When asked why he had waited so long he replied that every time he even mentioned this desire in the past, he was prevailed upon to stay married for the sake of the children, then the grandchildren, then nephews and nieces, the neighbors, and finally, "We're so close to 50 years, let's stick it out." He went on to say that he just wanted to spend whatever years he has left in relative peace away from someone he had grown to hate.
While divorce is a dirty word to many, it's my personal belief that it's sometimes the only solution to a totally untenable situation.
How often I've seen older couples in my office who despise each other -- the hate so thick that you could almost physically hold it. But they were in there gritting it out for the sake of everything but themselves.
In the past I've made it abundantly clear that I believe that a professional division would be more acceptable than a union in which either party might have to compromise their beliefs and therefore their integrity.
You see -- unity looks very good on paper as long as there is a mutual acceptance and tolerance of the beliefs of the other party, but when you start poisoning the minds of the children (or students) then it's time for a complete separation.
Right now there are some folks out there who are getting a bit giddy over the idea that the CCE and SCASA might join together and form a common accrediting agency "for the sake of the children." Even if we have revulsion at the idea of philosophical cohabitation, we must apparently join together for "survival."
This is total nonsense. Chiropractic isn't a single profession anymore than osteopathic medicine is the same as chiropractic because both professions manually work on the frame of the human body to influence a visceral response. The philosophy of a super straight is built upon the dogmatic belief that the "thots" of B.J. Palmer were and always should be the criteria upon which to practice the "faith" of chiropractic.
To promulgate these archaic concepts, some schools have fostered the creation of seminarians rather than students of the healing arts. What makes it so difficult is that we must all do the same if we are to coexist in the same profession.
For years I've heard all the nonsense about how the CCE wanted to force students to think their way. That the poor straights would have to be exposed to such nasty things as "diagnosing" and "treating" -- and things like that. Well, I should hope so. After all, we're supposed to be training young men and women to become doctors in the healing arts -- not priests. They keep omitting the fact that the CCE won't tell anyone how to practice -- just what they should be exposed to.
It's the "exposure" that terrifies the super straights. They feel that the minds of their students must go through four years of total "BJrainwashing" without knowing what goes on in the outside world. Even in a seminary they expose the student priests to all manner of philosophies to challenge their commitment. We are indeed the only profession that produces philosophical fascists.
The latest is that the CCE -- for the sake of peace -- awww -- might be willing to compromise even more, so that we may all have the honor of the likes of Penn Straight and Sherman in our midst. Already such schools as Palmer and Life are not required to teach such subjects as physical therapy, which I think is a crime. How can any organization claim to be the accrediting agency for a profession unless it requires that all its member institutions teach the requisite subjects needed to practice in the most liberal jurisdiction? The public deserves protection from the unqualified through the accrediting process -- not the compromise of standards for the sake of professional peace.
CCE does not have the courage to enforce higher standards, and the SCASAites, who don't have anything to give up, want more if we are to have "unity."
Please wise up CCE. Please. No more compromises. Let's be honest with the people we are supposed to serve. There are two -- count 'em -- chiropractic professions -- one made up of physicians and the other pseudopriest technicians. I want a divorce and I want it now.
Now as to the custody of the minds of the students. Well -- they're getting along in years and have reached the age of intellectual maturity by the time they're ready to matriculate to a chiropractic college. They can grow up on their own without thought repression from anyone.
The chiropractic profession is almost 100 years old. We should let it gracefully move on to this maturity by honestly representing what it does for the public.
There are two medical professions. Both are medical disciplines with separate licensing boards. This exists simply because osteopathic medicine professes the additional belief that structure may influence the organic function of the body through a somato/visceral reflex. The precedent of professional dualism has long been established -- so for the sake of our chiropractic children let's make the divorce official so we can reach 100 years with the dignity that only honesty can bring.
RHT