In politics, as in life, when people take you for granted, they tend to mistreat you.

Politicians must earn our votes and support. Hillary Clinton should not assume that she has the backing of Arab Americans, simply because her opponent is Donald Trump.

Border and airport harassment, the bloated No Fly and Terrorist Watch lists, mass surveillance, entrapment and discrimination by local municipalities and hate crime are real problems faced by Arab and Muslim Americans.

This community has specific issues. If candidates want Arab and Muslim Americans’ support, they should address those matters. Bernie Sanders did it and it paid off. The Arab vote delivered Michigan to the Vermont senator, which helped keep him in the race and deliver his ideas to the American public.

Clinton, on the other hand, has continually ignored this community. The former secretary of state has been outspoken in condemning Islamophobia. But we do not need lip service. We need tangible policy changes.

Inviting the parents of fallen Muslim American Captain Humayun Khan to speak at the Democratic National Convention was a great gesture. It humanized Muslim Americans’ struggles and demonstrated their sacrifices to this nation, their nation.

The Khans shared the DNC podium with former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose police department was sending undercover informants to spy en masse on the Muslim community in the city and surrounding suburbs.

Clinton spoke in Warren on Thursday. Sterling Heights, which denied a mosque project on discriminatory grounds, was less than 10 minutes away.

The Democratic nominee is not speaking to Arab and Muslim issues and a “happy Ramadan” tweet won’t do it.

On foreign policy, it is hard to ask presidential candidates to side with Arab Americans, primarily because the community does not have a unified position on the chaos across the Middle East. However, when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, virtually all Arab Americans call for ending the occupation and advocate for the freedom of the Palestinian people.

We understand that Washington politicians have little room for dissent against the United States’ support for Israel. However, acknowledging that Palestinians have human rights and supporting the already existing American policy against settlement expansion should come at little political cost.

Clinton, as both secretary of state and a presidential candidate, has shown to be a fierce proponent of the Zionist state, even at the expense of American interests. In party platform committee meetings, her delegates blocked attempts by Sanders’ supporters to urge an end to the occupation of the West Bank.

Disastrous Republican policies over the past 15 years and the terrifying rise of Trump have pushed many Arab Americans to Clinton’s camp.

Arab and Muslim Americans’ support should not be politically free.

Blindly voting for Democrats would not only be like putting our eggs in one basket, it would be the equivalent of giving away our eggs for nothing.

Clinton cannot count on the Trump factor alone if she wants the votes of Arabs and Muslims.  There will be third party candidates on the ballot. Abstaining could also be a form of protest.

It is too early for The Arab American News to endorse any candidates. However, this community should not be taken for granted.