Materialism in Todays Society Essay -- Consumerism America Capitalism

Materialism in Today's Society Have you ever sat down and really thought about how much you value your possessions? Do you value your belongings more than you value friends, family, love, or yourself? The truth is that obsession with possessions has become a way of life in today's society. Materialism has been defined as the theory or doctrine that physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life. (Heritage Dictionary, 3rd ed.) This means that we look to possessions to bring us happiness. We then use these possessions to make things and people behave or respond the way we desire. We have become so successful at fabricating and manipulating the world that we have come to believe that altering our surroundings is the way to solve all of our problems. We go through life contemplating that inner well-being depends on what we have or do. Due to these assumptions, materialism now carries the status that people?s religion, occupations, and bloodlines used to carry (Twitchell 1999). We identify ourselves and others by what we wear, what we have, and what brands we sport. Our unrestrained consumption ascends the unlimited number of goods and merchandise available (Twitchell 1999). As the quantity and variety of products grow Materialism in Today?s Society 3 larger, so does the demand for these products, thus resulting in mass branding. A brand is a product name or logo, that when consumers become familiar with, immediately brings to mind a specific product or service (Pavitt 5).We, as humans, want to fit in so we wear and use certain brand names because of the status we gain from them. Everywhere we look, there are dozens of newspapers, magazines, billboards, and televis... ...e. Materialism has been found to help us deal with life and problems and help us escape from all the issues of the real world? Just like a drug, material objects, luxury, and all the finer things bring us happiness and fulfillment. This is why I have come to believe that materialism has become more of a way of life for people in today?s society. References Boston, Gabriella (2003). Designed to Fit In; Teen Fashion Defined by Peer Pressure. (The Washington Times, D01). Bothelo, Greg (2002). The Brand Name Game. (CNN New York, Dec. 05, 2005). Pavitt, Jane. Brand. New. (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2000). Russel, Peter (2000). Waking Up in Time, Materialism- An Addictive Meme. Kulman, Linda (2000) Our Consuming Interest. (U.S. News and World Report, 2000). Plasticsurgeryresearch.info. Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Research. (2002-2003).

Debt in Australia, Monetary Policy Essay

Introduction It is imperative that the Australian households’ debt have noticeably risen over the past two decades, and is currently rated high according to international standards. The sharp increase in housing debt has been the reason for the rise in the household debt. Increased availability of housing finance, strong demand for debt from investors, and lower interest rates are the main drivers of the rising housing debt. The households’ net worth and servicing ratios will be discussed in this paper as the impacts on the higher household debt levels. The impacts of the instability in global capital markets will be discussed in this paper in relation to the housing finance market in Australia. Lastly, the implications of the rising household debt will be discussed in relation to the financial stability and monetary policy. Trends in household debt It is important to note that Australian households had a fairly stable ratio of debt to disposable income at approximately 45% during the 1980s. However, rapid rise in the ratio of debt to disposable income was recorded since 1990, with it reaching optimum of 157% in December 2007. The bulk of the increase was accounted for by the housing debt, that is, over the period, the ratio of the housing debt to disposable income rose to 134% from 31%. It was also recorded over the same period, a rise in the ratio of personal debt to disposable income to 22% from 13%. A sharp rise in the ratio of debts to assets was recorded at 17% in December 2007, from 8% in December 1989 (Wilkins & Wooden, 2009). A sharp rise in household indebtedness in a number of advanced economies has been witnessed over the last two decades. It is however, noted that the increase in household debt in Australia is pronounced. The Australia’s ratio in household debt to income was recorded as the highest in December 2007 despite Australia recording as one of the countries with the household debt lowest ratio to disposable income among advanced economies in the late 1980s. It is also imperative to point out that among advanced economies; Australia rose from the bottom position to the middle number in terms of the ratio of household debt to assets over the same period (Berry & Dalton, 2009). Housing finance market Focus on the housing finance market is emphasized in this paper because the housing debt in households’ total debt is dominant. An average of 15% in the annual growth in housing debt was recorded since 1990. In the periods, 1988-1989, 1994, and 2002-2004 strong growth in housing debt was recorded. This strong growth in the growth in housing debt was faster than the growth in the disposable income of households over the same period that stood at an average of 6% only (Berry & Dalton, 2009). Significant growth in house prices accompanied the sharp increase in the housing debt. Over the period 1987 and 1988, the house prices doubled, however, during the first half of the 1990s the house prices drifted slowly higher, with the house prices doubling more between 1997 and late 2003. Continuous increase in aggregate house prices was recorded since late 2003; however, the trend varies markedly across the country, for instance, house prices in Perth increased strongly, while the house prices in Sydney decreased over time. The boom in resources supports the varied trends in house prices across the country (Berry & Dalton, 2009). A number of factors accounts to the rising house debt in Australia over the past years, with lower interest rates accounting for high borrowing by the households whenever they take their housing loan out. This trend has been responsible for the rise in the average size of new loans, which results into the rise in the average size of outstanding loans over time. The availability of housing finance has resulted into the rise in the capacity of households to borrow finances (Wilkins & Wooden, 2009). Financial health of households It is noted that the historic sharp increase in the Australia’s disposable income in December 2007 was accounted by the strong rise in the housing debt in Australia over the past fifteen years. It was however, pointed out that only a few households had difficulties in repaying their debt obligations, despite the historic sharp increase in the housing debt in December 2007 (Berry & Dalton, 2009). Impact of the turbulence in global capital market It is significant to note that the housing finance market in Australia has suffered greatly as a result of the global capital markets’ turbulence. This is because half of the total funding for financial institutions in Australia is accounted for by the deposits. The foreign and domestic capital markets the balance in the Australian financial institutions. There has been significant rise in the mortgage rates, and significant change in the markets shares from lenders, due to this, there is limited restriction to the overall supply of housing finance (Berry & Dalton, 2009). Significant reduction in some forms of capital market funding as well as significant rise in the most of the forms of capital market funding have resulted from the turbulence in the financial market. It is however, noted that the impact of the financial market turbulence have been felt in a number of securitization markets. Securitization markets over the past decade or so, have established itself into as a significant source of funding for housing loans in Australia. In mid 2007 for example, outstanding securitization housing finance loans had accounted for 23% (Wilkins & Wooden, 2009). This was a significant rise from the mid 1990s 5% housing finance loans that were securitized. A number of loans from mortgage originators were being securitized. Institutions like credit union, regional banks, and building societies had adopted securitization of their loans since it was a cost effective way of wholesale funding (Wilkins & Wooden, 2009). The onset of the global financial turbulence in July 2007, led to significant close of the securitization market. There were significant rise prime residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) to 75 basis points in December 2007 from approximately 15 basis points in mid-2007. It is imperative to point out that Australia’s Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) accounted for the issuance of a number of Australian Asset-backed Securities (ABS) that extends on AAA-rated senior tranches (Berry & Dalton, 2009). There was significant spread in the subordinated AAA-rated tranches that increased to approximately 110 basis points from approximately 20 basis points. It is significant to point out that despite the sharp increase in the spreads, investors in Australia has never encountered losses on rated Australian RMBS, coupled with the housing market in Australia remaining healthy. The investors have become more concerned with the product itself, as discounts are attached to all the sales of securitized products. The selling of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) by several structured investment vehicles (SIVs) has also created excess supply in the secondary market (Berry & Dalton, 2009). Implications for financial stability and monetary policy It significant to point out the access to credit by the household sector has greatly increased courtesy of financial innovation and deregulation. The households in Australia have become more comfortable to take loans owing to the ongoing strong performance of the economy (Berry & Dalton, 2009). Â  The balance sheets of households have remained in good health despite the significant rise in the household debt; this has resulted into significant rise in asset-value capable of offsetting the rise in debt. It is also significant to note that macroeconomic conditions in the economy are also favorable. Â   References Berry, M., & Dalton, T. (2009). Mortgage default in Australia nature, causes and social and economic impacts. Melbourne: AHURI. Wilkins, R., & Wooden, M. (2009). Household Debt In Australia: The Looming Crisis That Isn’t. Australian Economic Review , 42(3), 358-366. Â   Â  

How to Use the French Expression Cest la Vie

The very old, very common French idiomatic expression Cest la vie,  pronounced  say la vee, has been around the world and back as a mainstay in dozens of cultures. In France, its still used in the same sense as always, as a sort of restrained, slightly fatalistic lamentation that this is how life is and theres not much you can do about it. It seems natural that this expression is often said with a shrug of the shoulders and a bemused, but furrowed brow. In English, it is translated as Thats life, and Such is life.  A vulgar slang equivalent in English would be Sh-- happens. Non-French Speakers Prefer the French Original The French Cest la vie, surprisingly,  is preferred in non-French cultures, and Cest la vie is used far more in English than in French. But  unlike many expressions  that English speakers have borrowed from French, the meaning is the same in both languages. Cest la vie,  even in English,  is a sad, Chaplin-esque acknowledgment  that something less than ideal must be accepted because thats just the way life is. Here is an exchange highlighting the fatalism inherent in this expression: Il a perdu son boulot et sa maison le mà ªme jour, tu te rends compte  ?   He lost his job and his home the same day. Can you imagine?Cest la vie !  Ã‚   Cest la vie! / Thats life! Variations on the Theme, Some Good, Some Not Cest la guerre Thats war. Cest la vie, cest la guerre, cest la pomme de terre. Thats life, thats war, thats the potato. (Only English speakers use this strange saying.) In French, Cest la vie can also be used non-fatalistically. As such,  the emphasis is on the  presentative cest introducing la vie and the idea that were talking about something thats essential to life or a particular way of life, as in:Leau, cest la vie.   Water is life. Cest la vie de famille qui me manque.   Its family life that I miss. Vivre dans le besoin, cest la vie dartiste.   Living in poverty is the life of an artist. Related Expressions Cest la vie de chà ¢teau (pourvu que à §a dure).   This is the good  life. Live it up (while it lasts). Cest la belle vie ! This is the life! La vie est dure ! Life is hard! Cest la bonne. Its the right one. Cest la  Bà ©rà ©zina. Its bitter defeat / a lost cause. La vie en rose Life through rose-colored glasses La  vie  nest  pas en rose. Life is not so beautiful. Cest  la  zone ! Its a pit here! Cest la vie, mon pauvre vieux  ! Thats life, my friend! Alternate Versions of Cest la Vie Bref, cest la vie ! Anyway, thats life! Cest  la  vie.  / Cest  comme cela. /  La  vie  est  ainsi faite. Life is life. Cest  la  vie.  / On ny peut rien. / Cest  comme à §a.   Ã‚  Thats the way the ball bounces. / Thats the way the cookie crumbles Examples of Usage Je sais que cest frustrant, mais  cest la vie.​   I know it is frustrating, but thats life.   C’est la vie, c’est de la comà ©die et c’est aussi du cinà ©ma.  Ã‚  Thats life, thats comedy, and thats  cinema, too. Alors il ny a rien à   faire. Cest la vie! Theres nothing to be done then. Cest la vie!

My Love, A Nigerian Movie - 969 Words

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The Negative Effects of Illegal Immigration - 2000 Words

The Negative Effects of Illegal Immigration â€Å"An immigrant is a person who legally comes to a country to take up permanent residence. An â€Å"illegal† immigrant is a person who does so without following the established legal procedures of the destination country and who resides in that country without proper visas or other documents.† (source 1)Illegal immigration is changing the lives of many Americans today, and although all illegal immigrants are not bad and are not here by choice, or to hurt anyone, it still affects us each and every day. Illegal immigration has been a problem for many years, and it seems as if it is impossible to control, but according to former mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York it can be controlled. Giuliani stated†¦show more content†¦Many immigrants come here and participate in drug activity, human trafficking, prostitution, car theft, aggravated assault, the list could go on.( source 3) This is outrageous. 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The Marketing Analysis of Retail and Super Market Chain @Tesco

Question: Describe about the market analysis for TESCO PLC, which is one of the leading retail and super market chain in the world? Answer: Executive Summary This assignment reflects the market analysis for TESCO PLC, which is one of the leading retail and super market chain in the world. The main objective is to find out the market position of Tesco in relation to the other competitors in the market. The article uses the SWOT Analysis technique to identify the market position of the company. In order to frame a definite growth strategy of the company, the Ansoffs Matrix is used. The summary attempts to cover the broad aspect of marketing for Tesco in every respect. Here the four Ps of marketing that is Product, Price, Place and Promotion are discussed in details which will highlight the various marketing approaches of the company and about its goals and objectives. The summary encompasses the relative market share of Tesco and what are the main competitors. 1. Introduction Tesco Plc is a leading retailing company based in England. It was founded in 1919 at Hackney, London, England. Mr. Jack Cohen is the founder of the company. It serves across several countries of the world like China, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Ireland, Poland, Malaysia, Slovakia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, United States of America and in the United Kingdom. The company has its headquarters in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire in England. It is currently the third largest retailing company in the world as per the profits and the second largest in terms of the revenues (Arslan et al. 2014). It was primarily a grocery retailer. Later on it diversified its operations into other products like electronics, apparels, books, toys, furniture, software, petrol, telecommunications, financial services and internet related services. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange. The market capitalization was approximately 20.5 billion as on 4th August 2014 (Wang et al. 2014). Fig. 1 : Logo of Tesco Plc ( Source: tescoplc.com) 2. Market analysis for Tesco Plc This section consists of all the market related information of Tesco. Here the details of market share, competitor analysis and growth planning are given. 2.1 Current market share of Tesco Plc As per the Kantar Worldpanel, the market share of Tescos grocery market in the UK in the twelve weeks up to 18th March 2012 was 30.2% (Soberman et al. 2013). It went down from 30.6% in the twelve weeks up to 18th March 2011. This shortfall was due to the entry of the other competitors in the market. Tescos market share fell further in 2014 due to the entry of the rival companies in the retail sector. As of 2014, the market share of Tesco was reduced to 28.7%. Supermarket Market Share as on March 2012 Increase or decrease from March 2011 Tesco 30.20% decreased by 0.4% Asda 17.90% increased by 0.6% Sainsbury's 16.60% 0.00% Morrisons 12.30% 0.00% The Co-operative Food 6.90% decreased by 0.4% Figure 2: It shows the relative market share of Tesco with respect to the competitors for the year 2012. (Source: Barei et al. 2014, pp-280) 2.2 SWOT Analysis to assess the competitive position of Tesco The competitor analysis and what are the opportunities and drawbacks for Tesco, is depicted with the help of the SWOT Analysis (Bokek-Cohen, 2014). The strengths and weaknesses are related to the internal factors while the opportunities and threats are related to the external environment. The analysis is as follows: Strengths Tesco is one of the top retailers in the world. It falls under the top 100 most valued brands of the world. It is above eBay in the listing. It offers value for money services and products. All over the world, there are 6,784 stores of Tesco (Filipovic, 2013). The number increased by 433 additional stores from 2012. The company has always used innovation in its operations. It created stores like Tesco Metro and Tesco Express. These are small stores located in the neighborhood to make it easy for the customers to shop. To name the other strengths of the company are online shopping, different joint ventures with brands of the international market as for example in China. The company also did local recruitments including some of the senior management positions. The sheer size and availability of the various facilities help Tesco to purchase from the market in bulk, thereby gaining economies of scale. This helps the company to keep the prices of its products low and compete with the othe r retail giants like Asda or Sainsburys. The company has also innovated various loyalty packages for the customers such as the Clubcard. This helps Tesco immensely in attracting the customers and also to retain them in order to build a long term relationship with them (Jensen, 2013). Weaknesses Tesco has slowly emerged as one of the leading retailers with a variety of products. Starting from grocery, it slowly diversified into other products like books, garments, petrol, furniture, financial services and others (Jung, 2014). This can lead to some weakness in the company. The profit of Tesco has been adversely affected due to series of bad debts arising out of credit card issuances and several household insurance claims. Another weakness is its lack of knowledge and experience in few of the sectors where it intends to explore, such as its own branded smart phones and tablets. There is plenty of scope of development in investments in IT and web technologies (Kalenskaya, 2015). Opportunities The opportunities for Tesco are plenty in the market, such as entering into the digital entertainment section (Kashif et al. 2015).They have invested 80% in Blinkbox. The aim of the company to promote their own branded smart phones and tablets can intervene with this investment, especially in foreign markets like Thailand, China, Malaysia and South Korea. Their online shopping will help customers to order products and services from the comfort of their homes. If the market is hit by recession, then also, the customers can buy products at reasonable prices offered by Tesco (Hassan et al. 2015). There is plenty of opportunity to expand the operations into international market also like in Australia. This is because in Australia, there is very limited competition in the grocery market compared to the other parts of the world. In spite of this the retail sector is immensely price sensitive. Threats There are many threats to Tesco from the domestic and international market. The current position of Tesco as the largest retailer in UK retail makes it the target of the rivals like Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons and others. Tesco has so far successfully resisted the takeover of Asda by Walmart (Kursunluoglu, 2014). In the UK, the branding of stores such as Asda Walmart has been on the rise. This shows the ominous signs of Walmarts shadow looming large on Tesco. Ranking at the ninth position in the most valued brand in the world, Walmart is the largest rival of Tesco globally (Li, 2013).Walmart has all the necessary resources like skills, experience and funds to impose a direct threat to Tesco. The adverse effects of planned towns in todays world, the customers dislike to go to stores which are located out of town and the Governments concern for the livelihood of people working in the small local shops, are the main causes of threat to Tesco (Lim et al. 2015). 3. Growth strategy of Tesco Plc The strategy implemented by Tesco for capturing the retail market and growth can be analysed with the help of the Ansoffs Matrix. Market penetration Consumers sometimes have the tendency to run after brands more than the products. Tesco has very well understood this psychology of the consumers. To the customers, Tesco is a brand. Tesco first came into the market with its own advertising website known as the Tesco Property Market. Tesco was promoting all its products and services through the website and they were also distributing leaflets within their stores. In the year of 1995, Tesco crossed Sainsburys and became the largest retailer in the UK market (Mai, 2014). The introduction of the Clubcard concept for gaining the loyalty of the customers and retaining them, helped Tesco to penetrate deep in the retail market. New products and services In order to grow and sustain in the market, a company should come up with new products and services according to the tastes and preferences of the customers. Here is a list of activities that Tesco did: Tesco offers a wide range of products and services like credit cards, mortgages, insurance products, various investment and savings schemes, electronic goods and others (Meershoek et al. 2015). Tesco has also introduced innovative products like bio-fuel in place of the standard petrol and diesel. They are even trying to improve the quality of those products. The company is also trying to expand in other sectors also like mobile and tablets. They have tested success in the Asian market regarding these products and earned huge profits. They are slowly moving into the telecommunications and electronics departments (Moiseieva, 2013). Market development In the year 1994, Tesco Plc took over William Low, the renowned Scottish supermarket chain. It was in 1997, that the company also bought stakes from the Associated British Foods retail chain consisting of Stewarts, Quinnsworth and Crazy Prices (Park, 2014). In the month of June 2003, Tesco purchased C Two-Network in Japan. It was in the middle of 2006, that Tesco bought Casinos Leader Price Supermarkets in Poland. They were later transferred into small sized Tesco Stores. For development of the existing market, Tesco undergoes frequent changes. In the year 2005-06 some significant changes were made in the marketing strategy of Asian and the European countries. A few examples are Japan, Poland and South Korea (Phillips et al. 2013). Product diversification Very recently Tesco diversified its products from the food items to the non-food items. Initially Tesco started as the leading grocery retail chain. But slowly it diversified its business into garments, books, dvd sales and rental, furniture, various financial services and internet related services (Rabbanee et al. 2013). In the clothing department, Tesco introduced its own brands like Cherokee and F+F. The food brands of Tesco like Finest and Value were being used in non food brands also like the electronics, health and beauty products. Figure 3: Ansoffs Matrix growth strategy of Tesco Plc (Source: Sigala, 2014. Pp-211) 4. Product 4.1 Product Life Cycle The product life cycle stage of the Tesco brand can be analyzed through the BCG Matrix. Here, growth of Tesco in the global market is shown as per the Annual Report of 2012-2013. BCG Matrix Countries Revenue Revenue Growth Trading Profit Trading Profit Growth Marketing Position Loyalty Scheme Members UK 43.6 bn + 1.8% 2272m 8.3% 1st 16m Asia 11.5 bn + 6.0% 661m 10.3% 1st or 2nd 20m Europe 9.3 bn + 5.5% 329m 37.8% 1st or 2nd 7m Fig. 4: BCG Matrix of Tesco (Source: Sudbury-Riley, 2014, pp-667) Star Product It indicates high market share and high growth. The UK market is star for Tesco petrol. The profit rises to 11.8% with the sale of petrol product (Smith, 2013). Question Mark Product It shows high growth and low market share. In Asian markets people are buying Tesco products but the share prices are low due to stiff competition in telecom sector from Samsung, Jazz, Telenor, etc (Soni et al. 2014). Cash Cow Product Here there is low growth but high market share. It is seen in the European market where Tesco has competitors but due to the brand name, Tescos share prices are still high. Dog Product This consists of low growth and low market share. This is mainly applicable to the financial sector of Tesco in USA. The Tesco banking sector was kicked out after 20 years of service. The pre-tax profits fell 51% to 1.96bn and the post-tax profits including the cost to exit from the US were 120m, decreased by 95.7% (Sudbury-Riley, 2014). 5. Price Tesco followed a very smart pricing strategy. In order to compete with the domestic and international rivals, it offered products and services at comparatively cheaper prices to attract the customers as the UK customers are very price sensitive. Competing with the giants like Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons and others was always a big challenge which Tesco accepted and emerged as the leading retail chain in the UK Market. Tesco has the objective of being the world leader in super market through products and services which will cost lesser than the other rival brands. The company has chosen the price strategy like Penetration Pricing, Competition Pricing and Product Line Pricing (Eggert et al. 2015). 6. Place There are 7,599 Tesco stores including the franchises located all across the globe. It operates across 12 countries in Asia, Europe and the USA. It has its manufacturing units, sales outlets and offices across all these countries (Walker et al. 2013).The headquarters is in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire in England. The company is marketing its products through the retail chains present in almost all the leading countries of the world. They provide the goods and services to the customers directly. 7. Promotion Tesco uses a number of strategies to promote its products and services all across the globe. These are as follows: Email Messages Text messages Media campaigns like TV commercials Interactive websites Clubcards for loyalty customers Mobile applications where the customers can order their products through their mobile handsets. The Marketing Mix of Tesco Plc is illustrated below: Fig 5. Marketing Mix of Tesco Plc. (Source: Walker, 2013, pp-290) 8. Conclusion At the end of the assignment it is to be seen that Tesco has designed a very competitive marketing and growth strategy to promote its products in domestic as well as in the international market. It has continuously faced stiff competition from the rivals like Sainsburys, Morrisons, Asda and others yet it has maintained its operations in line with the Corporate Social Responsibility norms. It has procured and manufactured ethical goods and services for the consumers. Now, the company is willing to increase its market abroad and as a result of this it is following some strict and transparent marketing plans which will ensure success in the long run. The corporate strategy and planning of Tesco is the benchmark which any multinational organization should design in order to taste success in domestic and international market. 9. Recommendations In order to succeed more in the UK market, Tesco should maintain the current pricing strategy of keeping the prices of the products at a little cheaper rate compared to the other rivals. Tesco should understand the price sensitive market in the UK. If the products are too highly priced, then the customers will not go for it and may visit the rivals like Sainsburys, Morrisons, Asda and others (Yavuz et al. 2014). It should also come up with innovations in product development. It has already started to manufacture products of its own like smart phones and tablets. This creativity and innovation will help it to gain more popularity in the domestic and international markets. Tesco should open more number of retail stores and outlets so that more customers can have access to their products. This will increase their revenue also. A very well thought out advertising plan is required to gain attention of the customers. Catchy hoardings, media advertising in newspapers, attractive website for the company with details, sms services, email services and various types of loyalty programs like the Clubcards concept can be developed in order to attract and retain the customers. 10. Reference list References Arslan, A. and Wang, Y. (2014). 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Many Have Pondered Upon The Meaning Of Abortion. The Argument Essays

Many have pondered upon the meaning of abortion. The argument being that every child born should be wanted, and others who believe that every child conceived should be born (Sass vii). This has been a controversial topic for years. Many people want to be able to decide the destiny of others. Everyone in the United States is covered under the United States constitution, and under the 14th Amendment women have been given the choice of abortion. In 1973, Harry A. Blackmun wrote the majority opinion that it's a women's right to have an abortion. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion. Even though these people have been given the right, the case is not closed. Pro-life activists carry a strong argument, and continue to push their beliefs. They feel so strongly about these beliefs that violence has broken out in some known instances. Pro-choice activists, on the other hand, also carry very strong points. They believe that the child inside them is their property and it's life doesn't be until birth. In 1973, the United States Supreme Court decided that as long as the baby lived in the womb, he or she would be the property of the mother. Because of this decision almost every third baby conceived in America is killed by abortion, over one and a half million babies a year (Willke vii). Many countries have followed our decision on the abortion issue and some of these include Canada, England, and France. Other countries still believe abortion should be illegal, they include Germany, Ireland, and New Zealand. Although many believe that abortion is a women's choice, abortion should be banned because its immoral and life begins at conception. Abortion is the choice of a women whether or not she want's to receive one. Under the 14th Amendment's "personal liberty" women are given the right to receive an abortion. The 14th Amendment's concept of "personal liberty" and restrictions on state action is enough to allow a women's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy. The right to choose to have an abortion is so personal and essential to women's lives that without this right women cannot exercise other fundamental rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution (Paltrow 72). The state can't interfere in the private lives of a citizen. Without the right to choose an abortion the 14th Amendment's guarantee of liberty has little meaning for women. With the right to choose abortion, women are able to enjoy, like men, the rights to fully use the powers of their minds and bodies (Paltrow 73). A man can withdraw from a relationship as soon as he finds out about a pregnancy. There is no question of his involve t after that, he has made his choice. It is only fair to say that women should be given the same choice. If one doesn't want to hold the responsibilities of a child than she should be able to have the choice of abortion in her options. " Because contraceptives fail, and because they are not always available or possible to use, abortion is necessary if people are to be able to determine whether and when to "bear or beget a child"(Paltrow 72). Couples choose the alternative of abortion so they can start or expand their families when they feel most ready and able to care for them. Women choose to have an abortion because pregnancy and childbirth can prevent them from keeping their jobs, from feeding their families, and from serving others in ways they consider necessary and appropriate. Pregnancy and child birth may determine whether a women ever gets to start or complete her education, which will significantly influence her ability to support herself and her family. The availability of abortion makes it possible for people not only to choose the number of children they want, but also to create the kind of family life they have always wanted for themselves, to meet their responsibilities. If a women cannot choose to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, she is denied the right to the "possession and control" of her own body. One of the most sacred rights of common law is to choose and if a women can't do this than their most important possession is taken away. Abortion isn't only a women's right, it's a women's choice. However, allowing abortion to be legal is immoral. A pre-born child is given the status of a "product of pregnancy" and never seen as the miracle only a women can create. Compassion for the small one is drowned out under a demand for "rights", but what about the rights for the unborn. "A