Mid-Manhattan Library & Some Books

Last Sunday, I went to what I will continue to call the "Mid-Manhattan Library" [Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library] at 40th and 5th in Manhattan. This is across the street from the well know research library. The best way to get there is to walk down 41st Street, or "Library Way," with plaques on the sidewalk.

The old Mid-Manhattan Library was a nice place to go. If anything, the new one is better, including that you don't have to worry about having the guard check your bags/books at the door.  NYPL is a bit less concerned, including the new system where fines aren't charged. If you don't bring a book (or other work) back within a certain period of time (extended with renewals), the item will be deemed lost.  

One charm to the library is that certain areas have a "stacks" like feel like in a college library or something.  At least, I like the feeling of being lost in a library like that.  I did not go, but there is also not only a rooftop terrace (one local branch at last, the Van Cortlandt Park Library, has an open-air back area) but a place to eat.  I didn't see a return drop box though. Did I miss it?

I took out some books.  Dear John: Love and Loyalty in Wartime America concerns the famous "Dear John" letters though more broadly relationships between people in the military and (mostly) non-military.  We largely see things through the eyes of those in the military though I would think there was more material available from the women's (the same-sex angle here is lightly touched upon) point of view.  

There is a lot of interesting material here though did not fully enjoy the style it was presented.  This includes dropping bits and pieces of one couple, who it turns out (maybe we get a hint earlier) to "end cute" in a way that seems sort of a gimmick to me.  And, we only learn about that in the end. 

American by Birth, about the Wong Kim Ark (birthright citizenship) case, is another case of an interesting subject, somewhat rough (more so here probably) presentation.  This includes such basic things as a clear presentation of his sons and (some might miss this) the evidence that he himself said a grandson was a son in legal paperwork.  I also was annoyed when "Justice Grier" (!) was dropped as a dissenter in Dred Scott. 

There was an interesting point (books that cover familiar, at least to me, ground, often have these pearls) that one of his daughters -- born on free soil -- had the strongest claim for liberty.  There was other interesting stuff like that.  This includes something I heard about in an interesting C-SPAN aired lecture -- the level of questioning of Chinese immigrants to make sure they were legally here.  This involves long lists of questions on such minutiae as what street you lived in and how long in China.  

Another thing is the ability of the Chinese to obtain good representation, partially because the shipping firms that brought them over has a monetary interest to do so.  But, they also benefited from Chinese organizations that kept the interests of the Chinese in mind.  The book provides some helpful "more cases" and historical timelines. It sort of leaves us hanging about the "Six Companies" in the 20th Century after around 1905 or so.  Such groups in some form seem to be still around.  

I had a debate in 2016 with someone, for instance, on what a "natural born" citizen is -- which is mostly only important regarding who can be president.  For instance, is Ted Cruz one?  One thing suggested was that birthright citizenship was more fixed. But, the book dropped a bit that Congress only in 1940 (to quote the book) "affirms birthright citizenship for those born in Puerto Rico." 

When researching the matter, I found a reference to "naturalization"  which in turn is defined as the "conferring of nationality of a state upon a person after birth." This book does not specifically goes into detail on such questions, but it seems to me a logical rule is that "natural born" means citizenship at birth.  

Naturalization is the act of changing your citizenship.  An embryo is not a non-citizen; an embryo has no legal personhood under the Constitution at all.  So, a "natural born citizen" or a "birthright" citizen is someone who at birth is a citizen. Before the 14th Amendment, determining the contours here was a matter of historical practice (aka "common law") and in some cases statutory law (such as defining blackness to the degree being black was seen as a barrier).  There was some flexibility. 

Now, the 14th Amendment sets a floor. But, Congress has the discretion to recognize that a child of two citizens who is born in Canada because the mother was stuck there when early labor came is not blocked from becoming president.  That's silly.  

Again, the matter really has not been pressed though we had the Obama fantasy and concern about McCain because he was born in the Panama Zone.  But, citizenship should not be limited by stupid "originalist" rules. It is bad enough a child naturalized at two cannot be president without going into that stuff. 

The last non-fiction book is one I just started reading but is quite good in its way as well. It is A Short History of War by Jeremy Black (not quite "a very short introduction" though).  The book has forty short chapters (about six pages each) that are chocked full of information.  

I actually found it hard to read it as a normal book since it is almost like a bunch of condensed encyclopedia entries that overwhelm you with detail.  This includes the first chapter which provides the various aspects of human and human civilization that attract us to war.  I might not read the whole thing but am glad I checked it out merely for that first chapter!

I also have a fiction book but will deal with that separately.

ETA: Didn't like it.  Abort.