Dear Senators Clinton, McCain, and Obama,
Science Debate 2008 will be held on 18 April 2008 at the Franklin
Institute in Philadelphia. As you know from your official invitation,
the debate is being called by a non-partisan organization of
universities, industry associations, and other groups. Its purpose is to
provide a forum for all active presidential candidates to discuss some
of the most critical issues of our time in America: economic
competitiveness, healthcare, the environment, energy, scientific
research, and science education.
As you prepare your debate points for this event, I urge you to include
a discussion of U.S. changeover to the International System of
measurement (the modern metric system). Although Congress declared this
measurement system to be the preferred system for U.S. trade and
commerce 20 years ago, it has done little since then to unite all
sectors of American society to take action toward making metric
measurement the norm in our country. The result of this inaction has
adversely affected U.S. competitiveness in the world. The U.S. is the
last major nation to be without a plan to go metric, and this status has
retarded our academic and scientific progress as a nation.
The U.S. Metric Association (USMA), Inc., has supported U.S. metrication
since 1916, and continues to provide metric-system information to all
sectors of U.S. society. We ask you to bring this issue to the forefront
during your participation in Science Debate 2008.
Sincerely,
--
Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
Public Relations Director
U.S. Metric Association (USMA), Inc.
www.metric.org
3609 Caldera Blvd., Apt. 122
Midland TX 79707-2872 US
+1(432)528-7724
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
