Get your rim shot ready.

The Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, while visiting a primary school class, find themselves in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings.

The teacher asks both men if they would like to lead the discussion of the word “tragedy”. So Rev Jackson 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 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 Sharpton. “That’s what we would call a great loss.”

The room goes silent. No other children volunteer.

Reverend Al searches 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 raises his hand. “If a plane carrying the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton were struck by a missile and blown to smithereens that would be a tragedy.”

Fantastic!” exclaim Jackson and Sharpton, “That’s right. And can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?”

“Well,” says little Johnny, “because it sure as heck wouldn’t be a great loss, and it probably wouldn’t be an accident either.”