One little boy stands up and offers, "If my best friend,
who lives
next door, was playing in the street and a car came along
and ran
over him, that would be a tragedy."
"No," says Clinton, "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
Clinton 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.
Clinton,was struck by a missile and blown up to smithereens,
that
would be a tragedy."
"Fantastic," exclaims Clinton, "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 would be no great loss."