Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h), Publisher
Please carefully consider the following questions:
Why are there so many fences in the chiropractic profession?
Why do so many states have at least two (and as many as seven) chiropractic state associations?
Why does someone have to be "pro-ACA" or "pro-ICA"? Why can't they be both?
Why does every one have to be labelled a "straight" or a "mixer"? When did they stop being fellow chiropractors?
Does how you practice, what group you belong to, what seminars/conventions you go to, what you read and who you are friends with really have to be so divisive?
When do chiropractic students learn to alienate themselves from graduates of other colleges? Who teaches them to disregard and distrust other DCs and/or organizations?
Why can't we disagree with each other and still break bread together?
Do all your friends really have to believe the same way you do?
When did a person stop being measured by their dedication to chiropractic and start being measured by their opinions?
These are just a few of the questions I recently pondered on a return flight from two state chiropractic conventions. While these questions apply to the entire profession in a general way, I have some specific ones as well:
Why did a few DCs write that this publication had "betrayed chiropractic" when we named Gerard Clum, DC, as our 1992 person of the year?
Why do people see us as having an ACA or ICA slant when both national organizations advertise with us, or when we feature an article that involves either group?
Why am I one of perhaps two or three people who attend both the ICA and the ACA conventions?
Are we capable of disagreeing with each other and still learning from each other?
Can we work together for the good of the profession and our patients even if we don't always agree?
Just for the record, this publication is BOTH pro-ACA and pro-ICA. It is both "straight" and "mixer." We are pro-Sherman College, pro-National College and everything in between. Simply put, we are pro-chiropractic: all of it, not just one segment.
Dynamic Chiropractic is a reflection of the entire chiropractic profession. How can it help but be a little controversial?
You may say you don't agree with everything you read in these pages. Guess what, neither do I! The important issue is that you will always have the opportunity to make yourself heard in "DC" regardless of what you believe. And you will be exposed to the views of the entire chiropractic profession, not just one segment. Who knows, perhaps one of those different perspectives will make you questions or alter one of your long-held beliefs.
This is where our Chiropractic Centennial Celebration may greatly benefit the profession. Yes, both the ICA and the ACA are going to be there. In fact, sponsoring our Centennial are almost all of the U.S. state associations (54), 19 chiropractic colleges (from Sherman to National and every school in between), 12 associations from countries around the world, and 12 "other" associations. This will be your opportunity to share your enthusiasm for chiropractic with every type of chiropractor you can put a label on.
More importantly, it will be _a chance to take down some of those_ fences_ and recognize that we are all part of one great profession. We don't need to form one big association (combining resources, goals, etc., would be great), but it isn't absolutely necessary. But what we do absolutely need is a little listening, a little understanding, a little respect, and a little self-confidence.
The future stands before us. We're the ones that make it. We will succeed or fail together as one profession.
Only with unity and integrity we will be able to meet the challenges before us.
DMP Jr., BS, HCD(hc)
