tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939909775405220345.post2967376127556922129..comments2024-03-01T10:16:11.283-08:00Comments on AmericanStudies: January 14, 2011: To Hull and BackAmericanStudierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483077716534996778noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939909775405220345.post-34891235651080064132011-01-15T17:57:56.729-08:002011-01-15T17:57:56.729-08:00Hi Ben,
Sorry this is so late--have the flu and fe...Hi Ben,<br />Sorry this is so late--have the flu and feel as if I've been hit by a truck.<br />But it wouldn't be me if I didn't harp on my summer of Clara Barton and nominate her.<br />I don't think that most people realize how important it was for America when she convinced us to sign on the Treaty of Geneva--thus joining the International Red Cross. By joining, and thus creating the American Red Cross, we as a country agreed to a number of things, such as how soldiers who are wounded or killed in combat are treated. The idea is that when soldiers are found, they are treated the same, regardless of uniform. And POWs are treated humanely. If this sounds familiar, it should. Barton got America to sign on to what are now easily referred to as The Geneva Conventions. This is, quite simply, huge. After the Civil War, America wasn't too interested in signing any treaties--we didn't think Europe's skirmishes mattered to us. She convinced our government that they did. Today, when ideas are debated about treatment of enemy combatants, etc. thank Barton.<br /><br />I'm not even mentioning her new approaches to treating wounded soldiers during the Civil War, her ground breaking work in identifying those killed in Andersonville, and how she lead the American Red Cross, single-handedly at first, into disaster zones, such as the Johnstown Flood.<br />America being what it is, she was also pushed out of the ARC by the end of her life, probably because in her time, most Americans weren't ready to deal with a smart, spunky, dogged woman. In any case, she is precursor to Steven Jobs.<br /><br />With that, I'm eating some jello and back to bed with serious joint and muscle pains.Irenenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3939909775405220345.post-84254154597176107752011-01-15T17:48:24.722-08:002011-01-15T17:48:24.722-08:00Hi Ben,
Sorry this is late. Stuck on the couch ...Hi Ben, <br />Sorry this is late. Stuck on the couch with a serious case of the flu--feel as if I've been hit by a truck.<br />But since I have crept out of sleep enough to check on other life, there is no way I could pass this chance up. I have to nominate Clara Barton.<br />Since I lived the summer of Clara Barton in 2010, thanks to my niece, I not only learned about her, but also learned that I think we, as a nation, don't understand the importance of her getting the United States to sign on to Conventions of Geneva--and thus become party to the International Red Cross. We often sort of reduce that down to saying she founded the American Red Cross, which is quite true, but it is worthwhile to think about what the IRC was at the time. It had laid out rules for how those wounded in battle were to be treated, as well as those captured in battle. All signatory countries agreed that any soldier would be treated medically and compassionately (no desecrating of bodies, etc.) The US was not too interested in signing any international treaties at the time--we were coming out of the Civil War and didn't feel that Europe's problems were our own. Barton had the foresight and tenacity to realize the bigger implications of it all. Indeed--the arguments of today over how to treat enemy combatants and anytime you hear the phrase "Geneva Conventions," you should thank Clara Barton.<br /><br />Of course, I'm not even mentioning her ground-breaking approach to treatment of wounded soldiers in the Civil War or later, how she led the American Red Cross, almost single-handedly at first, to some of America's worst disaster areas--such as the Johnstown Flood. Anytime you see ARC asking for blood or leading the way to another disaster, thank Clara Barton.<br /><br />Finally, because she was able, intelligent, and didn't take crap from others, she was pushed out of her own organization. The typical American story--a precursor to Steven Jobs!<br /><br />I could go on and on. The irony is that my niece made her presentation for all of 25 points!--my summer for 25 points. And two other kids in her class read books on Princess Diana. Sigh.<br /><br />I need more jello and then back to bed. I will try to stop invading your blog soon!<br /><br />IreneIrenenoreply@blogger.com