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

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!

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!

Bill I would just like to know where leadership was...namely the governor, Minneapolis Mayor and even Attorney General Keith Ellison?

As for these opportunists, they belong to the radical group Antifa, which has just been declared domestic terrorists. By the way there is a picture of Ellison with some kind of Antifa booklet that's surfaced on the web. What they do is mix in with the otherwise peaceful protesters and then wait for a moment to strike, sort of akin to what the communists did during the Red Scare in the 1950's in the US.

And also, these provocateurs are financed by leftist billionaire George Soros, who makes even Lex Luthor look like a piker.

As for those four rogue cops, one of them was arrested, but charged only with manslaughter and 3rd degree murder...not enough...that cop should face murder if not capital murder. The other three should be declared accessories before and after the fact.

It's also time to reform training officers, including reinforcing allegiance to their oath to the US Constitution and not training from their time in the armed services, as some to most police officers spent time in them.

In it, among the Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments) is number 8...which deals with punishment.

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

.

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.

"And also, these provocateurs are financed by leftist billionaire George Soros, who makes even Lex Luthor look like a piker."

Leftist billionaire is an oxymoron.

Antifa is not a terrorist group (or even one group), nor is it in the interest of any billionaire to fund them. Fundamentally people such as Soros have reason to fear left-wing politics.

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.

I must respectfully disagree. This thread began in response to a public statement by the show's lead actress; it was not created by any participant in this Forum just on the basis of a personal view. Since it was Melissa who spoke out on this I think it can justifiably be included here. It is also titled in a way that clearly indicates it relates to current news events, so those uninterested are not "blind-sided." If you do not want to read about these matters the solution is to simply not open the thread.

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.

https://www.cbr.com/supergirl-mehcad-brooks-death-threats-james-lena-kissing

Last week Melissa did her first ever IG Live video, it was with Michelle Saahene one of the founders of From Privilege To Progress. The conversation was about anti-racism, internalized racism, complicity, and gaps in the education system that leave black people out of history. I didn't know Michelle's story and wasn't familiar with From Privilege To Progress so I'm glad Melissa starts the video by asking her to tell the story of why and how the organization started. It's almost 95 minutes so it's quite long but IMO worth the time. Throughout their talk Melissa listens a lot more than she talks but that's appropriate for the conversation they're having. I was aware that Melissa is well read but dang she reads some heavy books. You can actually see a friendship between these two women being formed in a little over an hour and a half.

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....

https://www.cbr.com/supergirl-mehcad-brooks-death-threats-james-lena-kissing

We really ought to be beyond that foolishness, although I am not at all surprised.

Of course, it is a sign of the times that someone responds by trying to get Katie kicked off the show. Geez.

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.

"And also, these provocateurs are financed by leftist billionaire George Soros, who makes even Lex Luthor look like a piker."

Leftist billionaire is an oxymoron.

Antifa is not a terrorist group (or even one group), nor is it in the interest of any billionaire to fund them. Fundamentally people such as Soros have reason to fear left-wing politics.

Apparently Fed you get your news from CNN, which like Fox News, MSNBC, the major nets, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, you name it, is propaganda for globalists. And yes there ARE liberal billionaires like Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and the Koch Brothers who claim to be republicans, but really aren't. Do some research into them on sites like Open Secrets and you will see what I mean.

Antifa is going to BE designated as a terrorist group because of what they have done to life in this country.

And for Mrs. Benoist Wood to do what she is doing, is, whether she knows it or not, giving aid to the Red Guard, a militant mob created in 1966-76 by one Mao Tse Tung and now being continued by dictator for life Xi Jenpeng in China and financed by mega-money elites, and worse it's now here in the US to destroy law and order forever in the form of Black Lives Matter and Antifa.

And I would also like to ask her, in her left-wing elite bubble in Hollywood, which is run by a lot of...fools for want of a better word...what if you or your family is attacked by someone...and you call the police...and they don't answer?

I do not trust most of what the corporate media says, which is why I go for alt-media which some call alt-right like Infowars, Breitbart, Gateway Pundit The Federalist and trust more real journalists like Sharyl Atkisson or Lara Logan though she works for Fox, and I find myself more and more watching Newsmax TV, which will go after Fox...there is alt-left (Salon, Vox, Huffington Post, Daily Kos etc). And even though watching Newsmax they will play clips of those on the far left, and every time they do or one of Fox's leftists speak I have to mute the TV because the bile they spew might make me lose my temper so much I want to yell at the TV or worse, and yes I know that won't do anything.

Progressives are really regressive people who want to destroy the concepts of democracy and the nation-state all in the name of globalism, totalitarianism and the New World Order and will tell lies to cover them up. Believe me I have family members and friends who are progressive liberals who have gone mind blind to the world around them. The Democrat party is not one of JFK, Truman or even the progressives like FDR and Wilson anymore. It has gone full communist and Hollywood and their woke mob is none too happy to further divide this country to cover up for and distract from their transgressions.

More free speech counters censorship, and as someone once told me, the answer to 1984 is 1776.

Robert Anthony, I read your piece. Although I disagree entirely with everything in it, I am not going to enter into a political discussion or a refutation of any of it. I think it speaks for itself, and everyone else is free to reach their own conclusion. But I do want to make a few related comments.

My first point is that the US is a nation of over 300 million people, and every one of us has our own story. Our wide range of life experiences has led each of us to a vision for our society and our country. The visions that some of us have may be greatly different from your own, but do not EVER imply that those differences indicate foolishness, mindlessness, lying, allegiance to any "ism," or a desire to divide or destroy our country. We are all Americans and we love our country every bit as much as you. Remember that.

Secondly, when I was working I often had subordinates come into my office, steaming over something someone else had done or said, and ready to tell them in no uncertain terms what they felt about it. My advice was always the same: write down what you are feeling right now, with all its anger, then stick it in a drawer for a day or two before we talk again. None of those memos was ever sent; cooler heads prevailed. Forgive me if I am presumptuous, but that is something you may want to consider next time you feel a rant coming on.

Last point. When I graduated high school and headed to college, my parents gave me a copy of the poem "Desiderata." I still have it, 52 years later. I recommend it.

@ 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.

Political discussions are hard, I choose not to get involved. I'll leave this topic up and for those that want to participate go ahead, but if people start accusing folks of things, very much like @RobertAnthony did in his tone for where people get their news, then you can face a ban.

You may not agree with what people are saying but you will respect their view and watch your tone. Robert, consider this a warning, and please, all, respect each other.

"Apparently Fed you get your news from CNN, which like Fox News, MSNBC, the major nets, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, you name it, is propaganda for globalists." It's the "Apparently Fed", specifically calling out another user and demeaning them in tone.

Not ok per our rules:

"Do not put other people down. We are all fans of the same show, lets support each other not bring each other down."

It is tough to maintain a civil discussion regarding deeply held beliefs. Just the other day, I was called a fascist for suggesting that people listen to what people actually say instead of assuming an entire belief system from a non-political statement.

I want to applaud the group here. Thanks for not assuming the worst about each other.