10 Things Americans Should Be Thankful For

Clean water, freedom of religion, Scandal and more.

Whar Are You Thankful For? - With Turkey Day right around the corner, Americans are reflecting on things they're thankful for — from family to health and more. Check out BET.com’s list of things Americans should be thankful for. — Dominique Zonyéé (Photo: Fuse/Getty Images)

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Whar Are You Thankful For? - With Turkey Day right around the corner, Americans are reflecting on things they're thankful for — from family to health and more. Check out BET.com’s list of things Americans should be thankful for. — Dominique Zonyéé (Photo: Fuse/Getty Images)

Indoor Plumbing - It’s the dead of winter, you are sleeping, and you get out of your warm bed to use the bathroom. Thank God for indoor plumbing! Approximately, 2.6 billion people do not have toilets. Lack of sanitation facilities helps diseases spread and is a major reason why more than 2 million people annually die of diarrhea.(Photo: moodboard / Jupiter Images / GettyImages)

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Indoor Plumbing - It’s the dead of winter, you are sleeping, and you get out of your warm bed to use the bathroom. Thank God for indoor plumbing! Approximately, 2.6 billion people do not have toilets. Lack of sanitation facilities helps diseases spread and is a major reason why more than 2 million people annually die of diarrhea.(Photo: moodboard / Jupiter Images / GettyImages)

Female Veterans in Combat - A Pew survey of veterans in the post 9-11 military revealed that women were less likely to have served in combat (30 percent) compared to men (57 percent). According to the survey, released on April 27, female soldiers were also less likely (35 percent) to have served with someone who was killed while performing their duties when compared to men (50 percent).  (Photo: Stephen Morton/Getty Images)

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Armed Forces - The United States armed forces is made up of more than 2 million men and women dedicated to serving this country.  Without the protection and power of the largest armed forces in the world, the U.S. could be at risk of fighting war on American soil.(Photo: Stephen Morton/Getty Images)

Food - In the United States each year about 40 percent — or $165 billion worth — of food goes uneaten. In comparison to many other countries, Americans take our access to having food for granted. About 75 percent of the Africa’s countries are at high risk of food insecurity, according to a new analysis.(Photo: 5ugarless/Getty Images)

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Food - In the United States each year about 40 percent — or $165 billion worth — of food goes uneaten. In comparison to many other countries, Americans take our access to having food for granted. About 75 percent of the Africa’s countries are at high risk of food insecurity, according to a new analysis.(Photo: 5ugarless/Getty Images)

Football - Ahhhh…America’s Sport. Everybody loves football; it's one of the most watched sports in America. Sunday Night Football is the most popular program among women aged 18-34, so just imagine how many men tune in. Just think: How would Americans spend Sundays if there was no football?(Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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Football - Ahhhh…America’s Sport. Everybody loves football; it's one of the most watched sports in America. Sunday Night Football is the most popular program among women aged 18-34, so just imagine how many men tune in. Just think: How would Americans spend Sundays if there was no football?(Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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Freedom of Religion - You want to worship God, Yahweh, Allah or even Satan? It’s your choice in America. This year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom annual report, cited 15 countries — including China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea and Saudi Arabia — for abuse of religious liberty.(Photo: Courtesy of United States Commission of International Religious Freedom)

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Freedom of Religion - You want to worship God, Yahweh, Allah or even Satan? It’s your choice in America. This year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom annual report, cited 15 countries — including China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea and Saudi Arabia — for abuse of religious liberty.(Photo: Courtesy of United States Commission of International Religious Freedom)

Scandal - OK, so there's reality TV, and then there's Scandal, one of the highest-rated shows on ABC. The Capitol Hill-based scripted drama attracts more than 8 million viewers and has Twitter in a frenzy weekly. Honestly, how empty would your Thursday nights be without Olivia Pope and her "gladiators"?(Photo: ABC/Richard Cartwright)

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Scandal - OK, so there's reality TV, and then there's Scandal, one of the highest-rated shows on ABC. The Capitol Hill-based scripted drama attracts more than 8 million viewers and has Twitter in a frenzy weekly. Honestly, how empty would your Thursday nights be without Olivia Pope and her "gladiators"?(Photo: ABC/Richard Cartwright)

Clean Water - On a hot summer day there is nothing like a cup of ice cold water to quench your thirst. Or, how about that hot shower after a workout? Americans should be thankful that we have the luxury of clean water — for bathing, drinking and cooking — because nearly 1 billion people in the developing world don't have access to it.(Photo: Yuji Kotani/Getty Images)

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Clean Water - On a hot summer day there is nothing like a cup of ice cold water to quench your thirst. Or, how about that hot shower after a workout? Americans should be thankful that we have the luxury of clean water — for bathing, drinking and cooking — because nearly 1 billion people in the developing world don't have access to it.(Photo: Yuji Kotani/Getty Images)

Social Media - It helped in the Arab Spring uprisings. It made Beyonce’s cropped 'do a national topic of discussion. It's clear: Social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram are helping to dictate domestic and international trends faster than ever. Seventy percent of men and 74 percent of women in America use social media. How would you connect with your pseudo friends without it?(Photo: Courtesy of Facebook and Twitter)

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Social Media - It helped in the Arab Spring uprisings. It made Beyonce’s cropped 'do a national topic of discussion. It's clear: Social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram are helping to dictate domestic and international trends faster than ever. Seventy percent of men and 74 percent of women in America use social media. How would you connect with your pseudo friends without it?(Photo: Courtesy of Facebook and Twitter)

Reality TV - With the increasing number of school shootings across the nation, the Obamacare debacle and other serious issues rattling our brains, Americans are finding an escape in reality drama. Shows such as Love & Hip Hop, The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Tamar & Vince give Americans shameless entertainment that feeds our indulgences.  (Photos from left: VH1, BravoTV)

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Reality TV - With the increasing number of school shootings across the nation, the Obamacare debacle and other serious issues rattling our brains, Americans are finding an escape in reality drama. Shows such as Love & Hip Hop, The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Tamar & Vince give Americans shameless entertainment that feeds our indulgences.  (Photos from left: VH1, BravoTV)

Collect Recommendations and Testimonials - Not just the old school kind, though. Did someone just big you up on Twitter? Reply and retweet, then screenshot it and post it on your website.  (Photo: Stockbyte/Getty Images)

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The Internet - Every time you send an email instead of going to the mailbox, "like" a picture or Google Chat with a friend, you should be thankful for the Internet. While 15 percent of American adults 18 and older get by without exploring the online world, could you imagine living with out Netflix, online gaming or Google?(Photo: Stockbyte/Getty Images)