Dear John,
This has the makings of a really good - and powerful - letter. I will mull
on it and get back to you with some thoughts.
My first reaction was to think of an old couple from Canada who received a
very positive letter from Marcus Berger after they responded (negatively
about metric) to Greg Peterson. Your letter would be ideal for them and for
similar situations.
--
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
CAMS - Certified Advanced Metrication Specialist
- United States Metric Association
ASM - Accredited Speaking Member
- National Speakers Association of Australia
Member, International Federation for Professional Speakers
on 2001/05/31 14.12, kilopascal at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> 2001-05-30
>
> I've been thinking lately about what would be the most appropriate e-mail or
> letter to write to a journalist or whoever who writes anti-metric articles.
> The first thought is to just let it go. They're just upset because metric
> continues to make inroads and they can't seem to stop it. But, there is
> still a part of me that wants to rub salt into the wounds.
>
> Here is something I thought of today:
>
> Dear Sir/Madam,
>
> If you don't like the metric system, then do yourself a favour and don't use
> it. Avoid any product or service where it is used. For example, here are
> some suggestions:
>
> 1.) Do not purchase, rent or ride in an automobile. All cars, including
> American models are designed and manufactured metric. That includes the use
> of metric sized steel, plastics and fasteners. Whenever you buy or rent a
> car, you are in essence supporting metric industries.
>
> 2.) Do not use any electricity. Electricity is measured in metric units.
> Volts, ohms, watts, joules, amperes, farads, henrys, etc. are all SI metric
> units. Some electricity is produced by nuclear plants. Nuclear energy is
> also measured in metric units.
>
> 3.) Avoid using mouthwashes, toothpaste, hair care products, skin care
> products, etc. They now all come in metric size containers. Toothpaste is
> shown in ounces and grams, but the containers are actually rational metric
> sizes, the most common being 100 mL and 150 mL. This is called hidden
> metric. That means hard metric products relabelled in non-metric to give
> the illusion it is non-metric. When you use these products, you are
> supporting the metric system.
>
> 4.) Stay away from soda pop, bottled water, wines and hard liquor. Again,
> these are commonly packaged in metric sizes.
>
> 5.) Do not use cameras or video equipment. These again are metric products.
>
> 6.) If you are ill, stay away from doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and any
> type of medicines, vitamins and other supplements . These are all metric.
> Medications are dosed in grams per kilogram of body mass. When there is
> risk to your life, metric is there to support it.
>
> 7.) Avoid using computers. Modern PC's are metric. The so-called 3.5 inch
> floppy is hidden metric. According to standard ISO/IEC 9529-1, the floppies
> actual dimensions are 94 mm x 90 mm x 3.3 mm (D x W x H). The media is 86 mm
> in diameter and the mass is 24 g. None of these dimensions equals 3.5
> inches. Monitors are made to metric specs, even if they have an inch name.
> And the dot pitch is always given in millimetres. The speed is in megahertz
> (MHz) and memory is in megabytes and gigabytes. The fasteners and other
> parts of your computer, all the way down to the substrate to make the chips
> is metric. All hidden of course.
>
> And there is more!!
>
> 40 % of American industry is metric. They have to be to survive in a metric
> world. The US also imports more goods and services than it exports. That
> means billions of dollars of metric products are flooding into this country.
> Each day more and more.
>
> You wouldn't be complaining about it if you didn't see the onward march of
> the metre in your increasingly shrinking English world. Do you really think
> you will make a difference by complaining? Not really, especially when
> people like me work in industries that are metric and we use our economic
> might to support financially products and services that are metric and help
> drive up the costs of those that are not. You can only complain with words,
> we make a difference economically where it is most effective.
>
> We will win, it is just a matter of time.
>
> Best Regards,
>
>
> X. Y. Z.
>
>
>
>
>
> Some of you might like to refine this or add something I missed. We can
> tune it up to make it a nice form letter to be sent out to all those who
> oppose.
>
> Any comments?
>
>
> John
>
> Keiner ist hoffnungsloser versklavt als derjenige, der irrt�mlich glaubt
> frei zu sein.
>
> There are none more hopelessly enslaved then those who falsely believe they
> are free!
>
> Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
>
>
>
>
