"What do you want to know?" I asked, weary of the whole Housing Authority group I have this year and how out of control I might get explaining this political situation.
"How does it work?"
"Let me give you the fast version," I responded, before drawing all over the white board.
"The House of Representatives gets to decide if the President has broken the laws of the Constitution. They don't just get to say, 'We don't like you', they have to be specific about what he did that was against the Constitution. The laws of our country. They have to lay it out."
"Alright." Aazim responded.
"So then, the House of Representatives gets to vote on the charges against the President and decided if they are true or not."
It became abundantly clear they didn't know who the House of Representatives were. Or, their role in government. More drawing on the board.
"Look, you guys will learn about this in school, soon. But, we have the President." circle around name, orange pumpkin, lines drawn.
"Congress. Equal part." circle, lines drawn.
"But, confusing, there are two parts of Congress, House and Senate."
"House, depends on population, representation upon how many people live in your state. We've got a lot in Georgia, but like, I don't know Montana, they've got hardly any."
"Senate, you get two, no matter what." circles, lines.
I never even mentioned the Supreme Court.
"The House is the only part that can begin Impeachment."
"Why can't I?"
"You can't. I can't. It's how it is. It's their job."
"So, they vote."
"Does everyone have to vote the same way?"
"No. It's majority rules."
"What's majority?" Then, I explained what majority means. I couldn't remember if the House rules were simple majority or more, so I just showed them simple majority.
"So, if the House says yes, the vote goes to the Senate, the other half of Congress."
"Wait, who is my Representative?"
"Mine is John Lewis. Yours might be Hank Johnson, but I'm not sure."
"Why don't you know?"
"I don't live here. It depends on where you live. We can look it up."
"If the House says yes, it moves to the Senate. And then they vote. If they say no, it's over. It's done."
"But, what if they just vote with their friends...." Aazim asked, eyebrow knitted together.
My heart stopped.
"Well, that's what everyone worries about...the House has a Democrat majority. People think that's why they brought up the impeachment inquiry. Who do you think has the majority in the Senate?"
"Democrats?" Aazim asked, hopefully.
"Think again."
"Republicans....." he replied, and put his head in his hands.
"How do people get this job?!" Suleymann asked/screamed.
"Well, buddy, that's where you put your sign in someone's yard, give speeches, talk to the people, and WE DECIDE, if we want to vote for you or not."
"Who's we?"
"US! That's our part! That is the part we get to play!" I responded.
"And, what if the Senate votes with their friends, and he robs someone, robs them again?" Suleymann continued, his mind not really getting high crimes and misdemeanors, more robbery and murder. My mind flashed back to sitting on the rug at The Center with his older brother Mahja, when he was only in fourth grade.
"So, can they put Trump out if he kills someone? Even his own wife?" Mahja had asked me.
I remember laughing and telling him that it didn't have to come to that, that simply violating the Constitution was enough. Boy, was I wrong.
"So, if he breaks the Constitution after the Senate says no, yeah...they have the opportunity to do it all over agin...." I responded.
"Again!?" Suleymann, asked, sighing.
"Yes, again." I responded, sighing.
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