"The Actor, the Student, and the Mom" (three faces of Occupy Seattle-with photos)

"Their high-risk derivatives almost bankrupted the world."

Posted by Eli Sanders on Sat, Oct 15, 2011 at 6:00 PM-Interviews by Cienna Madrid(SLOG):

Brandon Whitehead, 38

Actor
Second day of protesting

"They do hate me. My American dream is different from theirs. I dream of regulating Wall Street, of affordable housing and medicare for everyone. And they hate me for it. Their high-risk derivatives almost bankrupted the world. I want marriage equality. No more war. I want to see an end to corporate tax loopholes and the notion that corporations are people. I want to encourage people to vote, not discourage them. I want a strong and educated middle class. And because of that, they hate me."

• "Higher education is too expensive."

Spencer Alexander, 23
Ecology student at Evergreen State College in Olympia
First day of protesting

"I’d like to see a change in the food system. There are a lot of people in Olympia every day wondering—trying to figure out—where their next meal is coming from. And a lot of them end up eating less than optimal meals—processed foods that are unhealthy. Also, higher education is too expensive and it narrows down who has access to information and a good future. There are a lot of dreams left unfulfilled."

• "Our founding fathers warned us about corporations."

Denise Henrikson, 46
Contractor for the US Department of Labor, and a mom
Third day of protesting

"The bankers are paying for our politicians—they dictate our national and global policies. The politicians are sucking up to bankers. Our founding fathers warned us about corporations. They tried to prevent this mess. We have to get their money out of politics—it would change everything."