Tragedy

[elsie]

Dubya visits a primary school and sits in on one of the classes, which is in the middle of a discussion of words and their meaning.

The teacher asks Dubya if he would like to lead 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 on a farm, is playing in the field and a runaway tractor comes along and knocks him dead, that would be a tragedy.

"That's wrong," Dubya says. "That would be considered an accident."

A little girl raises her hand: "If a school bus carrying 50 children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy."

"You are completely incorrect" says the President. "That would be what we

would consider a great loss".

The room goes silent. No other children volunteer. Dubya searches 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 raises his hand. In a quiet voice he says: "If a plane carrying Mr President was struck by a missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy".

"Fantastic!" exclaims Dubya. "You are absolutely right. Can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?"

"Well," says the boy, "because it sure as heck wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident!"

[Insight]

Nice LC