City Council member Adam McFadden states, "To protest is fine, but you can't just walk down the middle of Main Street because people's lives can be put in danger" (The aftermath of the Main Street melee. October 14). 

This is Rochester, folks. I'm used to a daily work commute that requires me to swerve around people pushing grocery carts in the middle of the road, slam on my brakes to avoid pedestrians who believe crosswalks are wherever they want them to be, and always keep my eyes open for the squirrels, stray cats, and rare yet dangerous deer that love to run across the road when they see me coming. And all of this, inevitably, in torrential rain. Protesters? Pfft. That's nothing.

Watching the video footage, I was a heck of a lot less concerned about the Main Street motorists than I was about the demonstrators who were getting thrown around and beaten up by the police.

Yeah, they should have gotten a permit. Yeah, we've all been taught at a very young age not to play in the street. But failure to follow either of these lessons shouldn't result in having one's face busted open by a badge-wearing bully.

What happened to our police? When I was a kid, the police were to be revered, respected, and idolized. It was a noble profession that upheld universal morality, safety, and ethics. That was before the years passed, when I watched tape after tape of police brutality, week after week, right in my living room on the evening news. Now, when I see a cop, I can't help but frown a little and mutter a swear word - under my breath, though, so I don't get arrested.

Of course, not all cops are out there getting their jollies roughing up kids with drums. But some are. And that shouldn't tarnish the image of police as a whole. But it does. Come on, Rochester police. Fess up and apologize for once. At least admit that you overreacted. Who knows? We might even forgive you this time.

SPENCER CHRISTIANO, ROCHESTER