I got this cordial reply from Mr. Bennett. I don't think he is anti-metric, just non-metric.
Begin forwarded message: > Dear Mr. Hooper, > I appreciate your letter and your thoughts, sincerely. > Metric dimensions are certainly present in our lives in many ways, just as > you pointed out. Perhaps this is a quirk of Indiana, but I do find, though, > that almost everyone I encounter in daily life here refers to sizes in > inches, feet, yards and miles (except for high school track running > distances, yet not heights or lengths); and volumes in gallons, quarts, pints > and cups (except for wine bottles, and 2-liter pop containers). > Mechanics do indeed use metric tools; most of my home wrenches, though, seem > to be sized for bolts, nuts and pipes measured in inches. > To push us over the hump toward full conversion, my guess is that the > government will have to do a more widespread public-education campaign, > similar to the one I remember from my childhood. That sort of all-out push, > in reference to my column's wording, was the basis for my use of the term > "mania." > thanks for your interest and time, > Mark Bennett > > Mark Bennett > Columnist/Editorialist/Features writer > CNHI Newspapers/Terre Haute (Ind.) Tribune-Star > [email protected] > (812) 231-4377 >
