Thoreau civil disobedience Essay Example For Students

Thoreau civil disobedience Essay In Civil Disobedience, why does Thoreau refuse to pay his poll tax? In Thoreaus essay Resistance to Civil Government, Henry David Thoreau outlines a utopian society in which each individual would be responsible for governing himself. His opposition to a centralized government is an effort to disassociate with the American government, which at the time was supporting slavery and unjustly invading Mexico. While the individual rule would work well for Thoreau who is a man of conscience, it does not account for the immoral, dishonest or overly ambitious people in the nation. Resistance to Civil Government is a work of political philosophy where Thoreau lays out a plan for the way he believes the American government and society should be structured. The essay discusses the relation between the individual and society. We will write a custom essay on Thoreau civil disobedience specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This essay acts as a plea for individuals to follow their conscience when civil law causes a conflict. Thoreau calls for a conscious rebellion to bring about a radical change in the American constitution; a revolution against the American government. This notion of peaceable revolution is the moral center of this essay. By refusing to pay taxes he is not objecting the taxes specific use, he is refusing allegiance to the state as a whole. Thoreau does not advocate complete defiance of democracy with his protest as he willingly accepts the consequences of breaking the law. Because Thoreau chooses his integrity over compliance he feels freer in jail than the people outside who follow the law like sheep rather than thinking and acting for themselves. He accepts the consequence of imprisonment for not paying his lawful tax, believing that by being imprisoned he is forcing the government to consider whether he is in the right by practicing civil disobedience. Thoreau wishes to be separate from the American government because it supports slavery. Thoreau chastises the government. Thoreau pictures a utopian society where a persons conscience is a higher rule than that of the law. In Thoreaus utopia, government would only have the rights the individual allows it to possess, however a person under this government could deny the right to enforce consequences to that government, leaving him free to partake in evil or immoral actions without repercussions. Thoreau seems to believe that if people are given the chance to govern their lives by their conscience they would always do what is right by their conscience. .

Goats Plant and Goats Essay examples

Goats Plant and Goats Essay examples Goats: Plant and Goats Essay examples Miranda555 When people think of summer they think of brush, grass, weeds, and trees. People dread cleaning up there fields, well studies show now you don’t need too you can use goats. Who would have thought that goats would take care of our brush and weed problems and it would even be good for your fields. Today were going to look at some benefits of controlling brush with goats, how goats can help you fields and how many goats per acre. Some benefits of controlling brush with goats are that they prefer brush and weeds over grass so they won’t endanger to grazing land of cattle. Goats clear brush beneath the tree line, which leads to healthy grass growth beneath tree lines. They are also great producers of milk and cheese. Goats help fields in many ways. They can be utilized as an affective bio-control agent to reduce weed populations. They can eliminate the use of harm-full herbicides and pesticides. Goats eat poisonous plants like hemlock, poison oak, and blackberry bushes. Bru sh goats also help prevent forest fires, or at best slow a fire down by eating the underbrush. It generally takes 60 goats three to five days to clear  ¼ acre of brush that is moderately dense. There should be about three to four full sized goats per acre. Sometimes it depends on how big of goats you use, what type of weeds you have and how fast you want them to be gone. There is a specific type of goat that has been labeled â€Å"brush goat† by many goat breeders, but brush goats are simply goats

A Social Reminder

Later on, their children, Romina Montano and Julius Capule, engage in a love affair which worsens the cold connection between the two conflicting families. The couple strives hard to save their relationship, until they finally decided to abscond and marry each other giving birth to a child who became the key to solve the long existing clash the two families had. The actors that portrayed the characters in the movie like Sharmaine Buencamino, Nonie Buencamino, Isay Alvarez, Robert Sena, Eda Nolan and Dominic Roco showcased their magnificent acting prowess and delivery in their unconventional lines with humor and emotions. Its effective plot is also admirable because it gives extensive interest to its viewers. Behind this promotion, it tackles some of our country’s great social predicaments. In the movie, competition for money greatly influences a person’s every action and way of living. Commonly, it is the reason that crashes the important relationships and friendships we have. The case of eloping couples is one of the most common problems we hear that events to unplanned families and financial problems. It also illustrates disobedience to parents which may lead to distorted futures and broken families. Generally, the movie tells us that arguing because of money is a waste of time. Friendships should not be destroyed because of small problems. Instead, it should become stronger by these obstacles we face. There is nothing better than to be love and feel peace when you’re with your friends, neighbors and family. For me, this movie deserves a high mark for showing a total package short film and excellent cinematography. Furthermore, I would like to give this movie a credit in putting on a wonderful story in a short length film. A Social Reminder Later on, their children, Romina Montano and Julius Capule, engage in a love affair which worsens the cold connection between the two conflicting families. The couple strives hard to save their relationship, until they finally decided to abscond and marry each other giving birth to a child who became the key to solve the long existing clash the two families had. The actors that portrayed the characters in the movie like Sharmaine Buencamino, Nonie Buencamino, Isay Alvarez, Robert Sena, Eda Nolan and Dominic Roco showcased their magnificent acting prowess and delivery in their unconventional lines with humor and emotions. Its effective plot is also admirable because it gives extensive interest to its viewers. Behind this promotion, it tackles some of our country’s great social predicaments. In the movie, competition for money greatly influences a person’s every action and way of living. Commonly, it is the reason that crashes the important relationships and friendships we have. The case of eloping couples is one of the most common problems we hear that events to unplanned families and financial problems. It also illustrates disobedience to parents which may lead to distorted futures and broken families. Generally, the movie tells us that arguing because of money is a waste of time. Friendships should not be destroyed because of small problems. Instead, it should become stronger by these obstacles we face. There is nothing better than to be love and feel peace when you’re with your friends, neighbors and family. For me, this movie deserves a high mark for showing a total package short film and excellent cinematography. Furthermore, I would like to give this movie a credit in putting on a wonderful story in a short length film.

Leadership Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership Journal - Essay Example and reducing the weaknesses would help the company in gaining advantage of the external opportunities and in countering external threats effectively and thereby improves the position of the company in the perceptual map (Morrill, 2010, p.162-163). Strategic business leadership in global organizations earns success through cultivation of both self and organizational knowledge that in turn enhances productivity. Global organizations take into account people belonging to different cultural and national diversities. These organizations through enhancing their knowledge resources need to understand the ethos of the different cultural groups and thereby to enhance communication to generate productivity (Harris, 2005, p.43). Managing a diverse cultural base of workers in the organization focuses on linking the needs and understandings of the employees to the policies, rules and regulations of the company. This policy helps in safeguarding the interests of the workers which in turn enhances the productivity of the concern (UCSF, n.d.). Organizational leaders often tend to manage the different cultural groups without reflecting sensitivity to the level of perception changes in the different individuals belonging to varied cultures. This fact tends to excite conflict. Some organizational leaders tend to respect the different cultural understandings and thus tend to modify and revise the rules and procedures in that respect (Morschett, Klein and Zentes, 2010, p.143). An individual to cope up as a global leader must reflect different types of skills like maintaining integrated relationships with people belonging to different cultures, having a stronger business acumen pertaining to offshore business and strategic endeavors, and possessing signified potential of organizing a strategic workforce. Further the business leader must reflect a potential vision and a cognitive understanding of the change movement (Mendenhall, 2008, p.54). The organizational leaders must make the

The Great American Indigence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Great American Indigence - Research Paper Example If the income distribution of a market is not equal, then the resource allocation becomes ineffective. In such circumstances, the economy gets bifurcated into two groups namely, the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’. An increase in the strength of the latter is the underlying factor which generates poverty in the economy. This research paper will explain the poverty of U.S. in details. United States Poverty: Poverty is the state of misery that can exist in any nation in the world. If a nation is poor, then it is not capable of meeting the basic requirements of its citizens. Poverty not only dampens the economic prosperity of a country, but also brings about the downfall of human development in a nation1. This research paper will consider the extent of poverty in United States. It was earlier believed by the economists that poverty only had its presence in the lagging and underdeveloped nations in the world. However, the contemporary economic affairs of the world show that rich developed nations like, United States, also house substantial amount of poverty in its domestic economy. Poverty in United States: As recorded in 2011, the level of poverty in United States was about 15%. It was estimated that around 46.2 million individuals in the country were poor11. The median level of the family incomes of the individuals of the country had fallen by almost 1.5% from 2010 to 2011. It has been claimed by the researchers that the poverty in U.S. is actually responsible for the rise in the country’s level of unemployment. After the globalization of the world economy in 1990, the competences of the developed nations have fallen significantly. The fall in the core competences in U.S. have resulted in a decline in employment opportunities in the nation. The fall in the income prospects have increased the poverty in U.S. Then again, the poverty in U.S. is seen to be generally urban in nature. III. Causes of Poverty There are various causes or reasons that have caused the poverty in U.S. The big American corporate companies always outsource their requirement of skilled labor workforce from t he developing nations in the world. This is because skilled and educated workers in those nations are available at a cheaper cost. This has made the U.S. workforce less competitive in nature, thereby lacking the proper knowledge which is needed for maintaining high paid jobs. Thus, lack of higher education and knowledge among the youth of U.S. is a prime reason for its impending urban poverty. The recession in the world economy since 2007 has added fuel to the fire of dismay for the U.S. individuals. Low velocity of money circulation in the economy has reduced the productivity and investment thresholds of the nation2. A fall in the level of productivity in the economy has been responsible for the job losses in the nation. In figure 1 at the end, it can be observed that down the years from 1968 to 2012, the workforce participation in U.S. did not increase. Rather, the trend shows a fall in the employment opportunities. Then again, it is obvious and quite natural that the population s trength of the country has increased with time. The employment level in the nation has not increased in equivalence to the rise in the population of the nation10. This shows that a large proportion of the individuals in U.S. is unemployed and therefore, leads their lives as poor urban individuals. The

The characters Essay Example for Free

The characters Essay Harry Burns: A complete slob and a brooding pessimist with a grim sense of humor. Sally Albright: Shes cheerful, organized, and optimistic. The set-up The two main characters, Harry Burns and Sally Albright, dislike each other immediately. Shes cheerful, organized, and optimistic. He is a complete slob and a brooding pessimist with a grim sense of humor. Not long after meeting, they are stuck with each other on a long car trip from Chicago to New York City. To pass the time, Harry asks Sally to tell him the story of her life. The scene: Harry: So†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. since we have a long journey and I have all the time in the world. Tell me about your life. Your entire life story. Sally: My life story? Why would someone like you be interested in knowing my story? Harry: I am not interested. I just want to bite away some time. Sally: emm†¦ well, my life has nothing that interesting to talk about. Harry: I thought so†¦ u’r like one of those â€Å"high maintenance snooty new york execs† Sally: No, I’m not snooty! I am organized, I love my friends and care for my family. I don’t need to be judged by a slob like you. Harry: ohhhhhhh! Somebody’s offended. Sally: Ass holes like you think just because you can throw down a few drinks, and nail some slut at a swanky bar, your life must be wild! I despise people like you, mister! Harry: You despise us because you can never have what we have. Sally: We can have everything you have and much more. We just choose not to! Sally: I’m going to sleep now†¦ I can’t take any more of your noise! End of scene What does this exercise tell you about film dialogue and what makes it work most effectively? This exercise tells us that film dialogue needs to short. Not too long. It can be unexpected and doesn’t necessarily need to have logic. Does it suggest that dialogue in films is different from dialogue in literature and drama? Yes, I do believe dialogue in films is different from dialogue in literature and drama because in literature and drama the dialogues can be a little longer. But in films where each scene is about 2 minutes or less. It’s important to keep it short and sweet. In what ways is film dialogue close to or different from real-life conversation? Film dialogue is quite similar to real life conversation but unnecessary text may need to be cut out and all the lines would need to make an impact quickly to keep the audience interested. Since it needs to look real like the actors are actually having a conversation. It does have similar features of a real life conversation.

The Concepts Of Knowledge And Happiness In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein

â€Å"Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow† (Shelley 60). In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, she expresses her beliefs regarding the danger of pursuing happiness through the attainment of knowledge, because true happiness is found in the emotional connections established between people. The pursuit of knowledge is not necessarily an evil thing, but it can cause destruction when it is pursued beyond natural limits. Victor Frankenstein becomes a slave to his passion for learning in more than one way; first his life is controlled by his obsession to create life, and later he becomes a slave to the monster he has created.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frankenstein describes the beginning of his life as a happy time with his family. During his childhood, Frankenstein was passionate about learning, but his emotional connection with Elizabeth kept him from completely engrossing himself in his studies (Shelley 38). When Frankenstein left home to study at the university of Ingolstadt, he became intent on his quest to uncover the mystery of life. He tells of working in the laboratory until sunrise and being indifferent to the beauty of the world around him (Shelley 56-63). These changes in Frankenstein’s way of life represent Shelley’s belief that one’s passions must be controlled or the passions wi...

Health Care System of Taiwan and the United States

Health Care Systems of Taiwan and the United States Health care is one of the most essential foundations for any citizenship in any country since whether it is effective or not, it definitely affects the standard of living and the life expectancy of a country. According to Johnson and Stoskopf (2009), â€Å"A health system as described by the World Health Organization (WHO) is the sum total of all the organizations, institutions, and resources whose primary purpose is to improve health,† (p. 3). Therefore, to positively improve a nation, having an effective ealth care system is crucial.Being recognized as one of the powerful countries in the world, the United States has a great shape of health care programs; however, sometimes it is inaccessible to some of the citizens. On the contrary, as a small country, Taiwan is famous for its health care system although there are still defective parts existing in the current system. To compare the differences of health care systems in Tai wan and the United States, we can observe the three major aspects: ownership, cost, and quality. First of all, Taiwan and the United States have different types of ownership in the health care systems.Thus, Taiwan owns a single-payer system, which is run by the government, forcing everyone to Join it and pay. Because of this policy, the coverage of health care is close to 99 percent (Underwood, 2009). In this country, the government-run system covers prevention, primary care, hospitalization, Chinese massage, acupuncture, traditional herbal medicine, mental health care, dental, vision, and long-term care. Unlike Taiwan, the United States possesses several types of ublic and private funding systems: Medicare and Medicaid are the two main public funded plans for Americans.There is also abundance of private insurance companies for people to choose, but they usually have a long list of pre-existing conditions, which restricts many patients since they are unable to receive health care in surance. Although the United States contains public and private programs, nearly 15. 6 percent of Americans had no health insurance in 2003, (Samuel D. , 2010). Secondly, the cost of health care for Taiwanese and Americans is divergent. Thus, Taiwan spends approximately 6 percent of G. D. P. on health care while the United State spends about 16 percent of G.D. P. (Seth B. , 2009, p. 1). Moreover, in Taiwan, people merely have to pay small amount of money set by the Bureau of National Health Insurance (BNHI) for each medical service received, and the BNHI will cover the rest of the payment (Taiwan Health Care Reform Foundation, 2010). As a result, no one in Taiwan goes bankrupt due to the medical bill. Unlike Taiwanese, a lot of Americans undergo bankruptcy since they cannot afford their medical bills. Finally, the quality of health care in Taiwan is not the same as that in the United to turn to.Moreover, there is no waiting time for patients which highly enhances the effectiveness o f health care. The competition between public and private hospitals improves the quality. Furthermore, every Taiwanese who is under the coverage has a Smart Card: an electronic health record, which is required for patient to bring along when seeing a doctor. The nurses would scan the card and all the medical record of that patient would appear clearly. It is a paperless system that improves treatment nd reduces redundant process of paperwork.Different from Taiwan, the insurance companies in the United States limit the patients in what doctors and hospitals they can go to, and it is necessary to set up an appointment in advance. In conclusion, it should be underscored that the ownership of health care systems plays an important role for a country because it might affect the entire system. The cost determines whether or not the citizens of the country are able to pay for the bills. The overall quality is a critical aspect of health care system since it ight either directly or indirect ly influence a patient's well-being.It is quite difficult for me to conclude which one of the health care systems is more effective due to the fact that Taiwan and the United States are distinctive in many ways, such as population and country size. Nevertheless, there are still several aspects that the United States can learn from Taiwan: for instance, studying other nations' health care system. Before deciding on a health care system, the experts in Taiwan carried out research on several successful countries' programs and eventually established its wn in 1995.

My motivation Essay

My motivation to attend a Historically Black College or University has a lot to do with black history but not for the most common reasons. For me to be able to properly express my sentiments in making this selection, I would like to begin by speaking of my experience as a black woman and the experience of being black in America. This, I feel, is the only way that I can clearly explain my decision to attend a Historically Black College or University. In the very beginning of this nation’s history, Americans were under the power of England’s monarchy. The Americans were able to overthrow the shackles of bondage and created a Constitution that declares its steadfast belief in the ideals of freedom, equality and the pursuit of happiness. But immediately after the Declaration of Independence and even after the Constitution was signed and accepted by leaders of the new government, not every American citizen is treated fairly. This led to the development of several plans that were aimed at making things equal. Among which, affirmative action was praised and pilloried as the answer to racial inequality. First introduced by President Kennedy in 1961, â€Å"Affirmative action† was designed as a method of reducing the discrimination that had remained despite the civil rights laws and constitutional guarantees. It was a method that was put in place as a â€Å"Temporary Measure to Level the Playing Field† through the offering of the same opportunities to all Americans. While the â€Å"Affirmative Action† plan was intended to have good effects, it resulted in exposing the flaws in the system as â€Å"Reverse Racism† began to emerge and the â€Å"Bakke† case came about where a white male was rejected two years in a row in favor of admitting other minorities through a quota system. This â€Å"Reverse Racism† and other flaws led to a mounting anger against â€Å"Affirmative Action† and soon it became a Zero Sum Game as jobs and opportunities became open to minorities but not to whites. During this period, â€Å"Preferential treatment† and â€Å"quotas† became expressions of contempt. This is where my drive to apply at this Historically Black College or University comes from because I am a firm believer in the progress that has been made to address this situation. The recent victory of Barack Obama in the United States Presidential Election of 2008 is one of the biggest issues among many other big events that have occurred in America this year. This year’s election was even more controversial because of the racial issue, which they barely, if at all, had in previous elections. During the course of the campaigns, other candidates may have mentioned the racial difficulties in their speech or public pledge, but no candidate ever represented him-self as a minority. The United States, I am proud to admit, has begun the long process of change. The idea of having a Black President was unthinkable and unimaginable ten years ago. Yet, it must be pointed out that it was only achievable because America is blended by multi-ethnicity, which means America is like a melting pot, where all different races and cultures are mixed in one particular land, often called â€Å"a country of immigrants†. Many other countries aside from than the United States were and still likely to deny minorities as their presidents. This recent success is a clear sign that Obama’s successful run for president has broken through the ‘last racial barrier’. America no longer has to be rudely awakened by the Civil Rights Movement to realize that there is still much work to be done with regards to racism in this country. When Martin Luther King, Jr. died, the nation was ready for a major change. Ending segregation in the South and improving the status of the Negro race is now the correct thing to do. The victory of Barack Obama sends a message of change that resounds with all the voters; it speaks of change and opportunity for all those who had none and all those who have none. It is this same message of change that has prompted me to embrace my country for taking steps in initiating this change. These Historically Black Colleges and Universities have been trying to change this trend since their inception and I feel that it is my duty to be a part of that proud history and continue the message of change by pushing back the barriers. As the United States continues to grow in population size, the impact that the minorities have on the future of America will no longer be a minor one, to say the least. Without any effective action, these minorities will not be able to take advantage of the opportunities that America has to offer. Affirmative action was supposed to be the future of a great America. An America as envisioned by the forefathers who declared that no person shall be denied the right to life, liberty or property just on the basis of the color of his skin. Any effective action, such as taking an active role by applying to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, with regard to improving society should not be about segregating people or creating a different class. It should instead focus on creating opportunities for those who have none and building relationships that will ensure that America can remains as the great country that it has been and is for ages to come. It is said that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. I am one of those individuals who firmly believe in my dreams and am not afraid to work hard to attain them. I know that I have a long road to travel but I am neither daunted nor intimidated by this because I know that I can succeed. I am also confident in the fact that with the experiences that I can gain from this university there is so much more that I can accomplish in life and I look forward to the day that this dream becomes a reality.

The Ocean County Vocational Technical School Essays

The Ocean County Vocational Technical School Essays The Ocean County Vocational Technical School Essay The Ocean County Vocational Technical School Essay Learning is fun at Ocean County Vocational Technical School because Learning is fun at Ocean County Vocational Technical School because its teaching you how to start your Journey in life; it makes you become a better person and teaches you different things in your young adult years. The reason why I think its fun because it helps me get a Job, teaching me things I didnt know, showing me how to be in a work environment and having good communication skills. My first experience was my Junior year I was in culinary arts/ hospitality I was shown how to prep foods, cook different foods, and taught safety rules. While I was there I helped cook apple crisp for the annual apple festival in Lacey. We also would take orders and cook all kinds of different foods for all the staff, students, and family members. We would cater to the students of the month and honor roll students by making them a big meal. I was shown different methods of cooking, different equipments, and tools. My Job every Friday was to write in my portfolio about my Jobs I had and what I cooked. It felt like I was in a real live restaurant it was pretty cool I learned a lot of things in the cooking class. I really enjoyed culinary foods class in Waretown ocvts. The second reason why learning is fun at vocation school is Im in a retail store occupations this year. I was shown a lot of cool methods of working in a store for an example cashier, making smoothies, and in the hot foods station. Every day of the week besides Wednesday we open the Surfs Up Market which is in the class Im in at the Toms river center we get assigned a different Job every week. On Wednesday we learn about working in a store, how to fill out applications, safety rules, communication skills, we also study different math methods.

Paradise Lost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paradise Lost - Essay Example Powerful as God is, if they repented, he would have forgiven them and put things the way they previously were. God cared for man and thus immediately started the process of reclaiming His people from Satan’s grip. First were judges, kings, and prophets who were prominent leaders whose work was to convince the humankind to stop sinning and start obeying their Creator. As a last resort, God sent His son to save humankind from sins before they can join His everlasting Kingdom (Matthews & Platt 110). On the other hand, final destruction awaits those who will be sinning when the Kingdom comes. This is the story about the fall of man as Christianity tells it. The aim of this paper is to analyze the role of man in God’s eternal plan as presented by Milton in his epic book, Paradise Lost. Purpose of the Book. This book explains the origin of today’s cultures and beliefs starting with the fallout between God and one of His archangels, Lucifer. Lucifer then declared war on God, his main aim being to reclaim heaven and overthrow his Creator and Master. First, he organized his supporters among angels and then went on to recruit God’s latest creation; man to his ranks. Man fell to many of Satan’s, another of Lucifer’s aliases, tricks. ... olism and poetry, he also portrays the underlying factors that led to the fall including; Lucifer’s rebellion, the archangel Raphael who was sent to warn Adam of the looming danger and the fight between Michael and Lucifer which led to the latter being thrown out of heaven (Matthews & Platt 111 – 112). In addition, he tells the story about the coming of Jesus and salvation of humankind. Social Sin during Birth. According to Milton, Christianity states that since the original humans sinned, we are all guilty, and have to be forgiven regardless of whether we have sinned or not. Failure to ask for forgiveness condemns humankind to destruction together with Lucifer and his comrades come the last day. Though this is the general belief, humans are not guilty at birth because it is not their fault that the original parents sinned. Earlier teachers of law who used the Torah in their teachings propagated this belief in Exodus 21. However, the truth is that people are born with t he potential to do both good and evil things, and not born evil or good. A person becomes good or evil depending on the line of actions or thought they take. Freewill versus Obedience. Satan was the first angel to exercise freewill. This put Lucifer in opposition to his master, God. God’s anger at him was justified since it brought disorder in the heavenly monarch. Freewill made Lucifer do things that were against laid rules. Despite being a rebel, Satan’s resolve and reasoning is intriguing. His greatest mistake is that he used and continues to use his freewill to go against the Ruler in propagation of evil. If he had decided to have a parallel government ruled by good, maybe his master would have obliged to give him a position of power in His government. Instead, he chose to rebel which

Canadian History post confederation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Canadian History post confederation - Essay Example The threat of 'race suicide' loomed large in the outlook of housing reformers as it did in all the social improvement campaigns of the era. It was widely believed that the deplorable health of the working class, most visibly demonstrated in the high failure rates in military medical inspections, and the large-scale 'infiltration' of non-British immigrants would jeopardize the future of the Anglo-Saxon 'race.' One worrying development noted by reformers was the hesitancy of landlords to rent dwellings to families with children. This reluctance was commonly noted by observers of the urban scene and became particularly serious after the war with the housing shortage. It represented a concrete manifestation of the potential conflict of interest between different sections of capital -- industrialists and landlords -- over questions such as the reproduction of the workforce. As one conservative union bureaucrat in Toronto, J.T. Gunn, put it blatantly in 1920, 'Landlords object to children, with the result that we are drifting into race suicide.' 'Race' was a loosely defined term used extensively by social commentators to designate the peculiar social attributes that allegedly derived from the biology or culture of a particular people. In the English-Canadian case, this attitude was largely rooted in a sense of the inherent superiority of British 'stock' and constituted a fundamental element of the social hierarchy. It reflected the ideological legacy of the conquest of French Canada and the Native peoples, the Anglo-chauvinism associated with the international hegemony of the British Empire, and the Eurocentric racism linked to colonialism and slavery. Whether one was an environmentalist who believed that active intervention could uplift the social and moral conditions of the indigent and socially 'misfit' or a hereditarian who envisioned that social problems originated in immutable biological traits, there was a common opinion that the Canadian 'race' could be bettered. Neither was there disagreement that the physical, mental, and moral state of the race faced grave danger unless prompt action was taken. Early reformers isolated infectious diseases as the main peril because they threatened to overtake the city as a whole. A 1906 editorial in the Toronto Daily News outlined this threat to the 'respectable' classes: 'The Ward constitutes a constant menace to the physical and moral health of the city. It is an open sore from which flow fetid currents which cannot but be corrupting to the whole community.' The metaphor of disease was widely used to depict the slum housing conditions of immigrants and the poor. Dr Charles Hodgetts, head of the Public Health and Housing section of the COC, argued that temporary shack towns on the outskirts of cities were quickly becoming the 'overcrowded permanent homes of a foreign population -- hot beds of parasitic and communicable diseases and breeders of vice and inequity.' Such bigotry was extended to working-class British and American immigrants as