“President George Bush is visiting an elementary school and he visits
one of the classes. They are in the middle of a discussion related to
words and their meanings. The teacher asks the President if he would
like to lead the class in the discussion of the word, “tragedy.” So the
illustrious leader asks the class for an example of a “tragedy.”
One little boy stands up and offers, “If my best friend, who lives
next door, is playing in the street and a car comes along and runs him
over, that would be a tragedy.”
“No,” says Bush, “that would be an ACCIDENT.”
A little girl raises her hand: “If a school bus carrying 50 children
drove off a cliff, killing everyone involved, that would be a
tragedy.”
“I’m afraid not,” explains Mr. President. “That’s what we would
call a GREAT LOSS.”
The room goes silent. No other children volunteer. President Bush
searches the room.”Isn’t there someone here who can give me an example
of a tragedy?”
Finally, way in the back of the room, a small boy raises his hand.
In a quiet voice he says, “If Air Force One, carrying Mr. & Mrs. Bush,
were struck by a missile and blown up to smithereens, by a terrorist
like Osama bin Laden, that would be a tragedy.”
“Fantastic,” exclaims Bush, “that’s right. And can you tell me WHY
that would be a TRAGEDY?”
“Well,” says the boy, “because it wouldn’t be an accident, and it
certainly wouldn’t be a great loss.”
Have a great weekend!
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