I read a parable once that told the story of three daughters who lived with their very poor father and mother out in the woods. They were happy and loved each other very much, despite their poverty.
Then, one year, when father came back from the market, he presented the family with a gift. He had saved all year long to buy something the whole family could enjoy: a mirror. The girls all squealed with delight and hugged their father for giving them such a wonderful present. They hung it right in the middle of the living room so they could all take turns gazing upon it.
The original story then went on to say that the girls suddenly became aware of their imperfections (pimples, big teeth, overweight, underweight, etc) and turn into mean, hateful people. Moral: vanity ruins your life. Good.
I would like to add a fourth child to the family and add my own chapter to this fairytale. Here it goes:
"After his three sisters had all had a turn at the lovely new mirror, little Donald decided to have a look. He liked what he saw. In fact, he loved it so much that he couldn't turn away. His hair looked like a golden mane of a wild stallion. His hands were large and powerful. His mouth was fierce and defined. His tan was natural and fashionable. Little Donald smiled proudly at himself.
While his three sisters couldn't stop worrying about each of their flaws, Donald was so reassured by his reflection that he took to standing taller and going out more. He started speaking louder and bolder. He started pointing out other people's flaws because he found that each time he did his own reflection became prettier and prettier to him. When he heard whisperings in the street, he told himself that they were simply jealous of how great he looked. When he saw anyone who looked differently than he did- he sneered at them and wished they would leave his beautiful land that he just decided was beautiful and belonged to him now.
With the power of the mirror, Little Donald began to spread his ideals all around him, actually making other people think that maybe they didn't see properly. Even though he appeared to them as a doofus with terrible hair, small hands, and a weird tan, he had so much confidence and influence that they just assumed they were in the wrong.
It didn't take long before Donald was voted in as Mayor of the town. He put mirrors all over his mansion, and ordered that anyone that didn't look like him should be banished. Thousands of families of various ethnicities were kicked out of that fair town, or sent into hiding.
One day, after a few years, Donald received an anonymous gift. It was a wrapped in a mysterious paper. He could barely contain his excitement. The tag on the gift said, "Dear Donald- I have allowed this to go on for too long. I am sorry I have deceived you."
"Who sent this?!" shouted Donald. The back of the tag said, "Friendly Godmother, with good intentions but questionable morals." Suddenly, Donald got very nervous. He ripped open the packaging and a poof of magic dust filled the air. Donald sneezed several times and rubbed his eyes. When he finally recovered, he looked over at one of his hundred mirrors and was horrified at what he saw.
Who was this ugly beast of a human staring back at him? His hair looked awful! His mouth looked like a little butthole! His hands were so tiny! His tan was... atrocious! Who let this hideous human in here?!
Donald shouted, "Guards! Come quickly and kill this offensively ugly individual!"
The guards rushed in and were confused. All they saw was the same ugly Donald they always saw.
"Where is he, my lord?" one guard asked.
"He's there, right there! I'm staring straight at him!" screamed Donald, pointing at his reflection. "I ORDER YOU to kill him right NOW!"
The guards shrugged and stabbed Donald through the face and body with their spears.
Thus ended his tyranny. People of color were allowed to return to the town, but most didn't want to anymore.
Moral of my story: Sometimes an ugly individual becomes president of the United States and you wish that guards would just stab him with a bunch of spears before he destroys everything that you hold dear.
