In politics, at least in the past, metrication has often been
(nonsensically) associated with liberal administrations, and opposition to
conservative administrations (e.g., Canada and England). However, for
conservatives, metrication is completely justifiable. We hear a lot of
complaints these days about how much government is intruding into our
lives through the use of "implied powers," supposedly derived from the
U.S. Constitution.
Metrication, however, would be included in "enumerated" powers of the
Congress. Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution, provides
*explicity* for the Congress "to fix the Standard of Weights and
Measures."
The Founding Fathers were very concerned about the intrusion of the
federal government into states' and citizens' rights. Yet they provided
for carefully-thought-out areas where a federal involvement would be
prudent. The clause covering weights and measures also covers a national
coinage.
Thus, for conservatives, even libertarians like those supporting the
position of Congressman Ron Paul, metric conversion is not an intrusion
into civil liberties, but actually bedrock constitutionalism.
Conservatives should be even more in favor of metrication than liberals!
Martin Morrison
Metric Training & Education Columnist
USMA's "Metric Today"
