American Exceptionalism/Chiropractic Exceptionalism

Sometime back, President Obama and Vladimir Putin got into a discussion over what is “American exceptionalism.” American exceptionalism has always been not what we the people can and cannot do, but rather what the government can and cannot do. No other country has limited the rights of government and delegated all other rights to the individual, maintaining that those rights are God-given and should be put into a document.That unique concept is called liberty or freedom and I’m not sure Mr. Putin would understand it even if it was explained to him. Actually, I’m not convinced Mr. Obama understands it. There is nothing exceptional about the people of the United States except as we embrace the ideals and ideas of the American experiment in self-government. As those ideas and ideals are intentionally ignored by many involved in the government of our country and subsequently not understood by the younger generations and those coming into this country, American exceptionalism is becoming a part of history. Perhaps Mr. Putin can be excused for not embracing it for that reason. But no one born and reared in America can be excused for not understanding the concept.
What is “chiropractic exceptionalism” and is it related in any way to American exceptionalism? Chiropractic is an American phenomena that began in the Midwest during the last years of the nineteenth century. But that hardly makes it exceptional. Chiropractic, like America, was begun by men who had a vision…one that far exceeded the status quo. It was based upon individualism and freedom, i.e. the right of the individual to make his or her own choices under a supreme authority. The authority of the American system was and is the U.S. Constitution. The authority of chiropractic was and is its body of deductive principles,especially #20. Every thought, activity and procedure in chiropractic must be evaluated in light of these principles just as every activity and law of our country must be evaluated in light of the law of the land, the U. S. Constitution. When, and if, our country gives up its founding principles, it will cease to be an exceptional nation. When, and if, chiropractic sets aside its founding 33 principles and the objective they support, it will no longer be an exceptional profession.