provide a virtually unlimited supply of cheap, clean energy.

Late last year, American scientists for the first time achieved a net-positive fusion ignition, and repeated the feat again this past August. Unlike fission reactions, which split apart atoms and power today’s nuclear power plants, fusion reactions combine atoms together.

Fusion reactions release about four times more energy than fission reactions and, importantly, don’t produce any of the radioactive waste. Furthermore, while fusion reactions are difficult to start and keep going, there is no risk of a runaway chain reaction which can lead to a meltdown.

Until now, scientists have had to use more energy to create a fusion reaction than the reaction itself produced, making the prospect of a fusion-powered nuclear plant economically infeasible. While a commercial fusion plant is still likely a few decades and a few more major scientific advancements away, a future with abundant clean, cheap energy is now clearly within reach.

3. Free speech is back on X (Twitter)

For years, a political monoculture in Silicon Valley meant that certain disfavored speech was effectively banned in the digital public square. But Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (subsequently renamed X) has led to a great flourishing of debate on the platform.

While we live in a culture where it often seems as if our fundamental rights are in a constant state of erosion, Twitter’s resurgence as a free speech platform is one case of the opposite being true.

4. Artificial intelligence is opening up new opportunities

Amid all the talk about how AI might doom humanity to extinction, advancements in AI software have also made life measurably better for millions of Americans.

In the medical field, doctors are using AI to diagnose diseases. One AI company has launched an app that allows blind people to “see” the world around them by using the phone’s camera to generate an audio description of the setting. Another AI company is helping Americans with disabilities find jobs.

While there are certainly many legitimate concerns with the rise of AI technology, there are also new opportunities to help others in innovative ways.

5. Teen drinking and smoking are way down

Maybe the kids are alright after all – at least when it comes to two unhealthy habits.

In 1999, 50 percent of U.S. teenagers reported having tried alcohol at least once. By 2021, the last year for which data is available, that number had fallen to 22.7 percent.

When it comes to cigarettes, the decline has been even more precipitous. A shocking 70 percent of teens reported having tried cigarettes in 1999, compared to just 17 percent in 2021.

Although less pronounced of a decline, CDC data also shows that fewer teens are vaping and using marijuana and other illicit drugs than a decade ago.

6. Thousands of unborn babies have been saved due to the fall of Roe v. Wade

While the pro-life movement has undoubtedly faced some disheartening setbacks following the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, the numbers also show that tens of thousands of unborn babies have been saved due to laws protecting the right to life in conservative states.

Overall, between June 2022 when Roe was overturned and June 2023, there were about 3 percent fewer abortions than the 12 months prior. That translates to roughly 18,600 innocent human beings that were likely saved by state laws protecting the unborn.

7. The United States is not at war

Although the threat of armed conflict continues to loom and the world has indeed become more dangerous, U.S. troops are not currently directly involved in any wars. According to Department of Defense statistics, 2022 marked the first year since 2000 that there were zero U.S. combat deaths. There have also been no reported U.S. combat deaths thus far in 2023.

8. Traditional American values are seeing a resurgence

According to Gallup, the percentage of Americans who say they are “conservative” or “very conservative” on social issues – in other words, they adhere to traditional American values – reached its highest level in a decade this year at 39 percent, compared to 29 percent who said they were “liberal” or “very liberal.” While it’s easy to believe that modern culture is bringing about the death of social conservatism, this polling provides reason for optimism.

9. America’s National Parks are better than ever

The Great American Outdoors Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in 2020, has provided billions in funding to address work backlogs and fund improvement projects in America’s National Parks.

This year, that money has helped build new housing for park rangers in Glacier Bay National Park, upgrade campgrounds in Rocky Mountain National Park, restore historic bathhouses in Hot Springs National Park, and repair handrails in Mammoth Cave National Park, among other projects to enhance the national park experience for the American people.

As more people than ever flock to the great outdoors, they can be grateful for these improvements.

10. Life, Family, and Health

It’s undoubtedly true that we could all be at least a little healthier and do a better job of being sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. But it is nonetheless important this time of year to take stock of all the blessings that we do have in our lives – and of those, none are more important than our family and our health. The fact that you are alive and reading this today is reason enough to give thanks to God.

No matter our situation, each of us has the chance today and every day to make a positive difference in the world. Every one of the items on this list is only possible because people believed in a better future and then set out to realize it. This Thanksgiving, we can be thankful for all of them and for the opportunity to continue to create a better tomorrow.

Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. You can follow him on Twitter @ShaneHarris513.