I wouldn't stand in the way of constructive engagement, David. I do
hope that the outcome of a local protest, "states" effort will bring
about a different response than in the past, but I don't think it is
likely. It's just that overcoming bad measurement may not pan out the
same way that overcoming slavery did. I'm not optimistic.
Ending slavery "state by state" was required by the constitution for
ratifying the abolition amendment. With metrication, we are not
amending the constitution. We seek to get an act of Congress, in
partnership with societal sectors, that makes us measure with SI. It's
a different legal scenario.
Paul T.
Quoting cont...@metricpioneer.com:
Mr Trusten. I understand your point, however, when Plan A fails, one
can either give up and take comfort in the fact that since Plan A is
the best approach, no other plan is worthy, or one could resort to
Plan B or Plan C all the way to Plan Z if that is what it takes.
What if no slave ever protested? Ending slavery was a state-by-state
solution to a federal issue. What if no lesbian or gay person ever
sought equal rights? Gay rights is a state-by-state solution to a
federal issue. What if no person being burned at the stake every
spoke out saying "I am not a witch"? Yes, I agree that a federal
approach is the best plan, but that is not working despite all our
efforts. A state-by-state approach it certainly not the best
approach, but I think it is much better than doing nothing; at least
we could be a squeaky wheel that gets the grease.
David Pearl MetricPioneer.com 503-428-4917
----- Message from trus...@mygrande.net ---------
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 10:21:47 -0500
From: Paul Trusten <trus...@mygrande.net>
Reply-To: trus...@mygrande.net
Subject: [USMA:53268] Re: Hawaii and Oregon
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
David,
I am grateful for your zealous enthusiasm for U.S. metrication.
There are not enough of you. We are fighting an uphill battle in
terms of public relations because of a dearth of national
leadership on the subject and the stubborn anti-metric prejudice
across the country, and we need all good voices to speak for our
goal. We need YOU!
However, I cannot bring myself to write to my representatives here
in Texas and urge them to support a plan similar to Hawaii's HB 36.
It is certainly not because I do not support metrication, because
I surely do. It is because metrication must be a national process,
like issuing currency. That is why the authors of our Constitution
sought to grant the power over measurement and money to the
Congress, so it could be applied for all purposes within every part
of the country, not only with each level of government, but also
within each sector of the society.
Our quest for one U.S. standard of measurement includes UNIFORMITY
of measurement. If Hawaii and Oregon pretend to adopt their own
systems of measurement, their laws may very easily be struck down
on constitutional grounds, and from a practical standpoint, I say
rightly so. I was exciting about the Hawaii bill because, it being
an island state, metrication might succeed in some respects. Still,
non-physical commerce still has to occur between Hawaii and the
rest of the country, and And, how does Oregon go metric when
California does not? Not only does a patchwork of metric and
non-metric states disrupt the economy, but it would also add to the
pre-existing public resentment over yet another half-hearted
attempt to metricate. We experienced that on a small scale with
the debacle over voluntary metrication of highway design in the
2000s. I don't think people would want to engage in that again, and
on the even higher scale by the intrastate use of metric for all
purposes.
Yes, I know that we are all experiencing a lot of frustration, and
our instinct is to do "something." State metrication may only be
seen as a protest vote of sorts. I may be wrong--who knows what
will transpire in life and politics---but I don't think we can
metricate by local protest, but only by national action. It's just
in the nature of measurement: everybody measures.
Paul Trusten, Registered Pharmacist
Vice President and Public Relations Director
U.S. Metric Association, Inc.
Midland, Texas, USA
+1(432)528-7724
www.metric.org
trus...@grandecom.net
On Sep 16, 2013, at 14:42, cont...@metricpioneer.com wrote:
I met with Representative Kevin Cameron this morning who wrote a
note authorizing Oregon Legislative Counsel to introduce
legislation to the Oregon House in the 2015 Session. I spoke with
Legislative Counsel Dexter A. Johnson and handed him a copy of
Hawaii HB 36. Dexter will write up this Oregon legislation that I
introduce today based on Hawaii HB 36 but modified for Oregon with
a 2020 date (instead of 2018 for Hawaii). I strongly urge every
recipient of this email to do the same thing in your state; just
arrange a meeting with your government representative and do what
I did. It is not so difficult. Let's try to complete our
metrication state by state along with all the other methods we
have been trying for these so many years. Remember that the United
States just needs to complete metrication; we are not starting
from scratch here. If you think that you cannot do this, think
again.
David Pearl MetricPioneer.com 503-428-4917
----- End message from trus...@mygrande.net -----
--
Paul Trusten
Registered Pharmacist
Vice President and Public Relations Director
U.S. Metric Association (USMA), Inc.
www.metric.org
3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apartment 122
Midland TX 79707-2872 US
+1(432)528-7724
mailto:trus...@grandecom.net