"President" Bush was visiting a primary school and he
visited one of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion
related to words and their meanings. The teacher asked the President if
he would like to lead the discussion on the word "tragedy". So the
illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a "tragedy".
One little boy stood up and offered: "If my best friend, who lives on a
farm, is playing in the field and a tractor runs over him and kills him,
that would be a tragedy.
" No," said Bush, "that would be an accident."
A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying 50 children drove
over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not," explained the president. "That's what we would call
great loss."
The room went silent. No other children volunteered.
Bush searched the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an
example of a tragedy?"
Finally at the back of the room a small boy raised his hand...
In a quiet voice he said: "If Air Force One carrying you and Mrs. Bush was
struck by a "friendly fire" missile
and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."
"Fantastic!" exclaimed Bush. "That's right. And can you tell me why that
would be tragedy?"
"Well," says the boy, "It has to be a tragedy, because it certainly
wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either".
visited one of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion
related to words and their meanings. The teacher asked the President if
he would like to lead the discussion on the word "tragedy". So the
illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a "tragedy".
One little boy stood up and offered: "If my best friend, who lives on a
farm, is playing in the field and a tractor runs over him and kills him,
that would be a tragedy.
" No," said Bush, "that would be an accident."
A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying 50 children drove
over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not," explained the president. "That's what we would call
great loss."
The room went silent. No other children volunteered.
Bush searched the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an
example of a tragedy?"
Finally at the back of the room a small boy raised his hand...
In a quiet voice he said: "If Air Force One carrying you and Mrs. Bush was
struck by a "friendly fire" missile
and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."
"Fantastic!" exclaimed Bush. "That's right. And can you tell me why that
would be tragedy?"
"Well," says the boy, "It has to be a tragedy, because it certainly
wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either".