[Excerpt from another soon-to-be-published book on Chiropractic Philosophy]
The title presents an excellent question, one that has been the topic of considerable discussion among the straight community. First, we need to get the legal aspects out of the way. The laws of most states have defined chiropractic as a health profession. So it is. Further, it appears that the Discoverer and the Developer of chiropractic desired that it be a health profession, so that would suggest further that it is. The real question then is should chiropractic be a health profession?! That involves philosophical discussion and since this is a philosophy book it would seem an appropriate place to discuss it. Changing definitions and laws is a political issue and we will leave that to the politicians. However, just because D.D. and B.J. made chiropractic a health profession does not mean it needs to stay one. It is my feeling that they set that course for chiropractic (as a health profession) long before they even realized the ramifications of correcting vertebral subluxation, ramifications far greater than health and disease. And just because they set that direction does not mean that we as a profession need to continue that course. Traditional chiropractors would like to continue the course set by the Discover and the Developer, that is why we call them traditional. On the other hand, most of the profession cares nothing for what the Palmers would want or ever wanted. In fact, they have charted a course in the opposite direction of D.D. and B.J., a course toward medicine. I do not think it is dishonoring to their memory or to their discovery to move chiropractic into new directions as long as it is within certain parameters. Who or what would establish those parameters is again a political issue not philosophical. It is my opinion that the present straight chiropractic movement is, and has been since the mid 70’s, moving chiropractic in a new direction (i.e., away from health care without dishonoring the memory or the work of the Palmers).