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OPINION DON���T DOOM SARASOTA TO THE ���SOUNDS OF SILENCE��� EDITORIAL In the last decade of the Cold War, a motion picture titled The Day After was released. Directed by Nicholas Meyer and starring Jason Robards, John Lithgow and Bibi Besch, it was a graphic and disturbing depiction of the aftermath of nuclear war as it affected those living near Kansas City, KS. In addition to massive casualties, radioactive fallout and the loss of every single modern convenience, their world was eerily silent. of an urban downtown, want to project on that environment a deathlike silence ��� what is euphemistically referred to by them as the ���quiet enjoyment��� of their property. Whenever we contemplate a silent urban center, it is in the tragically unnatural circumstances of a post-nuclear disaster. Perhaps that is because, after having been in urban centers around the world, we never have encountered one that truly is ���silent,��� or which would afford its denizens any sort of ���quiet With the recent escalation of the debate over enjoyment.��� Enjoyment, yes. But silence? In ���noise��� in downtown Sarasota, we were re- an urban setting, ���quiet enjoyment��� seems like minded of this film. We also recalled such an oxymoron. common sayings as ���silent as the grave��� and ���quiet as a tomb.��� It seems that complete si- Downtown Sarasota is not the heart of Manlence often is equated with death. It is in that hattan, but it is an urban metropolis. And that context we remain perplexed about those means urban noise is an inescapable accomwho, having sought a residence in the heart paniment. Traffic, sirens, construction ��� yes,