Little Johnny and Obama

Barack Obama was
  visiting a primary school in North Carolina
and visited a fourth grade
  class. They were in the middle of
a discussion related to words and their  meanings.

The teacher asked the president if he would like to lead
  the discussion on the word 'tragedy.' So our illustrious 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. Obama
searched the room.
"Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a
  tragedy?"
Finally at the back of the room, Little Johnny raised his
  hand. The teacher held her breath.

In a quiet voice he said: "If the  plane carrying
you and Mrs. Obama was struck by a 'friendly  fire'
missile and blown to smithereens that would be a tragedy."

"Fantastic!" exclaimed Obama. "That's right.  And can you
  tell me why that would be a tragedy?"

"Well," says Johnny, "By your definition, it has to be a tragedy,
because it sure as hell wouldn't be a  great loss,
and you can bet your sweet ass it wouldn't be an accident
  either!"

The teacher fainted.