Jim Elwell wrote:
This case is a tremendous setback to the liberty of the citizens of the UK.
> And it will slow the acceptance of metrication in the USA.
It is noting of the sort, Jim!! All it means is that they will have to abide by
weights and measures legislation as they have ALWAYS had to do!!
The legislation was passed in 1994 in with full parliamentary scrutiny!! They are
still allowed to sell to their customers in imperial if they want to!!
No real freedoms have been lost!! All they have lost is the right to weigh in
imperial, just as weights and measures legislation prevents the use of metric signs on
public highways and does not allow publicans to sell draught beer by the litre!!
Many laws such as new taxation laws or speed restrictions are imposed on the public
against their will!! As I have said before, are you proposing we should have a
referendum for every little piece of legislation proposed by parliament?? After all,
we are not talking about banning the right to vote or to re-write the Magna Carta; we
are talking about the trivial issue of weights and measures legislation which has
always been imposed on traders and passed through parliament as secondary
legislation!!
It is interesting to note that, until the end of 1999, all loose items had to be
weighed out in imperial, yet strangely, nobody considered that an affront to personal
liberty!! I wonder why??
Regards,
Steve.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Elwell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2002 2:47 PM
Subject: [USMA:18259] Re: "Metric Martyrs" appeals verdict handed down
> At 08:35 AM 2/18/2002 -0500, James Frysinger wrote:
> >... The appeals case by the so-called "Metric Martyrs" has just
> >been handed down. They lost and the laws have been upheld as not being
> >outside the authority of the law makers.
>
> Before y'all begin cheering, consider the point I made awhile back.
>
> If and when mandatory-metric legislation is attempted in the USA, you can
> bet that US metric opponents will parade the Metric Martyrs all over the
> country as examples of the evils of mandatory metrication.
>
> This case is a tremendous setback to the liberty of the citizens of the UK.
> And it will slow the acceptance of metrication in the USA.
>
> Jim Elwell
>
