Thankful For Living in the United States of America

Betsy Newmark over at Betsy's Page sent out some Thanksgiving wishes today, reminding us all of that for which we are thankful:

I hope all of you are celebrating the holiday with the people who mean most to you in the world. We truly have much to be thankful for. As Americans, we are living in the one of the most prosperous countries of the world at the most prosperous time in history. We must be thankful for the men and women who have left their homes to fight in our armed forces. We must be thankful for the researchers who have developed medicines and treatments that keep us alive so much longer than any other time in history. And we must be thankful for freedoms that we ordinary citizens share that are truly rare in the world's history. No matter what your gripe is, you can come to appreciate your luck at living here and now by just dipping into any history book about any other time. Then go enjoy your clean water, indoor plumbing, access to education and medicine and be thankful. There are many around the world today who don't enjoy those assets who would trade in their life situations in a flash to be in our places. So, let us indeed be thankful.

I am deepful thankful for my freedom, opportunity, and security, and I thank Newmark for her concise reminder of what is good about our country and traditions.

If you'd like to dip into a history book in appreciation of our freedom, let me suggest Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen's, A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror (2004). For Schweikart's pro-American interview with the National Review, click here.