The Chiropractic Postage Stamp letter writing campaign -- stalled somewhat by the terrorist attacks and subsequent changes in mail delivery to the U.S. Capitol -- has again picked up momentum.

According to a confidential source involved with the Postal Service's Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee, "chiropractic has appeared on the radar screen -- 2,029 letters have arrived in the last three months."

The campaign to win approval for a U.S. postage stamp honoring B.J. Palmer and chiropractic was launched at the World Chiropractic Alliance International Summit in 2001. A formal proposal was written and a renowned stamp artist commissioned to do a prototype design.

Since then, the ICA, ACA, FSCO, and COCSA have joined the effort, as have chiropractic colleges around the country. A special "Chiropractic Postage Stamp Task Force," headed by Drs. Brian Stenzler and Dan Matzner of New York, was formed to coordinate the campaign.

In addition, Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-Ill.) circulated a letter to his colleagues asking for their support. As a result, numerous senators and representatives urged the Postal Service to issue the stamp.

Each year, the Postal Service receives approximately 40,000 proposals recommending subjects for stamps. The suggestions and proposals are evaluated by the 15-member Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee.

In order to determine whether a stamp topic will have "broad national interest," it tracks the number of supporting letters each idea generates. It looks for subjects that produce intense positive response from the public. To be successful, a stamp proposal needs to be backed by many thousands of letters over an extended period.

To ensure that doctors of chiropractic, their staff and patients can easily make their wishes known, the World Chiropractic Alliance printed thousands of postcards with a message of support, pre-addressed to the Committee. Doctors can obtain packages of 100 postcards free of charge from the WCA. Since the post office doesn't limit the number of post cards or letters an individual can send, the WCA urges doctors to mail one every month and encourage their patients to do the same.

To request one or more packets (each containing 100 postcards and a flyer), contact the Chiropractic Stamp Task Force at 516/829-8578 -- or -- e-mail gnbhchiro@earthlink.net.