When 75% of the population is behind healthcare reform and the corporate media is still reporting about the people who are afraid of change I think it's time to step up our efforts at showing the opposition the landslide of support. We need a symbol to show that we are on the side of healthcare reform.
Remember what the red ribbon did for AIDS awareness?
Healthcare reform is something that we need to fight for, yes. We need to call our elected representatives and put pressure on them to do the right thing. But we also need to talk, one citizen to another, because healthcare is a personal issue for each and every one of us.
This is a big community, full of creative people, and I'm sure that someone can come up with a better looking symbol than the one I'm currently using which is a bandaid safety pinned to my shirt. Feel free to suggest other options in the comments.
The symbol we use is only a detail. What matters is visibility, and using that visibility as a tool to open a dialog with our fellow citizens. The more people who visibly align themselves with healthcare reform, the less impact major media sources will have on the discussion. It's hard to be terrified of change when people are embracing it all around you.
I know I'm being vague about the details, personally I think single payer is the only ethical solution. I passionately want there to be competition for the insurance companies at the very least. But I don't think we need to have a single position spelled out to make use of a visual to make it clear to people that Americans are ready for change. Call it Healthcare Awareness.
Some people are suggesting that we mobilize a march on Washington to provide a visual, but many of us can't afford that expense. A box of bandaids is cheap, and readily available. It could make a difference in the fight.