in the midst of some customary uses of pre-metric measures of inch, foot, and mile; a lot of people are unaware that such measures are antiquated.
in contrast, with a little experience, the meter and the kilometer are easier to reckon. even if it means updating consoles, road signs, navigation systems, and public information; i think that it will be well worth scaling systems in terms of a state-of-the-art unit of length (meter) that can be used and understood better. the extra costs of non-metrication can be compared to an overlooked 'tax' that hinder economic vitality. wherever effective, i would not want to rule out incentives for voluntary metrication for users of systems of measure. go metric! On 2010 Mar 06 Sat DoY 065, at 09:13, Paul Trusten wrote: > To the Editor, Arizona Daily Star, > > I could not disagree more with some points made in your 2010-03-06 editorial > about the 100-kilometer stretch of Arizona's I-19 that has signs posted > totally in the metric system of measurement > (http://www.azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_86183a05-6c2d-56f6-a0c0-55a61daf5b4f.html). > > If it is a question of which system of measurement to choose, federal law is > quite clear: a 1988 amendment to the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 states > that the metric system is the preferred system of measurement for U.S. trade > and commerce. If the I-19 controversy causes Arizona to stand at the very > point of picking and choosing, the choice should be to retain metric units > exclusively. > > With regard to your statement that the I-19 metric signs are preferable > because they are culturally significant-- that they carry a Mexican > "flavor”---such a prejudice continues that false national perception that the > metric system should not be our national measurement standard because it is > somehow foreign. By declaring it to be the preferred system, Congress made > metric officially another part of American business, and thus, another part > of American culture. It has been the measurement culture of almost all major > nations for many years. > > As I recall, one Arizona official wrote recently that, by changing these > signs back to miles, and thus in "accord" with the system widely used in the > U.S., Arizona would be making progress. It seems to me just the opposite, > that your stretch of metric-only signs is ahead of the rest of the Nation, > and it behooves the rest of us to catch up with you. Our country needs to do > just that: to use the decimal measurement system that almost all other > countries have found to be efficient and beneficial to their people. > > Sincerely, > > > > Paul Trusten, R.Ph. > > Public Relations Director > > U.S. Metric Association, Inc. > > www.metric.org > > [email protected] > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ron Stone e: [email protected] web: http://www.enhanceability.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
