Eulogizing BJ Palmer

Eulogize- definition-“to speak or write in high praise of someone; extol their virtues”. We only seem to use that concept at funerals and in obituaries. Clearly, it’s appropriate to say/write nice thing about people after they have died. You would not expect to hear criticisms about someone at their funeral or read them in their obituary. I don’t believe I ever have. It’s not in good taste or appropriate. The word is derived from eulogia Greek word meaning “to praise”. We conclude that any reader or attendee understands that the the deceased is not perfect.(none of us are). The old adage “IF YOU CANNOT SAY SOMETHING NICE ABOUT A PERSON, DON’T SAY ANYTHING is the basis. Dave Palmer apparently did not have a very good relationship with his father but I’m sure he said good things about him after he died. He was a great man and deserves our recognition, esteem and honor. He gave us most of what we understand as chiropractic philosophy. The vast majority of it was correct, valid and clearly representative of the chiropractic objective. He taught and passed on that information to the profession and indirectly, to many of us today. He had no shortage of critics when he was alive and even after his death. As chiropractors, we all owe BJ a debt of gratitude even those who revile him. We would not have a profession today without his efforts although in many ways it does not resemble the profession he developed. No matter how you practice chiropractic, we have all stood on his, as well as others, shoulders. Some have adopted that vision totally, some partially and others have rejected it. But all owe their existence to him, even those who would like to adopt the medical model and be “chiropractic physicians”.
That being said there is a place and time for evaluation , critique and the adaptation of individual’s works and thoughts (although not at an eulogy). Not doing that apart from divine revelation puts the profession or the writings, of in this case BJ Palmer into the area of a cult and makes chiropractic as a cult worship, a charge leveled by those in and out of the profession for years This is the intent of this blog. It is not meant to or do, or I believe, it does not take anything from the greatness of BJ or detract from his contribution.