Should We Switch To The Metric System Summary

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Should We Switch to the Metric System? Reaching blindly for change is rash, if not immature. Why should the U.S. be pressured into the metric system of measurement? Within the article “Should We Switch to the Metric System?” by Mackenzie Carro, a warring argument is presented, followed up on either side. Many believe the U.S. should switch to the metric system, while others become slightly more cautious as they hear this and think otherwise. But then again, why would the U.S. switch to the metric system? The consequences are clearly embedded in the path ahead. Throwing away billions of dollars and wasting years of everyones time. What’s more, fumbling up your speech every time you realize the current system of measurement no longer applies …show more content…

The first issue becomes clear: accidents occur as people try to adjust during the shift. Several disasters, which include “an increase in traffic accidents,” in addition to a possible “plane mishap” that happened during “Canada’s transition to the metric system” (Carro, page 21). Just through these few examples, it is visible that life-threatening accidents are reasonable within the conversion process. People will experience inefficiencies in their daily lives, and will have trouble adapting and staying safe. In short, the conversion from the customary to the metric system will violate the well-being of many in the U.S. In addition to this, the switch will be detrimental to the language and lifestyle, making people in the U.S. undeniably uncomfortable. An example is that “Customary units are woven into our language.expressions like ‘inching along.’” By replacing this idiom with “‘Centimetering along’” the change is unsettling (Carro, page 21). Customary units are already accepted in the U.S. to the point that even the language is influenced. Making a foreign change to the metric system is not something the citizens will accept. Even if the phrases are not replaced to fit the metric system, phrases will still become alienated, as they …show more content…

Moving on, one might also argue that having different systems of measurement could cause accidents. While this is a credible argument, the opposing side forgets to acknowledge that changes to the metric system could actually cause more frequent issues in the United States. An example of this, “U.S. drivers have a sense of what 65 miles per hour feels like. But what about kilometers per hour? It would take time to adjust. In the meantime, accidents could become more common” (Carro, page 21). In situations like these, there is no alternative method to help convert the measurements. By trying to reduce the hazards, the effects will only backfire on us. The other side has yet to take into account the detrimental effects the metric system would bring. In conclusion, the debate on this issue has been constant, yet the U.S. has not, and predictably will not, switch to the metric system. There are reasons why the U.S. hasn’t taken action, and it is already substantial enough to explain why. If switching was more beneficial than its problems, the U.S. would have done it already. However, no action has been taken, meaning it successfully acknowledged the setbacks of transitioning. The setbacks include safety issues, unsettling

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