WASHINGTON - Every weekday morning outside my window close to downtown Washington, DC comes a reminder that there is a lot to wish for – kindergarteners walking by in a straggling, unsteady little line, their small hands resolutely grasping a rope that connects them, their little faces scrunched up with concentration and confusion, with one adult leading and another bringing up the rear.

This being the United States of America, my first wish is that there should be no school shootings in 2023 – or ever. For that, sweeping reforms are needed, in gun control and in mental health. They will probably not get done in any way significant enough to make a difference; yet one must never cease to hope.