When a physical, mental or personality trait is so fervently expressed in your day to day life, it's not often that you question why you are the way you are. Whether it be high blood pressure, an anxious way of thinking or unexplainable violence, it's rare that your finger points to family generational curses. Perhaps it's easier to say "that's just how I am" or "there's nothing I can do about it." Generational curses like any other pestilence has whatever power you feed it. The phrase can sound like such an overbearing, powerful concept but by simply acknowledging it, the first step to overcome it has already been made. Once it's been given a name it can then be denounced. Once it is denounced, redemption and restoration can begin.

Generational curses are not bound to family blood lines only. Generational curses can carry wherever a union is made.

What is embedded in the DNA of America that has polluted our bloodline?

To acknowledge that our nation is not "heaven on Earth" is often seen as "unpatriotic" or "absurd." For many, our way of life is/was comprised of the idea that America is the gold standard for what a country and society should look like. To center our attention only on what is good about our country, undermines the hundreds of years of violence, inequality, inhumanity and explicit hatred that desperately needs to be exposed and improved upon. A true patriot is able to recognize the imperfections of our past and present and work diligently to improve them. We need to pledge allegiance to advocating for a better tomorrow, look in the face of righteousness and commit to fighting for it until political affiliations and ideologies are irrelevant. Complacency and turning a blind eye to what is so obvious and prevalent in our society pumps the toxic blood throughout our body and keeps us ill.

What must America denounce in order to begin on a track to restoration? Just like with family generational curses, sometimes the issue isn't always in your face. The trait isn't always emphasized with a white hood but rather at times minor with a subtle indifference toward someone. The problem is that the longer the trait goes without being acknowledged or denounced, the more it trickles down the bloodline, infecting more and more people.

Are we too afraid of acknowledging white supremacy?

Many times this terrorism is made synonymous to one's biological makeup therefore, equating an attack on white supremacy to an attack on white people. But if you are not able to see that an attack on white supremacy is not an attack on you, you may want to look in the mirror and ask yourself "What am I personally doing to combat this terrorism?"

When we acknowledge the role that white supremacy plays in our current climate as a nation, we are then given a choice. Either denounce it and work towards ridding it from our DNA or sit idly by as it terrorizes. More so than a civic or moral duty, it should be conviction that opens your mouth to speak against it. There is power in the tongue and when we utilize that power properly, strongholds are casted down and made powerless.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he

stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy" (Dr. Martin Luther King). In a way, King prophesied our current climate as a nation. America for sure knew challenge and controversy during the Civil Rights Movement but a lot of what we endure today in 2018 are the same demons from the 1960's that ALL of America refused to acknowledge and denounce. One could look at this 58 year time span and be discouraged, but when I look at it I am still hopeful that white supremacy will not have the final say so.

There isn't as much time left on this side of life as we sometimes like to think. America, what will we do with the time we have left? Will we allow redemption to run through our veins? Will we let the cross have the power it deserves? The answer is simple; Acknowledge it, denounce it and let the redeemer live America.