"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 the President. "That's what we would call a GREAT LOSS." The room goes silent. No other children volunteer.
President Bush searches! "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"
Finally, way in the back of the room, Lil' Johnny raises his hand. In a quiet voice he says, "If Air Force One was struck by a missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."
"Fantastic," exclaims Bush, "that's right. And can you tell me WHY that would be a tragedy?"
"Well," said Lil' Johnny, "because it wouldn't be an accident, and it sure wouldn't be a great loss."