School Days 2

George W. was visiting a Florida elementary school while a fifth grade class was in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings. The teacher asked Mr. Bush if he would like to lead the class in the discussion of the word "tragedy." Mr. Bush asks the class for "an example of a tragedy." One little boy stands up and offers, "If my best friend, who lives next door, was playing in the street and a car came along and ran over him, that would be a tragedy." "No," says George W. "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," explained George W. "that's what we would call a Great Loss." The room goes silent. No other children volunteered. Mr. Bush searches the room, "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?" Finally, in the back of the room a small boy raises his hand, in a quiet voice he says, "If you and your lawyers, Mr. Bush were to be eaten by a pack of hungry 20 foot alligators, that would certainly be a tragedy." "Fantastic," exclaims George W., "that's right. And can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?" "Well," says the boy, "it must be a tragedy, because it wouldn't be an accident, and it certainly wouldn't be a great loss."