Håkan Eriksson
Commander of the Swedes.
President George Bush is visiting an elementary school today 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."
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."
