On the day of the debate, each member was given one minute to speak.  Democrats alternated with Republicans over the long hours.  The entire session, carried live on cable channels,  gave the viewers a chance to see the vast differences between the Representatives of the two parties and to hear what they stressed.

As I watched and listened,  I saw the Republicans were mostly  old white men (  90 percent confirmed later). The Democratic white men (38 percent confirmed later) were joined by women (white and of color ) young  Blue Wave and  older  women alternated with  Black and Hispanic men.

Behind  Republican Jim Jeffords was a huge picture of the United States Map from the 2016 election with Red states and Blue states.  Trump states covered more space since his votes were spread out over the middle of the country, while the East and West coasts were heavily Blue.  The Title was “ Impeachment Is Their Only Option.”    The actual count of course, gave Trump 63 million votes.  Hillary Clinton polled 65 million votes despite James Comey’s press conferences and Russian interference for Trump, she won The Popular Vote.

During the speeches, Republicans  spoke with fury and anger  about  the act of impeaching  Donald Trump.   One compared him to Jesus Christ being nailed to the cross.  Another asked for a moment of silence for the sixty three million people who had voted for him.   They attacked the process of Impeachment throughout, naming Adam Schiff and others who led the Investigation in The House .

It is notable that not one Republican spoke of the president’s behavior , character, actions or morals in reference to the Articles based on his Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress of which they are all members.   He was portrayed as a victim.

Epilogue:

Donald J. Trump was impeached  on both Articles of Impeachment by solid majority votes in The House of Representatives.  He will forever have an asterix next to his name in the history books.  However, his fate lies with the Senate trial that should take place next.  The Senate decides on Conviction and Removal from Office or Acquittal.

The next step is a trial in the Senate.  However, a major problem has arisen, since the Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell has made clear that he is working with the  president’s lawyers to produce the trial.   He has said,  “I am not impartial”  although he and every senator has to take an oath saying they will be impartial jurors.

As a result, The Speaker of The House, Nancy Pelosi has said she will wait until it is clear that there will be a fair trial before she will forward the Impeachment Results to the Senate.   Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has presented McConnell with ways that can happen.   Now, it is a waiting game until  Congress returns after the Recess

The American people will celebrate the holidays and The New Year in the weeks ahead.   Whatever our political persuasion… let us all hope for a fair trial that will  bring witnesses and documents before the Senate and the American public.   Then a vote would have meaning for the president and the American people.

………………………………………………. Joyce S. Anderson

While reading Edith Wharton’s memoir, A Backward Glance, I came across a description

of another writer that blazed from the page.  She wrote of Joseph Conrad that “…he had

worshiped the English language all his life like a lover.”

As I read these words, I was struck by the passion of her imagery.  Of course, Edith

Wharton’s entire life was devoted to the English language from the time when she first

discovered  hundreds of leather bound books in her father’s library.  She went on to become a

distinguished novelist whose books limned the manners and mores of her day. The Age of

Innocence brought her the Pulitzer Prize; Ethan Frome, the ironic novella of life in a small

New England town,  appears on reading lists in many of our high schools.

I remember in eighth grade when we were first introduced by our English teacher to the

technique of ‘diagraming’ a sentence.  First, we had to separate each word as to the particular

part of speech: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, article.  Then, out came the rulers to

draw a graphic design of the sentence.  The straight line and placement of the subject and

predicate.  Once these essentials were in place, we had to position the object. And then the many

diagonal lines for the modifiers and the phrases.

We started with simple sentences and progressed to more complex ones.  I must confess

that I was probably the only one in the class who appeared to enjoy this entire endeavor. There

was something about the order and symmetry of the design that I found profoundly satisfying.

Every word had a place in relation to every other word.  It all could be broken down and put back

together again.  Voila!  The structure of the sentence was revealed in its purest form.

In high school, when I studied Latin, the appeal was the same. To take the sentence

apart — finding the verbs,  nouns and modifiers. Then, reconstructing the sentence in English.

It was a puzzle that could be deciphered in measured steps.  And it served to heighten my

appreciation for the order of the English language as well. Some said that was the main reason to

study Latin, labeled a ‘dead language’. But I always felt it had intrinsic worth in itself. My

mother, the only person I knew who had studied Latin for eight years and Greek for seven,

agreed.  She was a wise woman in many ways, one of which was to value the Classics.

Many decades later, as I write this column, I still retain the wonder and love for the

beauty and majesty of the English language.  And I still have a lot to learn.

In the year 2000, when I began the interviews and writing that led to my first book,

Courage In High Heels, I was embarking in a new direction.  Writing articles for newspapers

and magazines for over twenty years was a different pursuit from writing a book.  Both, of

course, require the disciplined use of the language.   I like the term, ‘wordsmith’ as a descriptor

— a writer molds words  as a sculptor shapes the clay and a silversmith works with the precious

metal.

During the interviews with the eight women who gave me their life stories for Courage

In High Heels, I learned that their words were the heart of their stories. In an atmosphere where

trust was essential, they told me with candor and honesty  what they had thought and felt during

the skein of events that threaded through their lives.  They each had overcome formidable

obstacles in life with amazing spirit and resilience. Yet each woman had dealt with life in

an individual way. The words that they shared with me were very powerful and I used them liberally in each story. I call their quotes —  the “juices of the book”.

After completing my first book, there was the daunting task of finding a publisher.

Twenty proposals were out at all times to prospective agents and/or editors, in a process called

simultaneous submission.  During the two and a half years before the book was accepted for

publication, I embarked on a wonderful new romance with the English language — writing

fiction.  I found it exhilarating to create the characters and their ever evolving lives — the twists,

the conflicts, the drama in human relationships. I became totally engrossed in the writing.

The first novel, Flaw In The Tapestry, will be in print within the next six months.  If

Winter Comes and The Mermaids Singing are also completed and waiting in the wings.   All

three are indeed the fruits of a long and continuing love affair with the English language.

As my mother often said — onward!

Our family had ancestors who wrote in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.  They can be found on Wikipedia under the Title above with pictures and books they wrote.  It is fascinating to explore.  Take a look.

When my sister, Shirley Sloan Fader went to Israel with her husband Seymour to live after the State of Israel was born, they met several  Kimchis who were writers.

It is fascinating to trace the probability that writing genes have been passed from generation to generation in our family.  Here goes:

Shirley and I were the daughters of Miriam Marcus Sloan.  Her mother was Hannah KIMCHI Marcus.  She had come to America with her father in about 1890 from Poland.  He didn’t   like it here and then went to Palestine.  She said, “I like it here.  I’m staying.”  Lucky for all of us, she was very independent and beautiful.  She was courted in the Lower East Side of New York by a German Jewish Doctor whose last name was Marcus.

They had three daughters, Deborah, Rose and Miriam. Deborah and Miriam were early scholars and loved to write.  They both went to Hunter College , free in those days, and studied many languages: Latin, Greek, Old English, Hebrew of course, French, German .  In later years, Miriam learned Braille to teach on a volunteer basis to classes for l7 years of her later life. She and her students sent books to The Library of Congress in Washington.

Deborah wrote “The Three Pillars”, the book given by The Theological Seminary to Jewish brides on their weddings for decades. The pillars were Thought. Worship. Practice. Deborah was also the Supervisor of Languages in Elizabeth , New Jersey where they lived.  Once a year she gave a lecture in Latin. She married a Sephardic Rabbi, Raphael Melamed.

Miriam married Samuel Louis Sloan, a doctor who opened his practice in Paterson , New Jersey.  My sister and I both loved to write.  Shirley became what was known as a three name lady writer.  Shirley Sloan Fader.   Her books are  in my library.  She wrote articles and books for children and adults.  “The Princess Who Grew Down”  , “From Kitchen to Career”  and “Jobmanship”  under a man’s name S. R. Redford.  ( The initials were for Shirley Ruth )

I started writing books after writing a weekly column for 15 years in Jewish Times, “ Dimensions” on Social and Political aspects of current life.  My first book, “Courage in High Heels”, published in 2003 became my bestseller.  My novels: “Flaw in The Tapestry” was followed by a sequel, “If Winter Comes”.  “The Mermaids Singing”  led to “The Critical Eye”, a collection of my articles on American life style and culture that have been published in newspapers and magazines over the years.

It appears that some of the original Kimchi genes from the European and Palestine Kimchi writers are appearing in my children and their children.   How delightful to contemplate this genetic progression.

Steven and David write as an integral part of their professional positions.  Steve is managing partner of the law firm he founded in New York City. Dave is a Senior Executive at the Washington Center in D.C.  He was  the editor of  “‘Leverage” and contributes Op Ed columns to The Hill, Baltimore Sun and other major publications. Faith has used her writing skills to build a solid career in the corporate business world where reports, and analyses are required in many aspects of the positions she has held.

Next Generation:   Steven & Lauren’s son Jason has a degree in English and has written a novel as well as several TV or Movie scripts.   David and Adrienne’s daughter Eden is aimed at a career in Design where she will edit and create in writing and pictures.  Faith’s daughter Jennifer matched writing skills to her art work  in college years.  She is currently  preparing Power Point presentations for a New York Doctor who gives lectures around the world on complex medical subjects.  Jen does the writing.

It seems to me the proud grandmother that all three of the next generation are displaying Kimchi genes to advantage.  Fantastic!

………………………………………………………………………………………Joyce S. Anderson