When Voices Divide: The Public Figures Who Preach Prejudice

When Voices Divide: The Public Figures Who Preach Prejudice

In a world increasingly connected by technology and torn apart by ideology, the power of public figures to shape hearts and minds is undeniable. Their words can unite or divide, heal or hurt, guide or mislead. It is this immense influence that makes it all the more alarming when such individuals—whether political leaders, media personalities, or self-proclaimed prophets of nationalism—use their platforms to sow seeds of racism, glorify violence, or trample upon the sanctity of another’s faith.

I hold a strong and unshakable disagreement with such public figures.

They may walk in suits of civility, but the language they employ often strips the veneer of social harmony. Under the garb of ‘free speech’, they peddle prejudice. Cloaked in patriotism, they demonise diversity. They draw lines in the sand where bridges should be built.

The Root of the Disagreement

My objection isn’t born out of political leaning, cultural affinity, or religious allegiance. It stems from a deeper reservoir—of lived experience, of exposure to pluralistic communities, and of a lifelong commitment to values that promote coexistence. I have seen how a single derogatory remark from a public figure can ripple through classrooms, neighbourhoods, and online platforms, leaving behind bruises no apology can erase.

History is replete with examples—when inflammatory rhetoric led to genocide, when supremacist ideologies destroyed empires, and when bigotry masqueraded as nationalism to justify colonisation, segregation, and social stratification. Those who ignore these lessons are not just rewriting history; they are condemning us to repeat it.

Faith: A Garden, Not a Battlefield

One of the greatest tragedies of our time is the weaponisation of faith. Public figures who ridicule others’ spiritual beliefs or pit one religion against another not only violate the essence of religious teachings but also insult the divine universality that runs through all of them.

True faith doesn’t need a loudspeaker. It speaks through compassion, humility, and service. To disparage another’s form of worship is akin to stepping into a garden only to pluck the flowers you like and trample the rest. It is not only disrespectful—it is sacrilege.

Violence: The Last Refuge of the Incompetent

Those who glorify violence—be it through incendiary speeches, dog whistles, or glorification of aggressive actions—forget that violence never settles a dispute; it only multiplies it. Peace, not provocation, is the measure of true leadership. As history reminds us, from the ashes of war arise not merely ruins but generations of trauma.

A Call for Collective Vigilance

It is not enough to disagree in silence. Edmund Burke aptly said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Our disagreement must translate into discourse, into dissent expressed with dignity, and into dialogues that reaffirm our common humanity.

Let us measure public figures not by their popularity or power, but by the bridges they build, the prejudices they challenge, and the peace they promote. Let us challenge those who trade in hate as if it were currency and remind them that history is a stern accountant—it records every transaction.

Speaking Truth to Power

In the final reckoning, it is not wealth, title, or trending hashtags that determine a public figure’s legacy—it is the values they leave behind in the hearts of people. I choose to stand firmly against those who poison the wells of harmony, however eloquent their speech or grand their podium. Because in the marketplace of ideas, truth may walk slowly, but it always arrives.

And when it does, it speaks softly—but carries the strength of centuries