Mr. McClellan, While the U.S. has established the SI as its preferred measurement system, the execution of that preference has been, as you rightly observed, too quiet.
Since a preference is not a mandate, metric units are placed alongside their legacy unit equivalents on American consumer product labeling. Manufacturers do not yet even have the option of dropping the non-metric declarations from their packages, even if the products,such as carbonated beverages or drinking water, are sold in metric sizes. One notable advance in U.S. metrication occurred in April 2018, when non-metric, household units (teaspoonful, tablespoonful)were completely removed from the directions on both nonprescription and prescription oral liquid medications, and a milliliter-only measuring device supplied by the manufacturer or dispensing pharmacy with each sale. Although this was done for safety's sake, the effect was a boon for public metric education in America. It taught people using over-the-counter liquids to use metric units only, and to understand the SI symbol "mL," Since the statement "mL = milliliter" is included on every package. But, no,you are right. You have the correct metaphor. Metric advocacy is not loud enough. The issue has gone under the radar of national discussion, and, indeed, one would not want to see metric as an election-year promise (remember Lincoln Chafee in 2015?). Metrication is an infrastructural goal, and, in my opinion, a nonpartisan goal. USMA seeks the support of all people who measure things. Stay tuned! USMA remains active. Paul Trusten, R.Ph, Pharmacist Vice President and Public Relations Director U.S. Metric Association. inc. Midland, Texas https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usma.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cusma%40lists.colostate.edu%7C869ca9e785a748239b0e08d8544890dc%7Cafb58802ff7a4bb1ab21367ff2ecfc8b%7C0%7C0%7C637352017925755171&sdata=3FTiv5o%2F4Vpkd30vlV%2FB%2FF6iz%2FjQLMf7BhJAfB2vkqQ%3D&reserved=0 [email protected] +1(432)528-7724 Paul Trusten Midland, Texas [email protected] > On Sep 8, 2020, at 16:49, J McClellan <[email protected]> wrote: > _______________________________________________ USMA mailing list [email protected] https://lists.colostate.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/usma
