George W. Bush visits an elementary school where a fourth-grade class is discussing words and their meanings. The teacher invites the President to lead a discussion on the word "tragedy." Bush asks the students for an example.
One boy suggests, "If my best friend, who lives next door, is playing in the street and a car runs him over, that would be a tragedy."
"No," Bush replies, "that would be an accident."
A girl raises her hand and says, "If a school bus carrying 50 children drove off a cliff, killing everyone, that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not," the President explains. "That's what we would call a Great Loss."
The room falls silent. No other children volunteer. President Bush scans the room and asks, "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"
Finally, from the back of the room, Johnny raises his hand and says quietly, "If Air Force One, carrying Mr. and Mrs. Bush, was struck by a missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."
"That's right!" exclaims the President. "And can you tell me WHY that would be a tragedy?"
"Well," Johnny says, "because it wouldn't be an accident, and it sure as hell wouldn't be a Great Loss."