You may have the same slightly cheesy family tradition that my family does on Thanksgiving; going around the table taking turns describing what we’re thankful for. Now, there’s not a table big enough to hold the nation’s 100,000,000 gun owners, but if we could somehow all gather together, we would hear a chorus of voices remind us that even with the threats we’re currently facing, we still have many reasons to give thanks today.

First, we live in a country that recognizes our right to keep and bear arms, even if we’re still arguing over what that right means and some folks have a hard time understanding that phrase “shall not be infringed.”

Not only do we live in a nation that acknowledges our right to own and carry firearms, but we also have millions of allies intent on ensuring that our rights remain strong, or become stronger in those states and areas where our rights are under attack.

We can be thankful that the Supreme Court is going to hear a Second Amendment case for the first time in nine years next week, and will hopefully issue a ruling in a few months that will make it much more difficult for state, local, and federal governments to weaken our rights by claiming that their gun control laws will make us safer.

We can be thankful that President Donald Trump has appointed more than 150 judges to the federal bench since 2016, reshaping some of our courts of appeals and providing a backstop against legislative infringement of our rights.

We can be thankful for the sixteen states that have adopted constitutional or permitless carry laws in recent years. There are now twice as many states that don’t require a permit in order for legal gun owners to carry firearms for self-defense as their are states that can deny anyone their right to carry for any reason or no reason whatsoever.

We can be thankful for the thousands of local officials, including county sheriffs, who are taking a stand in support of our rights by adopting Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions and by pledging not to enforce any unconstitutional gun control laws.

We can be thankful that presidential candidates who’ve proclaimed their intent to confiscate firearms from millions of American gun owners have seen their campaigns crash and burn afterwards, even with intense and favorable coverage by the mainstream media.

We can be thankful for a humming economy, which is enabling Americans to purchase firearms for self-defense, home protection, hunting, target shooting, and competition at record rates.

For me personally, I’m thankful that my wife is still here and in relative good health (as long as you don’t count that Stage 4 lung cancer thing). I’m thankful that my kids are all healthy and happy (though my teenagers may still have their emo moments). I’m thankful for my job here at Bearing Arms, and all of the support and encouragement I’ve received since taking over as editor back in July.

I’m thankful for friends old and new, and for the online community that’s sprung up around Bearing Arms’ Cam & Co. that’s allowed me to meet so many incredible folks from all across the country. I’m thankful to live in a place where my chickens and goats can wander around the yard, I can plink and hunt on my property, and my neighbors will stand with me in defense of our rights.

If you’re reading this, I hope your Thanksgiving is a happy one with new memories made, fantastic food devoured, and gratitude and gratefulness for the blessings large and small in your life.

Finally, I’m thankful that you’re here and, I hope you’ll continue to use Bearing Arms as a resource for 2A news, information, analysis, and opinion. While we do have much to be thankful for this year, we also have much to be concerned about, and the next twelve months are going to go a long way towards determining what our Second Amendment rights look like for years to come.