Bruce Lear lives in Sioux City and has been connected to Iowa’s public schools for 38 years. He taught for eleven years and represented educators as an Iowa State Education Association regional director for 27 years until retiring. He can be reached at BruceLear2419@gmail.com   

If you’ve had the privilege of walking with a four-year-old, you’ll understand what pure wonder looks like. Their eyes dilate as they purse their lips. They touch the newfound object with loving care.  They stare for what seems like hours. 

My four-year-old companion becomes a miniature investigative reporter, with machine gun questions. “Why is the sky blue?” “What kind of bug is that?” “How do birds fly?” “Why does that cloud look like my dog?” 

It’s like being questioned by tiny Bob Woodward.

It’s exhilarating and enlightening.

But like some politicians, you’re relieved when you look around and find no fact checker.

I also take long solo walks. I don’t have ear buds. Instead, my walks produce my own silent wondering. Sometimes it takes multiple walks to reach consensus with myself. Here’s what I’ve been wondering about lately on my walks.

I guess approving climate-change-denying videos for use in Florida’s public schools didn’t prevent multiple climate-change-fueled hurricanes.

I wonder when natural disasters became a political wedge issue. Those helping victims of hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or floods don’t worry if they’re saving a Republican or Democrat. They’re saving humans. Thankfully, they ignore political noise even if it makes their jobs more difficult. People who misinform about rescue efforts aren’t leaders, they’re liars.

Why don’t private Christian schools in Iowa accept all students? After all, most students get $7,826 toward tuition from private school vouchers. I don’t think Jesus said, “Let only the smart and well-behaved children come to me…” Don’t they practice what Jesus commanded? Also, shouldn’t private schools accepting public money be prohibited from raising tuition?

I wonder how anyone thinks the January 6 insurrectionists were patriots. 

I wonder if those wanting to deport immigrants understand immigrants strengthen America’s economy and fill jobs Americans refuse to do or aren’t qualified to perform.

If teachers educate all other professions, why do all other professions earn more than they do?

People who ban books aren’t afraid of books. They’re afraid of ideas.

Some politicians want us to believe we’re hopelessly divided. But go to any small town in Iowa and watch a four-way stop. Drivers hurt their necks nodding for other cars to go first.   

American’s founding documents are important, but they don’t belong in any Bible no matter who’s doing the peddling.

I admit, I chuckled a bit at the memes about Haitian immigrants eating cats, but it really wasn’t funny. Those immigrants were threatened and abused because a political campaign wanted Americans to believe immigrants were less than human. It’s mean, untrue, and un-American.   

Trying to force-feed one brand of religion in public schools is a bad idea. We live in a diverse country, and that diversity makes us strong.

Conspiracies are like candles. They offer little light and take a long time to burn out.

Why can’t Iowa make school lunch free? The state has a surplus of at least $1.8 billion.

The Iowa legislature raised starting teacher salaries. What about veteran teachers?

COVID-19 is real, vaccines work, and public schools don’t perform gender changing surgeries.

Democrats don’t control the weather. Even, if possible, that would take more organization than any political party has ever had.

Public schools adopted medical models regarding standardized tests. If one test is good, let’s do three. It’s time to stop excessive testing and start giving teachers time to teach.

Big government shouldn’t make medical decisions for anyone. That’s between a patient and a doctor. But leaving it to the states didn’t work for slavery. It won’t work for abortion either.

I wonder how hard life is for people who don’t believe science, medicine, or courts, and only believe one 78-year-old guy.

If you have an hour or so, take a walk. You may wonder about some of the same things I do.