Cultivating hope

[sasha_feather]

Here are good changes in US society that I've seen in my lifetime. Sort of off the top of my head.

1. People wear seatbelts without even thinking about it. Cars are safer and more comfortable.
2. Most public places are non-smoking. There are more options for people who want to quit smoking.
3. We have an HPV vaccine, which prevents certain kinds of cancer.
4. Many folks wear bike helmets. When I was a kid, we didn't wear helmets for anything really.
5. In 1989, CFCs were banned over concerns about the ozone layer.
6. Bald eagles were taken off the endangered species list in 2007, because the species recovered.
7. Same-gender marriage is now legal in the US.
8. There are a lot more out, visible queer people in public life and in media.
9. I love the thriving market for YA books. I had trouble finding these kinds of books when I was a teen, and now such books are proliferating.
10. There are so many more indie comics and manga available in the US.
11. Neopronouns (they, xie, ze, etc) are in wider use and we have more societal recognition of gender variation.
12. Mars rover!

Please feel free to add your own things in the comments or in your own DW!

Comments

[owlectomy]

These things are subjective and based on my own personal observations - not sure if they apply more broadly!

1. Drinking and driving is less socially acceptable.
2. Teens are much less likely to use "gay" as a slur and to use sexuality as a slur in general
3. There's more awareness about the problems of industrial agriculture and more alternatives (at least for people who have money)
4. We're having better conversations about consent in sex
5. The internet has encouraged a lot of cultural cross-pollination and international exchange - even in something like the popularity of Kpop in the US

[emceeaich]

1. Getting access to HRT and other trans health care has become much easier in much of the country
2. Remote work becoming more acceptable, enabling people to live outside of the high rent areas