Melissa’s response to recent events - Warning this thread contains political subject matter

Probably not - but what if the lead character is in fact susceptible to the disease (but assumes at first that she isn't)? What if the Earth virus came in contact with a kryptonite meteorite, and picked up some Kryptonian DNA (or RNA), which it incorporated into its own genome?
Hmmm... now *that* might be an intriguing story line!

Or what if Kara was still impervious but asymptomatic. We saw in 'Childish Things' and 'Bunker Hill' that she can be affected by unusual particles in concentrated doses.

1. 'Childish Things' she had to clear her throat for a while after inhaling Toyman's gas
   
2. 'Bunker Hill' she was temporarily stunned by Manchester Black's Moondust
   

What if Kara has to realise the need to wear a mask when rescuing people, especially if the reason she realises this need is due to the after effect on a previous rescue. This would not contradict her opinion on mask wearing in 'The Darkest Place'.

It is a tricky direction for writers to go and they would have to be very sensitive in their writing. On the one hand it may help to educate those that still don't seem to understand how serious the current pandemic situation is. On the other hand if mishandled it could upset people who are directly affected.

It is always a pleasure to communicate with the members of this website, please stay safe.

This is a beautiful statement from our Supergirl.

As a life long resident of Minneapolis, I am utterly disgusted by these four police officers. One coldly suffocated an unarmed man who was merely a suspect of a non-violent offense, was handcuffed, and who offered no resistance. That officer has been charged with murder and manslaughter. Meanwhile the other three stood by as George Floyd pleaded for his life and finally died, and they did nothing to help him or stop his torture. They are still free, but I hope they too face charges. It is simply horrible. Where was their humanity?

The actions of these four have triggered demonstrations, rage, and violence in my city and the whole country. The demonstrations and rage I can understand. The violence is inexcusable and has largely been the work of a small group of opportunists who are only out to commit mayhem. I am happy to say it appears to have been quelled tonight, at least in Minneapolis. I hope the same is true in other cities. But unless we all work together to end racism and bigotry, this will happen again. We all have to do so much better. Melissa's message is a great starting point. I am so proud of her!

I’m pleased with the upgrade in the charges against Derek Chauvin and the filing of charges against the other three former officers. It seems the prosecutor is committed to the most serious charges possible. I don’t know if this is really the incident that will really change things but it seems the needle is moving in the right direction. This isn’t going to be fixed with prayers or a hope speech. We all need to do as Alex told Mon-El in S2E6 “stand up”. How you chose to do that is up to you but IMO doing nothing isn’t an option.

I’ve attended two protests and at both events the protestors were entirely peaceful. At one event the cops were peaceful too; they mingled and talked respectfully to us. At the other event the cops stood in a line and didn’t engage with us, there was a moment where I feared the cops would attack but thankfully it didn’t happen. I’m appalled at the reports of tear gas being used; substances that are banned for use in war should NEVER be used by my fellow citizens against my fellow citizens. IMO by and large it’s the cops causing problems not the protestors.

Can I politely ask that comments on this subject be taken elsewhere (like news websites and forums). Don't come to this website to read about current events which are all over the news.

This is Supergirl.tv not cnn.tv.

Please consider deleting this thread.

It’s why the “off topic” forum exists, which this thread is in.

As a side note, why are people everywhere so averse to talking politics? It directly determines life and how the world is run in a way that impacts everyone. It's probably actually one of the most universally relevant things people can discuss, and in times like these, very important to have dialogue about.

Melissa's messages have been heartfelt and strong, totally Melissa.

As far as what we are seeing. Revolution is rough, it's not pretty, it is not within the law sometimes, our country's history shows this. This Revolution is no different, this tipping point is no different now than those throughout our history. What IS DIFFERENT is the wide range of people we see in the streets protesting...and I think like Melissa, like myself it has made us take a look in the mirror and really look at our own wokeness. I found I was not as "woke" as I believed. This teacher, will listen more and speak less in my classroom. My students have a story to tell. I am recording interviews with ex-students and letting them tell their stories as a way to hopefully give my students this year the power to tell theirs.

Thank you Melissa for showing me really how important those stories are....

Peace guys and gals....

This is one of the reasons I love Supergirl and the other Arrowverse shows. They have no fear in discussing and challenging political and social issues. Fedguy you are right, these issues are universal, they affect us in Ireland too along with most if not all other country's around the globe. Included within the fun and escapism of a superhero show is real messages pushing the audience to think hard about who they want to be as individuals to improve the world around us. I hope the show producers, writers, cast etc. keep on doing this in the seasons to come.

It’s why the “off topic” forum exists, which this thread is in.

As a side note, why are people everywhere so averse to talking politics? It directly determines life and how the world is run in a way that impacts everyone. It's probably actually one of the most universally relevant things people can discuss, and in times like these, very important to have dialogue about.

@ RobertAnthony,

The poem superbill referred to is found in the link below. Very much worth reading. Also very relevant in today's world, equally so as when it was originally written.

Look into it.

Kiwi, I agree with you about this website being a place where fans can talk about Supergirl safely and I believe this can be preserved while including any healthy conversation where Supergirl (both Kara and Melissa) raises important issues.

In your About Supergirl.tv statement there's a part that reads "a place where fans can talk about Supergirl safely" which I really like as this website being a little piece of the internet dedicated to the character of Supergirl. In joining this website the one subject I didn't want to read or discuss is Politics as I know it's not a very safe subject.

It may seem strange to say this, however, thank you for having the exact opposite opinion to mine. It is a good demonstration of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations (I am borrowing that phrase from Star Trek). A philosophy that is still sadly lacking in today’s society and a societal issue where change is drastically needed.

To clear out any possible bias on my part, I am an Irish citizen registered to vote in my own country. I am proud of my countries stance on neutrality and guns (I hate guns; thankfully they are banned in Ireland and our ‘An Garda Síochána’ (‘Guardians of the Piece’ - e.g. Cops) don’t use them). I am aware that I don’t have the right to push any American towards any political point of view and I would not do this (that includes my opinion on your second amendment), however American history and politics is very interesting when observing from an outside and neutral point of view and I find it especially interesting to see how fictional worlds such as Supergirl’s Earth 38 and now Earth Prime can have stories reflecting our own Earths Social issues. Did I just border on hyperreality here?

Putting all politics aside for a second, it is clear from the two videos on this forum that Melissa is trying to do something good for society (which we should all be listening to and learning from) and in doing so she is mirroring Kara’s will to act such as in episodes like Season 2's 'Exodus'. The video posted here by Brierrose is an hour and a half long. I approached it intending on watching it over multiple sittings, but I got hooked and saw it in one session.

Back to Social and Political issues, it is important to note in discussions such as this one that Superman from the very beginning 1938 has always tackled political and social issues. The idea that both are journalists (Clark in the Daily Planet and now Kara in CatCo Worldwide Media) lends itself to these issues. It is part of Clark’s and by extension Kara’s history from Superman’s first action comics pages through his WWII “propaganda” (I wish I had a word with less negative connotations for this). The Fleischer/Famous Studios cartoons featured some politics and the Radio Show famously broadcast the story “Clan of the Fiery Cross” which was recently made in into a beautifully written and drawn three part periodical “Superman Smashes the Klan”. The NerdSync YouTube Channel has a very good presentation about that particular Radio Show story https://youtu.be/LUOODp8PQac.

I'm pretty much the exact opposite. I have a strong dislike for politics in the Arrowverse shows that I watch and it's sad for me to say that Supergirl is the worst of them all for it's politics. The Politics sucks a lot of enjoyment out of the show and even the enjoyment of being a part of this website. I'm all about the fantasy when it comes to Supergirl (the character) and her Superheroic moments are what keeps me watching, it's definitely not political commentary. I wouldn't have watched this show past it's trailer if it didn't like Supergirl so much (which was pretty much the case with Batwoman, a character I'm not really interested in and after reading the Synopsis and watching the Trailer I definitely saw there was nothing for me and haven't watched a single second and never will)

@Erie EL

Putting all politics aside for a second, it is clear from the two videos on this forum that Melissa is trying to do something good for society (which we should all be listening to and learning from) and in doing so she is mirroring Kara’s will to act such as in episodes like Season 2's 'Exodus'. The video posted here by Brierrose is an hour and a half long. I approached it intending on watching it over multiple sittings, but I got hooked and saw it in one session.

I had a similar experience when I found the video. When I saw how long it was I wasn't planning to watch it in one sitting but I wound up staying up later than usual to watch the whole thing in one go because I was hooked. This type of thing is nothing new for Melissa and makes me proud she's our Supergirl.

@Kelly

Melissa's messages have been heartfelt and strong, totally Melissa.

As far as what we are seeing. Revolution is rough, it's not pretty, it is not within the law sometimes, our country's history shows this. This Revolution is no different, this tipping point is no different now than those throughout our history. What IS DIFFERENT is the wide range of people we see in the streets protesting...and I think like Melissa, like myself it has made us take a look in the mirror and really look at our own wokeness. I found I was not as "woke" as I believed. This teacher, will listen more and speak less in my classroom. My students have a story to tell. I am recording interviews with ex-students and letting them tell their stories as a way to hopefully give my students this year the power to tell theirs.

Thank you Melissa for showing me really how important those stories are....

These conversations are hard, messy, and uncomfortable but they are very very necessary. Like Melissa and others I've also been examining my own Wokeness. I've determined I still have learning to do. While I've never denied that racism exists or that it's roots run deep in my country my actions against it were/are inadequate. I need to listen a lot more read more then use that knowledge to take action. As a white woman I have a part to play in this revolution. When we talk about how society treats women I need to invite the experiences of all women into that conversation, women of color should not have to ask to be included. A friend of mine, who is a white woman, was asked to step between the police and POC at a protest she attended. She told me about locking eyes with a cop who had hatred in his eyes. The protests that I've attended have either had no police presence or a respectful police presence. I hope if I'm ever asked to step forward, like my friend was, that in the moment I'd put aside my own discomfort and fear to let my actions speak what's in my heart.

WARNING this post is extremely political. Since it’s an interview that Melissa did I believe it has a place in the forum.

I debated for over a week weather to post this and what’s happened in the past two days has made my decision. Over the past couple of days I’ve felt anxious and scared. I’ve never struggled with anxiety before even over the past seven months of this pandemic but the past two days have done me in. Some of the issues discussed in the interview are the ones feeding my anxiety. I feel the need to reach out to my fellow humans in any and all forms.

Melissa interviewed Representative Karen Bass through IG on October 16th. They start by taking about the violence against women act, which was allowed to expire, and move on to have an informed and intelligence talk on other issues.



Not unexpectedly Melissa received some nasty negative comments for this IG live interview. While I don’t believe celebrities political views are more important than the views of us regular people they have the same rights to express their opinions as everyone else. I disagree with those who told her to shut up and entertain. To me if you can’t come up with something better than shut up and entertain it means you can't present a factual and well thought out counter argument.

Quoting Brierrose: "While I don’t believe celebrities political views are more important than the views of us regular people they have the same rights to express their opinions as everyone else."

This is so true and thanks for stating it, though it should be obvious to everyone. It is disturbing that many people seem to believe that the only people deserving of freedom of speech are those who they agree with, and also that celebrities forfeit that right just because they are celebrities. This is nonsense, and you are correct in saying that people who say such things have no factual counter argument. Plus they are emboldened by the anonymity of the internet.

Hang in there, Brierrose. This too shall pass. Truth and justice always win out in the end.

Well @RobertAnthony at least you didn’t say shut up and entertain so credit to you for that. I disagree with what you said. I generally have a non engagement policy with folks such as yourself, once someone believes in conspiracy theories it’s no use, but you insulted my home state and I’m feeling salty tonight.

1) California is not a “ tyrannical totalitarian run state”, I should know because I live there and you don’t. What makes you say that, is it because our Governor listens to scientists that he celebrates good news but doesn’t downplay bad news that he’s not afraid to tell Disney that no it’s not safe to open a huge theme park during a pandemic that he doesn’t pretend coronavirus is going to magically go away. Is Governor Newsom perfect of course not nobody is but he will admit when he is wrong and do his best to correct the mistake. I’ve never once doubted that he is an empathetic person who has and will continue to put the good of the state first. My particular part of the state The Bay Area is doing well right now the curve is staying flat as we very cautiously and slowly loosen some restrictions. We’ve worked together for the common good and the majority of us believe in listening to scientists. We’re also not afraid to put restrictions back on if necessary. California has developed a transparent tier system if a country slips for a week it moves to a more restrictive tier and it takes two consecutive weeks with numbers in a less restrictive tier for a country to move down. California is the largest and most populous state in the US if it were a country it would be the 5th or 6th largest economy in the world. California contributes more money to the Federal government than any other state and gets back much less than we pay in. Please kindly refrain from insulting my home state, I don’t insult yours.

2) I’ve been to several BLM marches and I’m pretty sure you don’t understand what the movement is about. It’s not saying Black Lives Matter more than others but that Black lives are in danger in circumstances where other lives aren’t. As a white woman during the few encounters I’ve had with the police not for a second did I think my life was in danger, unfortunately that’s not true for Black people. My parents never had to teach me how to make others not be afraid of me just because of how I look. As a girl my parents did have to teach me how to deal with among several things catcalling and how to say no to a man in a way that still insured my safety. BLM is a civil rights movement and history shows that rights are not won simply by asking those in power nicely. If simply asking for rights worked we wouldn’t have needed to fight the British in the American Revolution. If simply asking for nicely for equality worked women wouldn’t have had to go on hunger strikes to get the right to vote. If simply asking nicely for equality worked Black people wouldn’t have had to fight for the right to vote.

3) Antifa is in my opinion a convenient boogeyman for the justification of racist ideas and policies.

@superbll thanks for the encouragement but I’ve been around long enough to know that in the real world truth and justice don’t always win out in the end.

I understand why some would run far, far away from a thread of this nature. I am proud of Melissa for taking a stand, and though I cannot say that I run as liberal as she does on many issues, it is her right to speak her mind and use the platforms she has to put forth the ideas and thoughts that she has. I know that she probably went through many nights of anxiety making the decision to do the Bass IG interview. I suffer from anxiety and it is truly a heartstopping mental challenge, she did a great job with the interview. I'm glad it was posted here because I missed some of the end because the interview froze on me. I am a proud SJW, and I proudly voted for Biden/Harris....I however have many family members, most in fact that do not hold to the same political ideology that I do. So I understand how some run from any and all political discussions.

I am at the moment, having to deal with family issues because of the political climate. An act of just sending a song to my niece sent her into a fury and let me know that my act of "reaching the across the aisle" was not welcome. That actually wasn't what I was doing, it had nothing political behind the song, simply a song that came up on my podcast while I was thinking of how unhappy I knew my family was on Saturday and how I wished we could all celebrate together but I knew that would not happen. So I sent a song that symbolized my love for them, and the fact that screw politics I loved them. But, in today's political climate, it was not taken that way. My heart breaks for my family my heart breaks for my country....though you could say, my "man/woman" won......I don't feel much like a winner right now. I have argued quite a bit over the past few years here and other places standing as a proud SJW feminist woman. I am still all of that......but with a broken heart. I'm tired of fighting, I'm tired of debating who is right and who is wrong. I'm tired of conspiracy theories, lies and media being what people follow rather than their hearts and doing what they know is right, and BTW I have to put myself in that category as well. America is broken and I'm tired of the blame game. I truly believe our country has been wounded beyond recognition, but I also believe that EVERYTHING is now out on the table.....all the dirty laundry. So what do we do now?

My hope is that this show, and others will be the light to show us what is truly important and its not a political ideology, it is integrity, honesty, thoughtfulness, kindness and empathy. I have to be very honest, I do not see that in the near future, or even in the next 4 years....I'm not sure that I will see that country again in my lifetime. So though people would say...."well, I hope your happy......you won." None of this is about winning, it is about being better people. I can only strive to do that in my own life, so today.....no arguing over political ideology, no carrying my SJW banner, just me hoping for a better tomorrow. I will spend the rest of my days hoping for that, and living my life in a way that I am a light for those things, not a bell ringer for the politician I agree with.

Sincerely,
A human being, no label, just me.

I think Melissa and many others, myself included, are realizing that we fell under the latin phrase “Qui tacet consentire videtur”, meaning your silence is your consent. I think we are just finding our voice. Sometimes that "voice" in its infancy is very loud. I see it becoming more specific, strong, and much more organized in its delivery.

Some will agree, some will disagree....that is the beauty of this "Republic".

I don't hold Melissa's voice up above anyone else's, but her platform certainly is one that can deliver a strong message. We ALL should speak to our representatives more often. I found this out the hard way. I spoke to my Representatives at the State and Federal level about school's opening. They had not heard from any other teachers, that made me angry and I put it out there......they are hearing from us now, and we saw changes being made... we live in a time where “Qui tacet consentire videtur” cannot be allowed to exist. This is such a time.

This will be my last response on this particular subject. It will be interesting to see how "Supergirl" takes on today's news events. It's kind of funny actually, if you look back over the last few seasons......"Supergirl" has already taken on the events of today.

"Or what if Kara was still impervious but asymptomatic. We saw in 'Childish Things' and 'Bunker Hill' that she can be affected by unusual particles in concentrated doses."

Yes, but if Kara is not really in much serious danger herself, there isn't much dramatic tension. After all, she's the protagonist. That was one of the criticisms that people were making about my early attempts at writing Supergirl fan fiction. Since then, I've been careful not to allow Kara to seem too invulnerable or "overpowered". Actually, I deliberately lowered her power and vulnerability levels to something closer to the Golden Age Superman. (Otherwise, it's hard for human villains to pose much of a real threat to her.)

Anyway, for this story - maybe Lex Luthor (or another major high-tech villain) gets an early look at the new virus, and identifies segments of Kryptonian DNA sequences in it. But Kara doesn't know that, and just figures it's a typical Earth virus, and that it won't affect her. When the villains use it against her, she is clearly taken by surprise. Then it's up to the Supergirl Team - with Kara at the helm - to figure out how to defeat this new threat (both to her and to the human population), and possibly how to turn it against the villains. As Shakespeare put it, "hoist with his own petard" - always an excellent dramatic device!

"It is always a pleasure to communicate with the members of this website, please stay safe."

Same to you!

. "A story line with a disease related pandemic where main character would be impervious to the disease IMO isn’t a good fit"

Probably not - but what if the lead character is in fact susceptible to the disease (but assumes at first that she isn't)? What if the Earth virus came in contact with a kryptonite meteorite, and picked up some Kryptonian DNA (or RNA), which it incorporated into its own genome?
Hmmm... now *that* might be an intriguing story line!

Stewart, do I sense a new fan story brewing?

Robert Anthony, As you asked some questions in your post, I thought I should respond. But before I do, I want to emphasize that we keep the focus on Melissa's message and the need for change, and less on what has happened and who is at fault.

Yes, authorities were unprepared for something that blew up very quickly, and there undoubtedly will be an assessment coming. But any determination of fault is premature. Also, Minneapolis was only the first; many other cities have had similar problems even with advanced warning of a day or two. So I think it likely, as you suggest, that some organized groups may move around the country seeking to create chaos.

Regarding Attorney General Ellison and Mr. Soros, I am not going to get into web conspiracies. The web is filled with trash and I want nothing to do with it.

I think we all know that convicting police of crimes has historically been very difficult. This act, horrific as it was, would be very hard to charge at a higher level, due to lack of premeditation. So under the circumstances the charges filed not only seem appropriate but may also have the greatest chance for a successful prosecution. Overcharging could well result in an acquittal. Also, Minnesota does not have capital punishment, so that is not an option.

"It's also time to reform training officers..." I absolutely agree. I think there is a culture in many PDs that needs to be completely overhauled, and it starts with training.

There is much to be done by the authorities, but as Melissa says we all have a role to play to see those changes are made correctly, and that starts by changing our own behaviors. If we all do that, the rest will follow.

Robert Anthony, As you asked some questions in your post, I thought I should respond. But before I do, I want to emphasize that we keep the focus on Melissa's message and the need for change, and less on what has happened and who is at fault.

Yes, authorities were unprepared for something that blew up very quickly, and there undoubtedly will be an assessment coming. But any determination of fault is premature. Also, Minneapolis was only the first; many other cities have had similar problems even with advanced warning of a day or two. So I think it likely, as you suggest, that some organized groups may move around the country seeking to create chaos.

Regarding Attorney General Ellison and Mr. Soros, I am not going to get into web conspiracies. The web is filled with trash and I want nothing to do with it.

I think we all know that convicting police of crimes has historically been very difficult. This act, horrific as it was, would be very hard to charge at a higher level, due to lack of premeditation. So under the circumstances the charges filed not only seem appropriate but may also have the greatest chance for a successful prosecution. Overcharging could well result in an acquittal. Also, Minnesota does not have capital punishment, so that is not an option.

"It's also time to reform training officers..." I absolutely agree. I think there is a culture in many PDs that needs to be completely overhauled, and it starts with training.

There is much to be done by the authorities, but as Melissa says we all have a role to play to see those changes are made correctly, and that starts by changing our own behaviors. If we all do that, the rest will follow.

You're 100% correct @superbill lets focus on what Melissa said, changing our own behavior because things need to change and they won't unless we all take responsibility for our own actions. I agree that the charges are correctly calculated by the prosecution, hard to go higher without any evidence of premeditation. I would like to see the other three former officers charged as accessories but I understand how that may be a hard sell right now. When/If Derek Chauvin is found guilty of murder then Tau Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng are IMO accessories anyone of them could've and should've stopped George Floyd's death.

Melissa appears to be a beautiful person offscreen as well as onscreen. She also showed support for her former Glee costar (Samantha Ware) for the difficulty she had on the show with Lea Michele.

Just a followup: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who was placed in charge of the investigation over the weekend, has raised the charge to second degree murder against the officer already in custody. He has also charged the other three officers with aiding and abetting a homicide. Minnesota's Governor Tim Walz has also ordered a state investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department for evidence of systemic racism, which will look into not just this case but the last 10 years.