Wake Up

Okay, I saw this over on another weblog, and, since I think it’s funny, I’m reposting it here:

—BEGIN JOKE—

President George Bush visited the 4th grade of an elementary school yesterday. 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 class in the discussion of the word “tragedy.” So our leader asked the class for an example of a “tragedy.”

One little boy stood up and offered, “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 raised 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 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, Johnny raised his hand. In his own style, Johnny says, “If Air Force One, carrying Mr. & Mrs. Bush, was struck by a missile and blown up to smithereens, that would be a tragedy.”

“Fantastic,” exclaimed Bush, “that’s right, and can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?”

“Well,” Johnny said, “because it wouldn’t be an accident, and it sure wouldn’t be any great loss.”

—END JOKE—

For the record, I do not, repeat NOT, advocate shooting Mr. Bush, Mrs. Bush, or any aircraft with a missile. Hopefully that’s enough of a disclaimer for any member of the FBI or Secret Service who might happen to wander by.