metric

I remember a desperate push (fleeting at best) during my early school years to switch to the metric system. The whole world used metric, it seemed, excepting a fledgling upstart nation called The United States! We might fall behind in the space race, our goods may not be marketable, scientists needed to use the metric system. Why hold our young scientists back?

Meanwhile, our old, reliable standard of feet, miles, ounces, and gallons kept trudging along. Few know that we were the very nation to adopt a monetary system based on ten. Ten dimes equaled a dollar, dollar denominations came in tens, fifties, hundreds, not fours and eights. This was accomplished during Thomas Jefferson’s time and with his assistance, but no one labeled him a communist as many metric promoters are today. We did have a few other gains here and there. Soda is sold by the liter, speedometers contain both miles and kilometers (which we ignore), and medicines are measured in milligrams. But gasoline and milk still come in gallons, rope is sold by the foot, and carpet is sold by the square yard. We also ignore Celsius and adore Fahrenheit with its 32 degrees freezing and 212 for boiling rather than 0 and 100.

In 1975, Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act which stated that the metric system was the preferred system and we would make every attempt to adopt it. That’s when speedometers and roadsigns added the kilometer. Today, the only highway with distances measured in km, is Interstate 19 in a remote section of the west. The push to convert to metric died in the early 1980’s. Apparently, Americans refuse to give an inch when it comes to clinging to their beloved system of measurement. But do we really love trying to buy shoes, lumber or paint under the present system? Maybe, but why make kids remember that 5,280 feet equals a mile and 128 oz. a gallon? And for God’s sake, where did that “z” come from in the abbreviation for ounces. It must have been that same file cabinet L. Frank Baum gazed at for so long.

At present, I don’t see ant hope of adopting metric in the foreseeable future. Imagine what a stir that would cause among conservatives and liberals! So we’ll just keep smiling sweetly when our Canadian friends ask why we keep hanging on to our silly standards of weights and measures. “Because we’re America, that’s why!” And that, dear heart, says it all. Sigh.