Jesse Jackson is visiting a primary school and he
visits one of the
classes. They are in the middle of a discussion
related to words and their
meanings.
The teacher asks the Rev. Jackson if he would like
to lead the discussion
on the word “tragedy.” So the illustrious leader
asks the class for an
example of a “tragedy.”
One little boy stands up and offers: “If my best
friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field and a runaway tractor
comes along and knocks
him dead, that would be a tragedy.”
“No,” says the Great Jesse Jackson, “that would be
an accident.”
A little girl raises her hand: “If a school bus
carrying 50 children drove
over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would
be a tragedy.”
“I’m afraid not,” explains the exalted spiritual
leader. “That’s what we
would call a great loss.”
The room goes silent. No other children volunteer.
Rev. Jackson searches 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 raises
his hand. In a quiet
voice he says: “If a jet carrying the Rev. Jackson
were struck by a
missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a
tragedy.”
Fantastic!" exclaims Jackson. “That’s right! And
can you tell me why that
would be a tragedy?”
Well," says the boy, “because it sure as hell
wouldn’t be a great loss,
and it probably wouldn’t be an accident either.”