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."



A good Irishman, John O'Reilly, met regularly with his "Toastmasters". One
evening they were hitting the Guinness Stout and having a contest at who
could make the best toast. John O'Reilly hoisted his beer and said,
"Here's to spending the rest of me life between the legs of me wife!" That
won him the top prize for the best toast of the night! He went home and
told
his wife, Mary, "I won the prize for the best toast of the night." She
said,
"Aye, what was your toast?" John said, "Here's to spending the rest of me
life sitting in church beside me wife." "Oh that is very nice indeed,
John!", Mary said. The next day Mary ran into one of John's toasting
buddies
on the street corner. The man chuckled leeringly and said, "John won the
prize the other night with a toast about you Mary." She said, "Aye and I
was
a bit surprised meself! You know, he's only been there twice! Once he fell
asleep and the other time I had to pull him by the ears to make him come!"