[USMA:34379] Re: respect for people

[Daniel]

Don't worry about stepping on toes.  Change doesn't come by begging.  All change comes by force, either by edict or by removal of the old ways.  You can force people to metricate by direct force or by removing the old devices and methods from the market.  You force a professional or a back-yard auto mechanic to have metric tools and to use metric fasteners by making automobiles 100 % metric.    Jim Elwell, and others like him, forces his employees to use metric by requiring metric on the job.  He forces his customers to use metric by having only metric serviceable parts and possibly metric only in the literature.  If a customer needs to replace a part they are forced to replace it with a metric part.   He may say he doesn't force anyone, but how could his products be made if one employee wanted to use metric and another inches?  If his operation is 100 % metric (not sure) then those not wanting to use metric are still forced to do so.  Businesses like Jim's also require their vendor to accommodate their metric demands.  If a vendor wants Jim's business then the vendor is forced to work with Jim in metric, even if he considers it a pain.  He may even be forced to speak metric to Jim even if he prefers not to.    I bring up Jim as an example of a person who doesn't believe people should be forced, but in order to operate his business economically, he doesn't give his employees, customers nor vendors a choice.  It's either metric or hit the road.  I would though really like to hear from Jim how he handles dissent.  I'm not condemning Jim, I'm just showing how Jim in fact does use force even if it is subtle or he thinks it is non-existent.    As for ARM and Tony Bennett, it is important that we expose these saboteurs.  Pretending they are not there is not going to make them go away.  It only makes them think they can do anything they want without being opposed.  Tony now wants witnesses to his crimes because he knows he is treading on very thin ice.  If he is arrested he wants it to be on the news, if he is beaten by the police while resisting arrest, he wants the public to be a witness.  He thinks the public will support him while he is martyring himself.    You can always ignore those posts, but I feel they are necessary to show what the other side is doing.   Dan       ----- Original Message ----- From: john mercer To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Friday, 2005-09-09 11:51 Subject: [USMA:34377] respect for people Hello everyone. I would like to say something but i want to say it with all respect. I really don't want to hear on the USMA site what ARM in the UK are doing to remove metric signs or what Tony Bennet says in Newspapers over there. This site is for the promotion of metric in the US witch promotes metric in Canada. I have said on this forum before that i won't e mail Tony Bennet. I will explain why, 2 years ago i was on the BWMA site and was talking about when Canada changed from imperial to metric road signs. I said that at the time of the change my muther had been driving for about 35 years all in miles she had no trouble changing from miles to km's. She bought a new car in Jan 1978 with a km speedometer. Tony Bennet's reply to my post was a comunist speedometer. I will say very plainly that after a comment like that i lost respect for him. In my opinion a comment like that is foolishness.  I hope i didn't step on anyone's toes but if i did i am just stating how i feel. Thanks john mercer.              No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.10.19/93 - Release Date: 2005-09-08