To get this going again, I'm posting a response I've written, but not yet sent, to a thread in the Health Care for the 99% working group, of which, as an organizer for Physicians for a National Health Program, I am now a part. HC99% is a working group of Occupy Wall Street, and we have been discussing a logo for our group. Initial designs, much in the mode of OWS, have included a clenched fist, along with a symbol of medicine or health care. Members of the group have objected to our using this imagery, suggesting that it is too violent and confrontational, and will turn off the public. Here is my response:

Occupy Wall Street is a resistance movement, and resistance movements rely on powerful images of resistance to motivate, galvanize, and mobilize people. Some may take issue with this opening formula -- that OWS is a resistance movement -- but given the hegemonic nature of the target (and don't get it twisted, there is a target: it's right there in the name), the brutal response of the authorities, and the popular anger the movement has both aroused and, we hope, organized and directed, I think this is an accurate characterization, especially in the global context of resistance to austerity and corporate state control of life. The extent to which we, as a health care oriented group within OWS, align ourselves with that struggle is, it appears, still an open question.

What is the fight for universal health care? Is it a fight against corporate forces and the state apparatuses they control? A struggle of the popular will against that of private capital? Is it a fight at all? If it's not a fight, then by all means let's tone down the imagery. If it's just a matter of educating folks and waiting for people in power to do the right thing, then yes, we should use less confrontational imagery. But in my view, this is a confrontation, and we must be prepared (with images, ideas, and mutual love and respect for one another) to face it. OWS is a resistance movement, which is why I joined it. This is also why I joined the struggle for health care, a struggle that embodies the totality of what is at stake: our very lives. The FIST, raised proudly in the air, unafraid, unwavering, willing to risk everything for the sake of everything. This is the essence of resistance.

I understand that people follow OWS for different reasons, and that many DO NOT follow OWS at all; and furthermore, these are often the folks that must be involved if we are to be successful. I do not want to struggle for its own sake (although I would); I want to struggle because I want to win. On the other hand, I don't want to be so worried that calling a spade a spade will 'turn people off' that we lose our own values in the process. As scholars of social struggle and organizers alike know, we don't build strength by deferring the struggle, we build power through the struggle -- precisely by engaging in struggle; not by accommodating fear, but by confronting it, and overcoming it. One may agree that OWS is a resistance movement, but disagree that this is true of health care (the press, for instance, will refer to this as "the health care debate," as if there were somehow two equally legitimate sides, or as if there were anything decent or civil or fair about what is in fact a forceful dispossession of people from their lives).

Why, then, do we organize in the OWS context? Simply because it's "hot"? I don't believe so. As Steve pointed out, our imagery does serve many purposes, some of which may be contradictory given different contexts. But facing contradiction is the heart of what we are doing: we face the social contradiction of a vastly wealthy society that refuses to provide care to huge numbers of people living within it. My goal is not to convince people that there is no struggle -- that we all just need to think clearly and get along and things will work out -- no, my goal is to bring people into the struggle in a way that prepares them for the brute response of the adversary, a response we see rehearsed by police in the streets, authorities in the courts, and bulldozers on the hospital grounds.

What does this mean for our imagery? For me it means that we should not be shy about putting our anger and indignation, but much more importantly our resolve, determination and spirit of solidarity, on display -- and the most coherent image of that spirit is a proudly raised fist.

So first of all, I thank Josh and everyone who has contributed to the design process -- the images have been wonderful.

Secondly, (and I know this has been a long message already) I want to voice STRONG support for retaining the image of clenched fists in our logos and materials.

Thank you all,
Sam