Tragedy
Posted: March 5, 2003, 3:11 pm
A TRAGEDY
President George W. Bush is visiting an elementary school. The 4th grade
class is 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 our 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 the 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, Lil' Johnny raises his
hand. In a quiet voice he says, "If Air Force One, carrying President
Bush and Vice President Cheney, was struck by a missile and blown up to
smithereens, that would be a tragedy.
"Fantastic," exclaims Bush, "that's right. And can you tell me why that
would be a tragedy?"
"Well," Lil' Johnny said, "because it wouldn't be an accident, and it sure
as hell wouldn't be a great loss."
President George W. Bush is visiting an elementary school. The 4th grade
class is 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 our 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 the 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, Lil' Johnny raises his
hand. In a quiet voice he says, "If Air Force One, carrying President
Bush and Vice President Cheney, was struck by a missile and blown up to
smithereens, that would be a tragedy.
"Fantastic," exclaims Bush, "that's right. And can you tell me why that
would be a tragedy?"
"Well," Lil' Johnny said, "because it wouldn't be an accident, and it sure
as hell wouldn't be a great loss."