Together, we write to speak out against the Muslim and refugee ban. It doesn’t reflect the America we all know. It does reflect a know-it-all, elitist view from the White House, one that makes generalizations by group rather than considering the merit of the individual.
We write with different stories. One of us is a small business owner, the other a former legal aid lawyer now serving in the state Senate. One of us came to New Hampshire from war-torn Syria, the other from Iowa. One of us became a U.S. citizen this past fall, the other almost 40 years ago. One of us is Muslim, the other is Catholic.
Yet, we have much in common. We are friends. We are both fortunate to be married to amazing women. We both care deeply about honesty, hard work and community. We both love America as a place of freedom and opportunity for everyone, regardless of one’s background.
That’s the America we know. A place where a Syrian Muslim can be safe and free, can start his own small business, share his culture and food, and can succeed. A place where the son of a factory worker and a receptionist can be the first in his family to get a law degree and to serve in public office.
We are the land of the free and the home of the brave. Nothing about this ban shows bravery, it only displays weakness. Nothing about this ban embraces freedom, it only enhances targeted oppression. He may call this “America First,” but our long-held American values are coming in last.
We are thankful to the judge appointed by President George W. Bush who halted this un-Constitutional ban. We are thankful for our top law enforcement officer, Attorney General Joe Foster, who spoke out against the ban, saying: “Targeting immigrants and others because of their national origin or faith violates that core principle and ignores our history as a nation of immigrants.” And we are thankful for Republicans and Democrats across the country who denounced the ban, including Republican governors in neighboring Massachusetts and Vermont.
Still, New Hampshire’s governor, Chris Sununu, has taken a much different approach. Gov. Sununu has said he thinks the ban is “definitely not un-American.” Gov. Sununu has refused to commit to protecting all Granite Staters – regardless of their background – from these actions of this federal government.
If we want a New Hampshire that helps attract the workers and businesses of tomorrow, and if we want to stand up for the America we all know, then it’s time for more state leaders, including the governor, to finally denounce this ban.
(Ahmad Aissa is owner of Aissa Sweets, a Syrian bakery in Concord. Dan Feltes is state Senator for Concord, Henniker, Hopkinton and Warner.)