To the extent this protest and zoning appeal of the Planned Parenthood facility is rooted in property value concerns at Garden Court, we all need to take a deep breath.

Alleging adverse effect on property values doesn't necessarily mean this is happening now or will happen in the future. As a minimum, it would be appropriate to examine objective property sales and assessment data for the pre-August period, from August until the present, and for a reasonable period going forward to see if any such pattern is in evidence or seems to be emerging, before entertaining a request to revoke a prior zoning decision.

To the extent the protest and appeal might be prompted by opposition to abortion services, we all need to take two or three deep breaths.

I think I speak for all those favoring a woman's choice in her own reproductive decisions when I say that we respect and honor the opinions of those who believe abortion is morally wrong. We differ from that view without in any way seeking to derogate it or curtail the right of abortion opponents to lead their own lives according to their convictions or religious teachings. Nobody here is trying to impose abortion on any who do not wish to have such a procedure.

Our hope for those who oppose abortion on principle is that they will accord the same respect to the views of us who favor choice. Most importantly, however, we should all respect the process of those who have not yet made a decision about a pregnancy that is unwanted, perhaps even posing a threat to the health or life of the expectant mother. They should have the right to be fully informed before making that decision, and to exercise any option legally open to them.

It's O.K. if we don't all have the same viewpoint on abortion. If we can learn to stop talking past each other, but rather engage constructively on such issues, then we can enrich each other's capacity to cope with some of life's more difficult decisions, even if we do not all choose the same option. What is not O.K. is for a subset of the population to impose its opinions on all of us when there is and should be no legal basis to do so. Tolerance and pluralism have been a compelling American value for our entire history as a nation. They remain so today.

Dick Brown (electronic mail, November 10, 2004)