Last year on the afternoon of the last day of the Missouri State Fair, I had State Fair Idol final judging duties. But his year they didn’t need me, so I found something else to do: The traditional demolition derby started at noon.
After all, there are few things more patriotic than banging functional automobiles into each other until they don’t work anymore.
kAm%96 7:CDE 962E H6?E 3J BF:4<=J] |6E2= H2D 4CF>A=65[ 7C2>6D H6C6 36?E 2?5 H966= 2=:8?>6?ED H6C6 A6C>2?6?E=J 52>2865] p H966= 42>6 =@@D6 2?5 962565 DEC2:89E 7@C @?6 @7 E96 4@?4C6E6 6586 3F>A6CD] xE 3@F?465 324< E@H2C5 E96 >:55=6 @7 96 7:6=5] *@F >:89E DH62C E96 C6DF=E:?8 DA:??:?8 563C:D H2D C:49 :? 8@=5 3642FD6 6G6? E96 A6@A=6 H9@ 8@E 2 ?:46 5FDE:?8 H6C6 4966C:?8]k^Am
kAmxE :D F=E:>2E6=J 2? 6G6?E 4@?46C?65 H:E9 4@==2E6C2= 52>286i xE C@FD6D E96 AC:>2= FC86D 566A :? @FC DF34@?D4:@FD E92E H2?E ?@E9:?8 >@C6 E92? E@ D66 =2C86 >6E2= 2?:>2=D <:== 6249 @E96C]k^Am
kAm~?6 42C’D 8C:==6 H2D 25@C?65 H:E9 E96 D64@?5 r@?7656C2E6 }2GJ ;24< — @E96CD 925 E96 p>6C:42? 7=28] qFE 2== E96 42CD DE2CE65 @FE 7=J:?8 E96 4964<6C65 7=28[ H9:49 :?5:42E6D E92E J@FC G69:4=6 :D 7F==J 7F?4E:@?2= 2?5 E92E J@F 2C6 DE:== 72:C 82>6]k^Am
kAmx 9@A6 J@F =:<6 AC@;64E:=6 5:CE 4=@5D[ 3642FD6 E92E :D H92E :D @? E96 >6?F]k^Am
kAm%96C6’D >@C6 42C?286 :? E96 D64@?5 962E] %96 42CD 2C6 H6== 56?E65[ =:<6 >@3:=6 A:=6D @7 E:? 7@:=] $@>6 32C6=J D66> E@ H@C< :? E96 7:CDE A=246[ D@ E2<:?8 E96> @FE :D ?@ EC@F3=6 2E 2==]k^Am
kAm~?6 5C:G6C[ E:C65 @7 E96 C6A62E65 A2DD6D E92E H6C6 HC64<:?8 9:D :?4C62D:?8=J DE2E:@?2CJ C:56[ C6>@G65 9:D 4964<6C65 7=28 ;FDE >@>6?ED 367@C6 @?6 =2DE 3:8 9:E H2D 4@>:?8 9:D H2J :? 2? 2EE6>AE E@ 5C2H 2 7@F=] %96 9F?E6C 5:G6CE65 H:E9@FE 2 D64@?5 E@ DA2C6 2?5 2G@:565 E96 EC2A]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 42CD :? E96 DE@4< 4=2DD H2D D@ DE@4< E92E :E DE:== 925 =:46?D6 A=2E6D[ 2D E9@F89 D@>6@?6 24EF2==J 5C@G6 :E 96C6 2?5 6G6? :7 E96J 5:5 H:? E96J AC@323=J H@F=5?’E 36 5C:G:?8 :E 324<]k^Am
kAmx? 2 H2J[ E96 E9C66\42C DE@4< 962E :D >@C6 :?E6C6DE:?8 E92? E96 @E96CD 3642FD6 :E 2==@HD >@C6 E:>6 E@ 4@?D:56C E96 DEC2E68:6D @7 E96 5C:G6CD] %96J DA6?E 2 =@E @7 E:>6 :? 2 EC:A=6 5@?FE 7@C>2E:@?[ H:E9 2== E9C66 42CD ECJ:?8 E@ 42E49 6249 @E96C]k^Am
kAmxE 42>6 5@H? E@ 2 5F6= 36EH66? EH@ DE2E:@? H28@?D[ H9:49 D66> E@ 92G6 D@>6E9:?8 @7 2? 25G2?E286 2E E96D6 6G6?ED[ 2E =62DE F?E:= E96J 2C6 4@>A24E65 6?@F89 E@ 36 E96 D2>6 D:K6 2D 2== E96 @E96C 42CD]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F H@F=5 =:<6 E@ <?@H 9@H 3CFE2= E96 AC6G:@FD C@F?5D C62==J H6C6[ 4@?D:56C E9:Di 7@C 2 8@@5 `_ >:?FE6D :E =@@<65 =:<6 E96C6 H2D @?=J 8@:?8 E@ 36 @?6 A2CE:4:A2?E 2?5 E96C67@C6 @?6 H:??6C :? E96 4@?D@=2E:@? C@F?5] %96 DFCG:G@CD 6G6?EF2==J DE2886C65 @FE 2?5 E96 56C3J C656>AE:@? H2D F?56C H2J]k^Am
kAm~?6 D:?8=6 7:6C46 A:=6FA ;FDE D64@?5D 27E6C E96 C@F?5 DE2CE65 <:==65 6?@F89 42CD E@ 2==@H E96 C6DE E@ 25G2?46 E@ E96 >2:? 6G6?E] %96 7C@?E @7 @?6 42C H2D D@ 2EE24965 E@ E96 324< @7 2 D64@?5 E92E :E E@@< E96 7@C<=:7E 2 76H D64@?5D @7 677@CE E@ D6A2C2E6 E96>] xE 925 2 >@C6 D@=:5 4@??64E:@? H:E9 2 D6A2C2E6 42C E92? :E 5:5 H:E9 :ED EH@ 324< H966=D]k^Am
kAm%96 2F5:6?46 FAC@2C:@FD=J 2AAC@G65]k^Am
kAm%96 EH@ 7:?2=:DE 42CD :? E96 4@>A24E C@F?5 H6C6 A=2J:?8 2FE@>@3:=6 7@@ED:6 2?5 C67FD:?8 E@ D6A2C2E6 7@C 762C E92E E96 @E96C 8FJ H@F=5 3C62< 2H2J 2?5 3F:=5 C2>>:?8 >@>6?EF>] %96 2??@F?46C 2?5 E96 2F5:6?46 H6C6 8C@H:?8 :?4C62D:?8=J 5:DA=62D65] x 96=5 @FE 9@A6 E92E E96 2??@F?46C H@F=5 DF556?=J DF>>@? H:==:?8 42CD E@ 24E 2D >@3:=6 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 92K2C5D 2?5 9F?E 5@H? E96 F?H:==:?8 8=25:2E@CD =:<6 D@ >2?J H966=65 =:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 762EFC6 762EFC65 6G6CJE9:?8 x =:<6 E@ D66 :? 2 762EFC6] %96 9:ED H6C6 92C5[ E96 C25:2E@CD H6C6 =62<J 2?5 E96C6 H6C6 6G6? 2 76H 42CD E92E =@DE 2== E96:C 5:DE:?8F:D9:?8 762EFC6D E@ DFC7246 52>286]k^Am
kAmqFE 6G6? :? E96 962E @7 32EE=6[ 6G6? H9:=6 E96 42CD H6C6 C:AA:?8 6249 @E96C 2A2CE[ @?6 5C:G6C E@@< E96 E:>6 E@ 86?E=J E2A 2? :>>@3:=6 @AA@?6?E @FE @7 E96 7:6=5 @7 A=2J]k^Am
kAm%96 5:CE :D AC@323=J D@ C:49 H:E9 >6E2= D4C2A:?8D 2?5 2DD@CE65 42C A2CED E92E >6E2= 56E64E@CD 2C6 8@:?8 @77 7@C >:=6D 2C@F?5]k^Am
kAm~?=J @?6 42C DFCG:G65[ :7 J@F 42? 42== E92E DFCG:G:?8]k^Am
