Focus on what’s best for our country

The 2016 presidential campaign was brutal for many Americans, including the candidates and their families. Regardless of who voted for whom, we must heal, support one another, unite, and focus on what is best for our country. We must acknowledge that basic concerns for many Americans are ongoing social and economic inequality, feeling they are left behind by society and by Washington's never-ending gridlock. According to the Stanford Center on poverty and inequality:

* Over the last 30 years, wage inequality has dramatically increased to levels not seen since before the Great Depression, with clear increases in the gap between compensations of CEOs and the average worker. Only college graduates have seen growth in median weekly earning since 1979.

* About 750,000 Americans are homeless on a given night in this country. Disproportionately, they are male, black, middle-aged, veterans, people with disabilities, and children. Twenty-one percent of our country's children live in poverty.

We must reverse this damaging trend and assure that all Americans have access to affordable health care, livable wages, quality education, adequate job training, and an opportunity for college education without huge debts.

The unfortunate reality is that America is divided. Our youth are adversely impacted. There is deep hurt, fear, and sorrow in many communities of color and other underrepresented populations.

President Abraham Lincoln reminded us that 'A house divided against itself will not stand.” In an Oct. 4, 1862 speech at Frederick, Md., he said, 'May our children and our children's children to a thousand generations, continue to enjoy the benefits conferred upon us by a united country, and have cause yet to rejoice under those glorious institutions bequeathed us by Washington and his compeers.”

FBI statistics indicate that hate crimes against Muslims have increased 67 percent since 2015. Overall, hate crimes have increased by 6 percent across the nation.

President-elect Donald Trump's transition team member, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, told Reuters that the Trump administration-in-waiting is considering reinstating NSEERS - the failed Bush-era database of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries. Incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus added on NBC's 'Meet The Press” that the president-elect's team is not planning to create a Muslim registry, but would not rule anything out. As a candidate, Trump advocated for the registration of Muslim Americans. Such suggested policies should be deeply sobering and concerning to all Americans.

As outgoing-President Dwight D. Eisenhower said in his 1961 farewell speech to the nation, 'Our people expect their President and the Congress to find essential agreement on questions of great moment, the wise resolution of which will better shape the future of the nation. Throughout America's adventure in free government, such basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among peoples and among nations. To strive for less would be unworthy of a free and religious people.”

Alexander Hamilton said, 'The truth is, after all the declamations we have heard, the Constitution is itself, in every rational sense, and to every useful purpose, A BILL OF RIGHTS.”

America, we must heed these timeless words to continue being the light and moral authority of the world.

' Shams Ghoneim of Iowa City is coordinator of the Iowa chapter of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. Comments: shamsghoneim@mchsi.com