2001-03-24 And to think, this response was before the vote was taken and the imperialists were defeated. Can you imagine their reaction today? What is even more stupid, the BWMA is ASS-U-ME-ing that in 8.75 years, people will not have adjusted to SI. If the government is strong and holds its ground, and all the scales convert in the next year or so, and the shops get tired of dual pricing and gradually drop pound prices, and people adjust, then the phasing out of non-SI supplemental units will happen long before the legal cut-off date. One thing that will work in favour of our cause is the companies that manufacture and service the scales. If they only provide for metric only scales for sale and convert any scale that does come in for service, it will be a matter of time anyway before pounds and ounces die out. There now needs to be an effort to get shops to provide 500 g amounts for those who continue to ask for pounds. If the pound is no longer a legal unit, then the pound can assume any value. And it would not be illegal for a shop to use 500 g as an easy conversion for people who continue to ask for pounds. Just like they do on the continent. John Keiner ist hoffnungsloser versklavt als derjenige, der irrtümlich glaubt frei zu sein. There are none more hopelessly enslaved then those who falsely believe they are free! Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jeff Gross" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, 2001-03-24 11:35 Subject: Re: [ukma] Fw: [USMA:11777] metrication is iconoclasm > Poor babies. They're really grasping at straws. > > Does that mean when they're done crying in their pint of beer that they'll actually try and learn how to use the metric system? > > I'm looking forward to seeing Vivian Linacre and Steve Thoburn on the historical reenactment circuit. They'll be the ones in the mediaeval village selling bananas for a groat or two per pound. > > -- Jeff > > On Fri, 23 March 2001, "kilopascal" wrote: > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Friday, 2001-03-23 06:06 > > Subject: [USMA:11777] metrication is iconoclasm > > > > > > > > > > To the BWMA the abolition of lb/oz is the same thing as the iconoclasm by > > the > > > Afghan Taliban. > > > > > > Han > > > > > > > > > PRESS RELEASE 18.3.01 > > > > > > IMPERIAL FINALE, OR THE ABOLITION OF HISTORY > > > > > > BWMA's condemnation of the Commons' debate on the complete end to imperial > > > measures. > > > > > > Taliban are condemned for destroying their history, dynamiting ancient > > statues. > > > Our government, at the bidding of the European Commission, is just as > > guilty. > > > On March 14th parliament had the chance to debate the final and total > > > annihilation of the last vestiges of our popular, traditional and > > customary > > > system of measures. The Weights and Measures (Metrication Amendments) > > > Regulations 2001 (S.I., 2001, No. 85), make it a criminal offence to even > > > mention imperial measurements in trade, public health, public safety and > > > administrative purposes, after the year 2009. No other helpful information > > > may be given to the shopper, patient, or public servant, except metric > > > quantities. > > > > > > The consequences of a society criminalised for using imperial weights and > > > measures must extend beyond market stalls, retail outlets and the market > > place > > > in general. Educationally and culturally, society is intended to convert > > > to metric so that a national amnesia about traditional measurements is > > being > > > induced. > > > > > > This will make an outcast of our historical archives that largely consists > > of > > > references to imperial measures. A researching public, ranging from > > academics to > > > householders consulting records including title deeds, charters, maps and > > house > > > plans will be confronted increasingly by information that has become > > illegal and > > > of which they will have little or no knowledge or awareness. > > > The government refused to make an application to the European Commission > > for > > > permission to extend indefinitely our right to use our customary imperial > > > system. > > > In the Commons debate the Minister for Trade Dr Howells jeered at the > > > Opposition, accusing them of objecting only because they are frightened of > > > losing seats. The government is dead set to criminalise the 93% of people > > > who prefer imperial measures for every day use. > > > The vote in the Commons to annul this most unpopular regulation was > > deferred > > > till Wednesday 21 March, after a similar motion to be heard in the Lords > > on > > > Tuesday.
