I also see that one response claims " Like in UK, where a greengrocer was arrested for selling greens in pounds. Do we really need to go there?" No-one has ever been arrested for selling in pounds in the UK. All the traders that have been prosecuted have gone through the whole cycle of : 1) Advice that they are breaking the law 2) An escalating series of warnings that they are breaking the law, including a final warning that the next step is likely to be prosecution 3) Prosecution Unfortunately, some of the UK reporting of this issue has been highly inaccurate (perhaps because lazy newspaper reporters print verbatim copies of press releases by groups like the Metric Martyrs), and a whole lots of myths have sprung up as a result of this inaccurate reporting. The only arrests that I am aware of in the UK metrication debate are those of an Active Resistance to Metrication (ARM) member for criminal damage to metric road signs - including safety warning signs in advance of roadworks.
--- On Wed, 11/3/09, Pat Naughtin <[email protected]> wrote: From: Pat Naughtin <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA:43687] Re: Federal Eye Ask Your Government: Will the U.S. Go Metric? To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, 11 March, 2009, 8:21 PM On 2009/03/11, at 10:38 PM, Nat Hager III wrote: WashPost this morning… http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/?hpid=news-col-blog Nat Dear Nat, Thanks for the reference. This one takes you there more directly http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2009/03/ask_your_government_when_will.html I laughed out loud at this contribution: I doubt we will go metric for the following compelling reasons: 1) Sociology 101: Everyone else in the world uses the metric system. If we do too, we'll be just like everyone else 2) Economics 101: Everyone else in the world use the metric system. It would be easily for foreigners to buy our products. 3) Science 101: All scientists, even American ones, use the metric system. Why would we want our science-iliterate students to know how to become scientists? 4) Math 101: More and more US students are math illiterate. Therefore, we need to continue to put the extra layer in calculations of converting English units to metric units. 5) Religion 101: Jesus never used metric units. 6) History 101: The metric system was invented by a Frenchman. 7) Government 101: Metric units are part of a one-world government conspiracy. Posted by: jjedif | March 11, 2009 10:08 AM Cheers, Pat Naughtin PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, Geelong, Australia Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com for more metrication information, contact Pat at [email protected] or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter to subscribe.
