| | Missouri is unique in how the vast rural portion of the state does not allow the [[liberal]] populated cities to dominate politically. For example, the governor for a long time controlled appointments to the St. Louis police department and election commission. | | Missouri is unique in how the vast rural portion of the state does not allow the [[liberal]] populated cities to dominate politically. For example, the governor for a long time controlled appointments to the St. Louis police department and election commission. |
| − | The pronunciation of "Missouri" varies from east to west, and from young to old. The eastern and younger Missourians say "Missour-ee", while the western, and particularly older people in the western part, say "Missour-uh" and a few may say "Missouri-ah". | + | The pronunciation of "Missouri" varies from east to west, and from young to old. The eastern and younger Missourians say "Missour-ee", while the western, and particularly older people in the western part, say "Missour-uh" and a few may even say "Missour-ah". |
| − | Two-thirds of the land in the state of Missouri is devoted to their ~95,000 farms. Its top crops are soybeans and corn (typically rotated with each other), cotton (#5 in the nation), rice, and wheat.<ref>ttps://agriculture.mo.gov/abd/intmkt/pdf/missouri-major-crops-snapshot.pdf</ref> Livestock ranching, including cattle and pork, is also a major product there. Overall, agriculture is 5% of the Missouri economic output, while aerospace, chemicals, financial services, electrical equipment, publishing, and beer rank higher. | + | Two-thirds of the land in the state of Missouri is devoted to their roughly 95,000 farms. Its top crops are soybeans and corn (typically rotated with each other), cotton (#5 in the nation), rice, and wheat.<ref>ttps://agriculture.mo.gov/abd/intmkt/pdf/missouri-major-crops-snapshot.pdf</ref> Livestock ranching, including cattle and pork, is also a major product there. Overall, agriculture is 5% of the Missouri economic output, while aerospace, chemicals, financial services, electrical equipment, publishing, and beer rank higher. |
| | + | Missouri is a former slave state, and ostensibly remained neutral during the [[Civil War]] only because of [[Union]] intervention in its political leadership. Missouri's totalitarian tradition resurfaces occasionally: in August 2023, the Missouri Supreme Court upheld the imprisonment of two separate single mothers because their young children missed 13 and 16 days of [[public school]] in a school year, and the school sued them.<ref>https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-courts/missouri-court-says-parents-can-be-jailed-if-kids-miss-too-much-school/article_da75470c-3ba4-11ee-a238-bbd192a2bb6f.html</ref> |