John Becker is angry.

The mayor of Pitt Meadows says he won鈥檛 put up with it anymore.

So if someone makes a nasty, defamatory or abusive comment on Facebook or below a news story or anywhere else in public, the lawyer-mayor says he鈥檚 going to take issue with it. He might run a correction on his own web page or maybe he鈥檒l set up a blog. If all else fails, he may file a lawsuit against those who make outrageous claims against him, although that鈥檚 not something he鈥檇 want to do.

Becker spoke out on the issue this week in a letter to The News, supporting Maple Ridge Mayor Nicole Read following a that was made against her.

Read missed five weeks of city council in April and May, after Ridge Meadows RCMP alerted her about a threat made against her.

Becker said he also gets threats and accusations the old-school way, via telephone and e-mail. For instance, he recently received a scary voice mail at night, with the call display identifying the caller.

But social media, Facebook groups in particular, is the origin of most of the hate.

Maple Ridge Coun. Tyler Shymkiw said he鈥檚 talked to other councillors who鈥檝e been in office for 20 years.

鈥淭hey do say the job has changed dramatically just over the last two years with the rise of social media.鈥�

Becker knows that politicians are supposed to have thicker skin than regular members of the public.

鈥淗owever, the volume of it is much greater and the level of viciousness is much greater. To see this expanding into attacks on 鈥� my business. My children are attacked, my wife is attacked.

鈥淚t鈥檚 mind-numbing鈥� these private Facebook groups, and there鈥檚 no such thing (as private), and they鈥檙e doing it with impunity because no one else has had the guts to call them out and make them accountable.鈥�

He said that up until now, he鈥檚 listened to the advice of his public relations and administrative staff who鈥檝e been telling him not to respond to attacks against him.

鈥淥h no, you don鈥檛 want to inflame the situation.鈥�

But that approach isn鈥檛 helping. 鈥淚t just emboldens them.

鈥淪how me that it鈥檚 decreasing the level of viciousness.鈥�

He鈥檇 rather not go the legal route and file a defamation suit, but he points out that when it comes to accusations against lawyers or accountants that question their professionalism, 鈥渢he damages for that kind of allegation are very significant.鈥�

While online abusers think they鈥檙e safe, the same rules against defamation apply online as they do in print. A statement made online, on Facebook, can lead to a lawsuit as easily as one made in print.

Becker said his letter from Wednesday鈥檚 News is getting some response and he鈥檇 like to continue the discussion with other mayors around Metro Vancouver.

鈥淚s there a role for city money to be spent on defamation action, vis a vis elected officials? I think that would be an interesting conversation.

鈥淚鈥檓 not going to sit by and I would encourage colleagues like Nicole Read, colleagues in 91原创, up country, on the Island, don鈥檛 just roll over. Challenge your communications and PR people. What are you doing? How can you help this? And they don鈥檛 have an answer.鈥�

He said female politicians have it worse because of chauvinism.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e a strong, male leader, you鈥檙e a strong male leader. If you鈥檙e a strong female leader, you鈥檙e a b...鈥�