Measure for Measure

I have a handicap. It really shouldn’t be a handicap. In all but three countries in the entire world, it is not a handicap. It’s not physical. It’s not even mental. It’s mathematical. I don’t have a problem with math. Fractions, decimals, cosigns, secants- Math is good. Math is fun. No, math is not the problem, but… It’s mathematical. My handicap isn’t about geometry Or algebra, or calculus, Or multiplication, addition, subtraction, division. And yet, in a way, it is. It’s mathematical. The U.S. standard system of measurement Has over 250 different units With the most convoluted conversions on the planet. How are we supposed to remember That there are __ pints in a quart Or __ ounces in a pound? And don’t even get me started on inches and miles. It’s mathematical. The metric system- Used by every country except Myanmar, Liberia, and the U.S.- Has only meters, grams, and liters And ten prefixes on a base ten conversion. Ten millimeters to a centimeter, A hundred centimeters to a meter. The prefixes are simple language. It’s mathematical. Maybe I’m not the one with the handicap. It’s just that metric makes so much sense. I am a God-fearing, democracy-loving American, But McCarthy’s “witch hunters” would have burned me at the stake Out of fear of a metric-loving Communist. It’s mathematical. The United States is a power house. The New World, the Land of Opportunity A place where people migrate to advance Socially, Economically, Scientifically. But science can only advance so far When hindered by something ridiculous Like the difference between a kilogram and a pound. It’s mathematical. So let’s move on, Get with the times, Stop fighting a pointless battle. Americanism is all about efficiency, So let’s replace yards with meters, Pounds with grams, Gallons with liters. Because, measure for measure, It’s practical. It’s logical. It’s mathematical.