We followed with great interest President Obama’s trip this week to Cuba, scrutinizing closely his reception not only by the Cuban people, but by that nation’s leaders.

For decades, the United States and Cuba have turned their backs on one another, like estranged brothers, as the president said, but with the same blood.

For the first time in more than 80 years, a sitting U.S. president stepped on Cuban soil and brought a message of peace, cooperation and reconciliation. In these serious times of global terrorism and uncertainty, we need such overtures of goodwill.

Time will show whether the president’s visit will result in more significant changes than Starwood hotels, ballgames with professional U.S. teams and Carnival Cruise Line ships dropping anchor and providing tourists to spend dollars in the Caribbean island nation.

While President Obama’s message about democracy and personal self-determination was heard there by the communist leadership and the people alike, Americans also must hear the message Cuban President Raul Castro imparted to us.

How can we, the United States, lecture the Cuban government and the Cuban people about human rights violations and political prisoners when the human rights of scores of Americans are snuffed out in fatal encounters with police. In 2015 alone, more than 1,100 people were killed by police in this bastion of democracy. We don’t need to list the names of the many unarmed African-American men and women who are among that alarming count.

Similarly, how can we urge them to make human rights reforms when we don't provide universal health care for our people and equal pay for women, both of which are the norm in Cuba.

When President Obama pushed on freedom of speech, assembly and religion, President Castro pushed back with questions about when the U.S. plans to end the economic embargo against Cuba and close the prison we operate on Cuba’s shores at Guantanamo. It’s like the country of Costa Rica building and operating a military base and prison on the shores of Virginia Beach. What sense does that make?

President Obama took office on a promise to close the U.S. base at Guantanamo, where prisoners have been held for years — many without formal charges — all in violation of the constitutional principles we say we believe in. Despite congressional opposition, we believe he has authority to close the base as commander in chief of the military.

The scales by which we measure ourselves and others are lopsided. We need to recognize that and remove the log from our own eye.

We urge President Obama to close Guantanamo, give Cuba its land back, end the embargo — and get on with it before his term ends in January.