Things to be thankful for...

It's all too easy to be caught up in the gloom and doom of the state of American politics--and indeed world politics--these days. Stories of wars, corruption, economic turmoil, and party divisions dominate the news media today, but often we ignore the bright spots that appear in the cloudy sky. Here are just a few thanks-worthy bits of recent (and not-so-recent) news, info, and thoughts:

• 222 years, 70 days ago, the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia ratified the Constitution.
• On January 23, 2009, President Barack Obama signed an executive order for the closing of Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp.
• In 1841, thanks largely to the efforts of President Andrew Jackson, the Second Bank of the United States went bankrupt.
• On November 19, 2009, Congressmen Ron Paul (R-TX) and Alan Grayson (D-FL) successfully added amendments to House Resolution 3996 to allow for increased audit authority over the Federal Reserve.
• On December 2, 1823, the United States adopted the Monroe Doctrine
• In New York's special election for the 23rd congressional district, third-party candidate Doug Hoffman gained 45% of the vote, losing but gaining significant support.

I'm sure you, the reader, can come up with many other things to be thankful for as the year 2009 starts to wind down. Never lose hope, and never, ever give up!