I write this piece with a heavy heart and with hope and promise of a
future filled with a literate Missouri. Although this piece may not be read or
cannot be read to illiteracy.
It is a known fact that Missouri is currently 81.1% illiterate. Wow!

Literacy defined: Having little or no education: unable to read or
write.
With the fundamentals of a particular field of knowledge.
I remember a few years back my sister invited me to the graduation of one of
her good friends. The young man was proud and walking around showing this
big wad of money, it could have chocked a horse. I reached into my pocket and
pulled off a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to him a wad of money he had
gotten from his graduating cards, his pockets were bulging, and he was walking
around proud as a peacock counting his money. Someone suggested he read his
cards and he quickly became nervous; his; mom jumped to his defense and
offered to do it the kid graduated from Central high school and could not read I
walked up to the proud young man asked for my twenty dollars back and told
him when he learns to read I would give him back the twenty plus , plus interest
we have to stop patronizing our children and call out what is-what is!