Post by mellow on Jan 1, 2006 16:08:32 GMT 1
Prime Minister Tony Blair was visiting a primary school and he visited One
of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion related to words
and their meanings.
The teacher asked the Prime Minister if he would like to lead the
discussion on the word "tragedy". So the illustrious leader 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 & a tractor runs over him and kills him, that
would be a "tragedy."
No," said Blair, "that would be an accident."
A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying fifty children
drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not," explained the Prime Minister "that! 's what we would call
great loss."
The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Tony searched the
room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"
Finally, at the back of the room, a small boy raised his hand...
In a quiet voice he said: "If the Air Force were carrying you and Mrs Blair
and was struck by a "friendly fire" missile & blown to smithereens, that
would be a tragedy." "Fantastic!" exclaimed Blair. "That's right. And can
you tell me why that would be a tragedy?"
"Well," says the boy "it has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't
be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be a f***ing accident either!"
of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion related to words
and their meanings.
The teacher asked the Prime Minister if he would like to lead the
discussion on the word "tragedy". So the illustrious leader 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 & a tractor runs over him and kills him, that
would be a "tragedy."
No," said Blair, "that would be an accident."
A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying fifty children
drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not," explained the Prime Minister "that! 's what we would call
great loss."
The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Tony searched the
room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"
Finally, at the back of the room, a small boy raised his hand...
In a quiet voice he said: "If the Air Force were carrying you and Mrs Blair
and was struck by a "friendly fire" missile & blown to smithereens, that
would be a tragedy." "Fantastic!" exclaimed Blair. "That's right. And can
you tell me why that would be a tragedy?"
"Well," says the boy "it has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't
be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be a f***ing accident either!"
