Occupy Texas State
Encyclopedia
Occupy Texas State is a student activist group out of Texas State University - San Marcos. It is distinguished from the off-campus but allied Occupy San Marcos.
Occupy Texas State utilizes the principles of peaceful protest that began on October 5, 2011 in the Quad around the "Fighting Stallions". It is affiliated with both the Occupy Colleges and Occupy Wall Street
movements that began in Los Angeles, California and New York City, New York respectively.
The series of protests and demonstrations put forth by Occupy Texas State are the largest to occur on the campus since November of 1969 when about 70 students at the then named Southwest Texas State University gathered in the Quad to hold a peaceful demonstration against the Vietnam War
. The 1969 demonstrations resulted in ten students referred to as the "San Marcos Ten" being expelled from the university and went before the US Supreme Court in 1970 which led to the creation of "Free Speech Zones" at several universities nationwide.
The group was founded by Joshua Christopher Harvey, a US Air Force veteran, Leo Gomez Jr., Matthew Molnar and Laura Cowan.
The group's motto is "Student activism for higher education reform" and they plan to "implement change to improve the quality of education and reduce educational cost inequality for not only Texas State University students – but students across the state of Texas and the nation". They plan to highlight cuts to student grants and highlight the problems posed by the current student loan
system.
Solidarity Statement
We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who occupy Wall Street as well as our peers who occupy campuses across the country and the world. We stand in a tradition of peaceful protest inspired by the San Marcos Ten in 1969. We are dedicated to non-violently reclaiming control of our governments from the financial interests that have corrupted them. We demand that our public servants recognize that the people are the supreme authority. We demand the return of funding to both public education and higher education by the State of Texas and seek to return student involvement to government from the collegiate level and university affaires to the national level.
The following are the Core Values as ratified by the Occupy Texas State General Assembly
Core Values
We are committed to resisting the monied corruption of our democracy.
We are committed to non-violent forms of resistance – including peaceful civil disobedience if necessary.
We are committed to engaging students through teach-ins and demonstrations.
We are committed to finding corrupt sources of funding to our university as well as exposing gross mismanagement and application of funding on the part of the university.
We are committed in demanding the return of funding to grants and scholarships sponsored by the state of Texas.
The General Assembly for Occupy Texas State also ratified a "Declaration of Occupation" which was modeled after the Declaration of Occupation by The New York General Assembly . The Declaration of Occupation for Texas State states in part:
We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments and corrupt our systems of education.
The declaration goes on to list grievances:
. The call was put out by the newly formed Occupy Colleges group based in Los Angeles, California They held the quad for several hours and at one time brought about 1,000 students, faculty and staff to a complete standstill as they chanted. University PD were called to the scene but maintained distance.
On October 11th, Occupy Texas State holds its first informal General Assembly to discuss participating in a solidarity protest on the 13th of October.
On October 13th around 40 to 50 students gathered to rally in the Quad in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street
. Occupy Texas State received national attention when the events were covered in The Huffington Post
and Inside Higher Ed
. The students marched from the "Fighting Stallions" sculpture to the Hays County Courthouse
in downtown San Marcos, Texas
.
On October 19th, Occupy Texas State launches the website Texas State: Occupied.
in a coordinated demonstration with the city of Oakland. About two hundred Occupy Austin protestors gathered with candles and marched silently from Austin City Hall to the Texas capitol building in downtown Austin.
On November 1st The College Republicans
of Texas State University hold an "Occupy Occupy Wall Street" protest to counter protest Occupy Texas State and mock the Occupy Movement
in general.
On the evening of November 1st Occupy Texas State sponsored a candlelight vigil
for Scott Olsen a former Marine
and Iraq War veteran, and a member of Veterans for Peace
who suffered a skull fracture caused by a projectile fired by the police at Occupy Oakland
on October 25, 2011. The students marched in silence to and from the Quad at the university to the Hays County Courthouse
.
, the Texas State Employees Union/CWA, The American Federation of Teachers
the ISO
and the Texas AFL-CIO gathered at the Texas State Capitol
to rally against the Texas Legislature
' $6.6 billion cut on public education . The events we coordinated to fall on the two-month anniversary of Occupy Wall Street.
On November 17th Occupy Texas State organizer Joshua Christopher Harvey and University of Texas at Austin
student Eslerh O. Gomez form the United Communities Action Coalition to unify members of Occupy San Marcos, Occupy Austin
, Occupy UT
, Occupy The Hood, The Texas Branch of the ISO
as well as local churches and grassroots organizations to commit to working together on social projects that improve local communities in Central Texas
. Their first event is planned for December 5th when they plan to march into East Austin for a day of community service. (Citation Needed).
On December 7th Occupy Texas State held a Ratification Day event where the constitution was put up for a final approval before being ratified. A social to celebrate was held after.
Other U.S. protests
Other international protests
Related articles
Occupy Texas State utilizes the principles of peaceful protest that began on October 5, 2011 in the Quad around the "Fighting Stallions". It is affiliated with both the Occupy Colleges and Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
movements that began in Los Angeles, California and New York City, New York respectively.
The series of protests and demonstrations put forth by Occupy Texas State are the largest to occur on the campus since November of 1969 when about 70 students at the then named Southwest Texas State University gathered in the Quad to hold a peaceful demonstration against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The 1969 demonstrations resulted in ten students referred to as the "San Marcos Ten" being expelled from the university and went before the US Supreme Court in 1970 which led to the creation of "Free Speech Zones" at several universities nationwide.
Background and History
The original intent of Occupy Texas State was to denounce the role that large corporations had in promulgating the financial crisis and to highlight the effects of the financial crisis on higher education. The protesters at Texas State University, as in other movements throughout the world, have described themselves as the "99 percent," a reflection of their belief that the financial system rewards the richest 1 percent at the expense of everyone else.The group was founded by Joshua Christopher Harvey, a US Air Force veteran, Leo Gomez Jr., Matthew Molnar and Laura Cowan.
The group's motto is "Student activism for higher education reform" and they plan to "implement change to improve the quality of education and reduce educational cost inequality for not only Texas State University students – but students across the state of Texas and the nation". They plan to highlight cuts to student grants and highlight the problems posed by the current student loan
Student loan
A student loan is designed to help students pay for university tuition, books, and living expenses. It may differ from other types of loans in that the interest rate may be substantially lower and the repayment schedule may be deferred while the student is still in education...
system.
Mission and Values
The following mission and values were ratified by the Occupy Texas State General Assembly:Solidarity Statement
We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who occupy Wall Street as well as our peers who occupy campuses across the country and the world. We stand in a tradition of peaceful protest inspired by the San Marcos Ten in 1969. We are dedicated to non-violently reclaiming control of our governments from the financial interests that have corrupted them. We demand that our public servants recognize that the people are the supreme authority. We demand the return of funding to both public education and higher education by the State of Texas and seek to return student involvement to government from the collegiate level and university affaires to the national level.
The following are the Core Values as ratified by the Occupy Texas State General Assembly
Core Values
We are committed to resisting the monied corruption of our democracy.
We are committed to non-violent forms of resistance – including peaceful civil disobedience if necessary.
We are committed to engaging students through teach-ins and demonstrations.
We are committed to finding corrupt sources of funding to our university as well as exposing gross mismanagement and application of funding on the part of the university.
We are committed in demanding the return of funding to grants and scholarships sponsored by the state of Texas.
The General Assembly for Occupy Texas State also ratified a "Declaration of Occupation" which was modeled after the Declaration of Occupation by The New York General Assembly . The Declaration of Occupation for Texas State states in part:
We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments and corrupt our systems of education.
The declaration goes on to list grievances:
- They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
- They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
- They have turned education into a business while reducing our national marketability to attract companies, which could offer us jobs.
- They have increased our tuition rates by an average of 63% across the state, increasing our dependence on loans.
- They have proposed to reduced grants for higher education by over 40% and have begun this implementation causing economic uncertainty for the university and students alike.
- They have shipped jobs overseas while laying off our parents, who have sacrificed decades to their companies.
- They have hijacked our political system and influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.
- They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
- They have donated large sums of money to politicians, who are responsible for regulating them.
- They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media. Which serves to do nothing but make us a lost generation incapable of critical thinking.
Week 1 (October 5–11)
On October 5th, around fifty students walked out of class in a show of student solidarity with Occupy Wall StreetOccupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
. The call was put out by the newly formed Occupy Colleges group based in Los Angeles, California They held the quad for several hours and at one time brought about 1,000 students, faculty and staff to a complete standstill as they chanted. University PD were called to the scene but maintained distance.
On October 11th, Occupy Texas State holds its first informal General Assembly to discuss participating in a solidarity protest on the 13th of October.
Week 2 (October 12–18)
On October 12th Occupy Texas state hosts and informal work group to gather supplies and make signs for the protest on the 13th.On October 13th around 40 to 50 students gathered to rally in the Quad in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street
. Occupy Texas State received national attention when the events were covered in The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
and Inside Higher Ed
Inside Higher Ed
Inside Higher Ed is a daily online publication focused on college and university topics, based in Washington, D.C., USA.The publication was founded in 2004 by Kathlene Collins, formerly a business manager for The Chronicle of Higher Education, and two former top editors of The Chronicle, Scott...
. The students marched from the "Fighting Stallions" sculpture to the Hays County Courthouse
Hays County Courthouse
The Hays County Courthouse is an historic courthouse located in San Marcos, Hays County, Texas. It was built in the Classical Revival style in 1908. It is recognized by both the National Register of Historic Places and Texas Historical Commission....
in downtown San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio....
.
Week 3 (October 19–25)
On October 19th, Occupy Texas State holds its first formal General Assembly where it discusses its future plans, seeking sponsorship and lays the foundations for working with local businesses and school administration.On October 19th, Occupy Texas State launches the website Texas State: Occupied.
Week 4 (October 26– November 1)
On October 27th representatives Matthew Molnar, Lindsey Huckaby, Joshua Christopher Harvey, Rex Pape and Clifton MacAlbrecht of Occupy Texas State united marched with Occupy AustinOccupy Austin
Occupy Austin is an occupation and peaceful protest that began on October 6, 2011 at City Hall in Austin, Texas. It is affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City, and also with the "Occupy" protests in the United States and around the world...
in a coordinated demonstration with the city of Oakland. About two hundred Occupy Austin protestors gathered with candles and marched silently from Austin City Hall to the Texas capitol building in downtown Austin.
On November 1st The College Republicans
College Republicans
The College Republican National Committee is a national organization for college and university students who support the Republican Party of the United States...
of Texas State University hold an "Occupy Occupy Wall Street" protest to counter protest Occupy Texas State and mock the Occupy Movement
Occupy movement
The Occupy movement is an international protest movement which is primarily directed against economic and social inequality. The first Occupy protest to be widely covered was Occupy Wall Street in New York City, taking place on September 17, 2011...
in general.
On the evening of November 1st Occupy Texas State sponsored a candlelight vigil
Candlelight vigil
A candlelight vigil is an outdoor assembly of people carrying candles, held after sunset. Such events are typically held either to protest the suffering of some marginalized group of people, or in memory of lives lost to some disease, disaster, massacre or other tragedy. In the latter case, the...
for Scott Olsen a former Marine
Marine
Marine may refer to:* Marine , a member of the military in an infantry or amphibious force under the authority of a navy, or in several cases, of an independent amphibious force...
and Iraq War veteran, and a member of Veterans for Peace
Veterans for Peace
Veterans For Peace is a United States organization founded in 1985. Made up of male and female US military veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and other conflicts, as well as peacetime veterans, the group works to promote alternatives to war.-Foundation:The...
who suffered a skull fracture caused by a projectile fired by the police at Occupy Oakland
Occupy Oakland
Occupy Oakland is a series of demonstrations including the occupation of public spaces that began in downtown Oakland at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in front of Oakland City Hall in Oakland, California on October 10, 2011. It is allied with the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York City and is one of...
on October 25, 2011. The students marched in silence to and from the Quad at the university to the Hays County Courthouse
Week 5 (November 2- 8)
Between November 2nd through the 5th members of Occupy Texas State participate in Bank Transfer activities culminating on November 5th with Bank Transfer DayBank Transfer Day
Bank Transfer Day is a consumer activism initiative calling for a voluntary switch from commercial banks to not-for-profit credit unions by November 5, 2011. As of October 15, 2011, a Facebook page devoted to the effort had drawn more than 54,900 "likes"...
.
Week 6 (November 9- 15)
On October 11th Occupy Texas State meets with possible sponsors in the Philosophy Department of the university and secures a sponsorship for 2012.Week 7 (November 16- 22)
On November 17th Occupy Texas State, Occupy AustinOccupy Austin
Occupy Austin is an occupation and peaceful protest that began on October 6, 2011 at City Hall in Austin, Texas. It is affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City, and also with the "Occupy" protests in the United States and around the world...
, the Texas State Employees Union/CWA, The American Federation of Teachers
American Federation of Teachers
The American Federation of Teachers is an American labor union founded in 1916 that represents teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; local, state and federal employees; higher education faculty and staff, and nurses and other healthcare professionals...
the ISO
International Socialist Organization
The International Socialist Organization is a revolutionary socialist organization in the United States that identifies with the politics of International Socialism, a current of Trotskyism, and the Marxist political tradition that American socialist writer and activist Hal Draper called...
and the Texas AFL-CIO gathered at the Texas State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
to rally against the Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
' $6.6 billion cut on public education . The events we coordinated to fall on the two-month anniversary of Occupy Wall Street.
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
On November 17th Occupy Texas State organizer Joshua Christopher Harvey and University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
student Eslerh O. Gomez form the United Communities Action Coalition to unify members of Occupy San Marcos, Occupy Austin
Occupy Austin
Occupy Austin is an occupation and peaceful protest that began on October 6, 2011 at City Hall in Austin, Texas. It is affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City, and also with the "Occupy" protests in the United States and around the world...
, Occupy UT
UT
ut is Latin for "that" or "as" or "when"UT, U.T., or ut may stand for or refer to* UT , an adult humour comic published in the UK* Ultrasonic testing...
, Occupy The Hood, The Texas Branch of the ISO
International Socialist Organization
The International Socialist Organization is a revolutionary socialist organization in the United States that identifies with the politics of International Socialism, a current of Trotskyism, and the Marxist political tradition that American socialist writer and activist Hal Draper called...
as well as local churches and grassroots organizations to commit to working together on social projects that improve local communities in Central Texas
Central Texas
Central Texas , is a region in the U.S. state of Texas. It is roughly bordered by San Marcos to Fredericksburg to Waco, and to Brenham, and includes the Austin–Round Rock, Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, Bryan-College Station, and Waco metropolitan areas...
. Their first event is planned for December 5th when they plan to march into East Austin for a day of community service. (Citation Needed).
Week 9 (November 30-December 7
On November 30th a constitution was drafted. The week was declared a Constitutional Convention Week as constitution made an open document and changes and modification could be made by any member of the group.On December 7th Occupy Texas State held a Ratification Day event where the constitution was put up for a final approval before being ratified. A social to celebrate was held after.
See also
Related articles- Bank Transfer DayBank Transfer DayBank Transfer Day is a consumer activism initiative calling for a voluntary switch from commercial banks to not-for-profit credit unions by November 5, 2011. As of October 15, 2011, a Facebook page devoted to the effort had drawn more than 54,900 "likes"...
- Corruption Perceptions IndexCorruption Perceptions IndexSince 1995, Transparency International publishes the Corruption Perceptions Index annually ranking countries "by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." The CPI generally defines corruption as "the misuse of public power for private...
- Economic Inequality In The United States
- Empowered democracyEmpowered democracyEmpowered democracy is an alternative form of social-democratic arrangements developed by philosopher and politician Roberto Mangabeira Unger. Theorized in response to the repressiveness and rigidity of contemporary liberal democratic society, the theory of empowered democracy envisions a more open...
- Grassroots movementGrassrootsA grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
- Impact of the Arab Spring
- Income inequality in the United StatesIncome inequality in the United StatesIncome inequality in the United States of America refers to the extent to which income is distributed in an uneven manner in the US. Data from the United States Department of Commerce, CBO, and Internal Revenue Service indicate that income inequality among households has been increasing...
- List of countries by distribution of wealth
- List of countries by income equality
- PlutocracyPlutocracyPlutocracy is rule by the wealthy, or power provided by wealth. The combination of both plutocracy and oligarchy is called plutarchy. The word plutocracy is derived from the Ancient Greek root ploutos, meaning wealth and kratos, meaning to rule or to govern.-Usage:The term plutocracy is generally...
- Timeline of Occupy Wall StreetTimeline of Occupy Wall StreetThe following is a timeline of Occupy Wall Street which began on Saturday, September 17, 2011 as an occupation of Wall Street, the financial district of New York City and is an ongoing demonstration....
- Wealth inequality in the United StatesWealth inequality in the United StatesWealth inequality in the United States, also known as the "wealth gap", refers to the unequal distribution of financial assets among residents of the United States. Wealth includes the values of homes, automobiles, businesses, savings, and investments. Those who acquire a great deal of financial...
- We are the 99%
Other U.S. protests
- Occupy Wall StreetOccupy Wall StreetOccupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
- 2011 United States public employee protests2011 United States public employee protestsIn February 2011, a series of public employee protests began in the United States against proposed legislation which would weaken the power of labor unions. By March, eighteen states had proposed legislation which would remove some collective bargaining powers from unions, along with another five...
- 2011 Wisconsin protests2011 Wisconsin protestsThe 2011 Wisconsin protests were a series of demonstrations in the state of Wisconsin in the United States beginning in February involving at its zenith as many as 100,000 protestors opposing the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill. Subsequently, anti-tax activists and other conservatives, including tea...
Other international protests
- 15 October 2011 global protests15 October 2011 global protestsThe 15 October 2011 global protests were part of a series of protests inspired by the Arab Spring, the Spanish "Indignants", the Greek Protests and the Occupy movement. Global demonstrations were held on October 15 in more than 950 cities 82 countries. The date was chosen to coincide with the 5...
- 2010–2011 Greek protests2010–2011 Greek protestsThe 2010–2011 Greek protests are an ongoing series of demonstrations and general strikes taking place across Greece. The protests, which began on 5 May 2010, were sparked by plans to cut public spending and raise taxes as austerity measures in exchange for a bail-out, aimed at solving the...
- 2011 Chilean protests2011 Chilean protestsThe 2011 Chilean protests,Chilean Winter or Chilean Education Conflict are a series of ongoing student-led protests across Chile, demanding a new framework for education in Chile, including more direct state participation in secondary education and an end to the existence of profit...
- 2011 Israeli social justice protests2011 Israeli social justice protestsThe 2011 Israeli social justice protests , which are also referred to by various other names in the media, are a series of ongoing demonstrations in Israel beginning in July 2011 involving hundreds of thousands of protesters from a variety of socio-economic and religious backgrounds opposing the...
- 2011 United Kingdom anti-austerity protests2011 United Kingdom anti-austerity protestsThe 2011 United Kingdom anti-austerity protests were a series of anti-austerity protests that took place in the United Kingdom in early 2011...
and 2010 UK student protests2010 UK student protestsThe 2010 UK student protests were a series of demonstrations that began in November 2010 in several areas of the United Kingdom, with the focal point of protests centred in London. The initial event was the largest student protest in the UK since the Labour government first proposed the Teaching... - Iceland Kitchenware Revolution
- Spanish 15M Indignants movement2011 Spanish protestsThe 2011 Spanish protests, also referred to as the 15-M Movement and the Indignants movement, are a series of ongoing demonstrations in Spain whose origin can be traced to social networks and Real Democracy NOW among other civilian digital platforms and 200 other small associations...
Related articles
- Bank Transfer DayBank Transfer DayBank Transfer Day is a consumer activism initiative calling for a voluntary switch from commercial banks to not-for-profit credit unions by November 5, 2011. As of October 15, 2011, a Facebook page devoted to the effort had drawn more than 54,900 "likes"...
- Corruption Perceptions IndexCorruption Perceptions IndexSince 1995, Transparency International publishes the Corruption Perceptions Index annually ranking countries "by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." The CPI generally defines corruption as "the misuse of public power for private...
- Economic inequalityEconomic inequalityEconomic inequality comprises all disparities in the distribution of economic assets and income. The term typically refers to inequality among individuals and groups within a society, but can also refer to inequality among countries. The issue of economic inequality is related to the ideas of...
- Grassroots movementGrassrootsA grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
- Impact of the Arab Spring
- Income inequality in the United StatesIncome inequality in the United StatesIncome inequality in the United States of America refers to the extent to which income is distributed in an uneven manner in the US. Data from the United States Department of Commerce, CBO, and Internal Revenue Service indicate that income inequality among households has been increasing...
- List of countries by distribution of wealth
- List of countries by income equality
- PlutocracyPlutocracyPlutocracy is rule by the wealthy, or power provided by wealth. The combination of both plutocracy and oligarchy is called plutarchy. The word plutocracy is derived from the Ancient Greek root ploutos, meaning wealth and kratos, meaning to rule or to govern.-Usage:The term plutocracy is generally...
- Wealth inequality in the United StatesWealth inequality in the United StatesWealth inequality in the United States, also known as the "wealth gap", refers to the unequal distribution of financial assets among residents of the United States. Wealth includes the values of homes, automobiles, businesses, savings, and investments. Those who acquire a great deal of financial...