Chiropractic without Compromise

When this country was formed they set up a system that was based upon what the majority of Congress (who were elected by the majority that the eligible voters) wanted. The system was based upon compromise. But the compromise was not based upon neither getting what one side wanted or something less. It was based upon compromising upon a means of accomplishing the objective that both wanted. They both ostensibly had the same objective. it worked in this country until one group wanted to begin to “fundamentally change” the United States and have been doing that since 1863, 1934 or somewhere in between (one leader has finally come out and audaciously admitted it publicly this century) depending upon what historians you read.
There is a very good analogy within our profession. We had differences in how we wanted to practice chiropractic but the organizations compromised to the degree that both groups could practice the way that they chose. It worked pretty well until one group decided that they wanted to fundamentally change what chiropractic was and how it should be practiced. (No one would suggest that having the right to prescribe drugs is not a fundamental change.)
Because there are now fundamental differences in this country, compromise is not working and is not working for a very good reason. Example: The anti-gun people are trying to get compromise(in the form of gun registration, outlawing automatic weapons etc.) The pro-gun people see that as a first step to outlawing the right to own guns altogether. On the other side the pro-choice people think that outlawing abortion in the third trimester and stopping the selling of fetal parts is just the first step by the pro-life people to outlaw abortion altogether. The problem that both sides of these arguments have is the United States Constitution, either getting around it or changing it.
Some years back a chiropractic college began that had as its motto “Chiropractic without Compromise”. It began when most chiropractic colleges were at the time, compromising in order to survive or because they thought compromise was necessary to survive. ADIO Institute of Straight Chiropractic was willing to compromise in allowing all other approaches to chiropractic to exist but they were not willing to compromise on how chiropractic was defined. Unfortunately the other side was not willing to compromise. They had to destroy that approach or at least eradicate it from the formal educational program of the chiropractor. They may have just about done that but they cannot stop the truth of chiropractic. It will rise up. The truth can be outlawed but it cannot be permanently stifled. That’s why the country was formed because “… All men are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…” Some in our government no longer ascribe to that Creed. So it should not surprise us that some in our profession do not either.