I am an American. I used to be proud of my country. Now it feels like a turd circling the drain. Is there anything going on behind the scene that America is actually doing good in?

https://lemmy.world/post/44446120

I am an American. I used to be proud of my country. Now it feels like a turd circling the drain. Is there anything going on behind the scene that America is actually doing good in? - Lemmy.World

Lemmy

There are several websites about current good news, some of which is happening in this country right now.

Here’s a simple one:

In October 2025, following pressure from United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered cities across the state to remove LGBTQ+ Pride crosswalks and other road markings that “advance political agendas” and “ideologies.”

Abbott cited safety concerns and violation of state and federal guidelines as reasons to invoke the measure, which required cities to comply within 30 days or risk losing transportation funding.

But, in the meantime, the new, colorful sidewalks do not violate any local regulations, and Kaur and McKee-Rodriguez hope they signal an ongoing commitment to LGBTQ+ Pride in San Antonio.

A Story of Progress: Texas banned Pride crosswalks — so San Antonio painted the sidewalks rainbow instead

Why this story matters: Rather than simply cataloging the challenges we face, this update focuses on the innovative solutions and bold idea...

Good News
This is actually one I didn’t know about. A small gesture, but a pleasant one. Of course the only story that made the front page was the one that sparked outrage when it was originally removed.

Hi. Random straight guy here.

looks at picture

…not sure why anyone would have an issue with this.

I’m more confused/concerned why there’s a series of traffic cones turning a 2 lane road into a 1 lane road without any obvious reason why.

Also, holy shit! That’s a lot of random solar panels! Someone call that phone number, and ask them what they power.

Cones might have something to do with those tents on the right. Might be an event at a venue.
The reason for the cones is just out of frame at the top.

The old design has the rainbow across the crosswalk, which actually does go against traffic safety standards, so the reason for it gaining the attention to get removed may not have been valid, but the actual removal reason was. And to show faith, they just redesigned it to meet standards. Here’s the original design:

Wait, what safety features are unmet? The white lines are the borders of the crosswalk, and the half white line is the stop line for traffic at the intersection.

What’s it missing?

fhwa.dot.gov/…/crosswalk_marking_selection_guide.…, Page 22. It’s not one of the official crosswalk selection options.

Never saw this aerial view before neat! Tbh I do like the side walk more tho. The street one i find quite distracting/disorienting. And a crosswalk isn’t where I want to invite distractions.

The flag switch is badass.

When the Idaho legislature banned Pride flags on public property to punish the City of Boise for flying one at city hall, the mayor and city council adopted the Pride flag as the official city flag. Best part, city hall is two blocks away from the state capitol building, so the bigoted fucks get a nice view of it when they’re at work 😊
I was not expecting a literal rainbow road.
Wow, that flew under the radar. An entire city that has solved poverty, crime, health issues and homelessness to the extent they can spend time and money on this performative bullshit.
Why oh why does their website only allow one line for headlines. There is no way to scroll to see what is there since all you can read are 3 words.