Little Johnny Meets the President
President Barack Obama was visiting a primary school in North Carolina and he visited a fourth grade class.
They were in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings and the teacher asked the president if he would like to lead the discussion on the word 'tragedy.'
The president 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 him over and kills him, that would be a tragedy."
"No," said Obama, "that would be an accident."
A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying 50 children drove off a cliff, killing everyone, that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not," explained Obama. "That's what we would call great loss."
The room went silent. No other child volunteered, so the president scanned the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?" He asked.
Finally Little Johnny raised his hand.
When called on, Little Johnny said, "If the plane carrying you and Mrs. Obama was struck by 'friendly fire' and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."
"Fantastic!" exclaimed President Obama. "That's right. And can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?"
"Well," says Johnny, "It has to be a tragedy, because it sure as hell wouldn't be a great loss and you can bet your ass it wouldn't be an accident either!"
They were in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings and the teacher asked the president if he would like to lead the discussion on the word 'tragedy.'
The president 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 him over and kills him, that would be a tragedy."
"No," said Obama, "that would be an accident."
A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying 50 children drove off a cliff, killing everyone, that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not," explained Obama. "That's what we would call great loss."
The room went silent. No other child volunteered, so the president scanned the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?" He asked.
Finally Little Johnny raised his hand.
When called on, Little Johnny said, "If the plane carrying you and Mrs. Obama was struck by 'friendly fire' and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."
"Fantastic!" exclaimed President Obama. "That's right. And can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?"
"Well," says Johnny, "It has to be a tragedy, because it sure as hell wouldn't be a great loss and you can bet your ass it wouldn't be an accident either!"