It's Christmas Eve, the snow is falling outside, the lights are on all through the neighborhood, carolers are out, and a confirmed atheist like me can sit at the computer and enjoy the feelings of peace and love that permeate the season. No attacks on anyone tonight. Just seasons greetings to everyone out there. That and a list of my hopes and dreams for the coming year. I will try to stay away from the most highly partisan ones and will try to make a holiday list that crosses political lines. 

1. I hope for a year where we could all see days, then weeks, then months without the loss of life by any innocent children.
2. I hope for a year where all violent deaths in this country decrease by at least 20%.
3. I hope for a year where there are no mass murders.
4. I hope for a year where the number of people sentenced to prison are lower than the number of people released. 
5. I hope for a year where every American has a roof over their heads and a meal to eat on each night of that year.
6. I hope for a year where we all have more wealth at the end of the year than we had at the beginning.
7. I hope for a year where every American who wants to work finds work.
8. I hope for a year where we find the formula for improving America's schools so that every child can learn as much as possible.
9. I hope for a year where all our troops can return safely to our shores.
10. I hope for a year where the middle east becomes a place where the people who live there love one another and live in peace.

These are a few of my hopes for the coming year. What are some of yours? This should be a time of coming together. It would make a great year if we ended our wars against each other and entered a time when the only war was one on hate.

Have a great holiday and a super new year.