Politicians and public figures are accustomed to criticism. They may not like it, but complaints come with the job.

Over the past few years, however, we鈥檝e seen a disturbing trend. The anger has intensified, and the vitriol grown toxic.

It鈥檚 prompted at least one Lower Mainland mayor to declare that enough is enough.

John Becker, mayor of Pitt Meadows, says he鈥檒l no longer allow his character to be sullied by unfair allegations. He鈥檚 , even if it means legal action.

His anger follows news that Nicole Read, mayor of neighbouring Maple Ridge, actually missed council meetings after being alerted by RCMP that a threat had been made against her.

The source of much of this hate is social media 鈥� which can be anything but 鈥渟ocial.鈥�

Facebook and Twitter have become powerful tools in communication. Most of us use them, both personally and professionally. They鈥檙e great ways to stay informed and share thoughts and opinions.

But we鈥檝e seen far too many examples where they鈥檙e used to spread hate and harm.

And the attacks aren鈥檛 limited to politicians, says Becker.

鈥淭o see this expanding into attacks on 鈥� my business. My children are attacked, my wife is attacked.鈥�

Chilliwack is no stranger to this viciousness. In fact, Chilliwack Mayor Sharon Gaetz shut down her personal Facebook page several years ago, partly because of the anger that it drew.

Today there are several 鈥減rivate鈥� Chilliwack Facebook groups where the tone is vicious and the accusations unsubstantiated.

Sociologists have written extensively about social media and the anonymity it provides. Things people won鈥檛 say to someone鈥檚 face are freely shared and cheered online. It鈥檚 a bully mentality, and standing up to that bully only draws more hate.

On the weekend I posted John Becker鈥檚 story from the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Times on the Chilliwack Progress Facebook page. One person called him an 鈥渋diot.鈥� A couple more told him to just do his job.

Criticism in public life is nothing new. But there is no place in our public discourse for personal attacks, where the intention is not to educate or inform, but to demean and denigrate.

We won鈥檛 tolerate bullies in the schoolyard; we shouldn鈥檛 tolerate them online. We don鈥檛 accept misogynous and racists rants in person; we shouldn鈥檛 accept them online.

The common wisdom is to ignore them. 鈥淒on鈥檛 feed the trolls,鈥� is the usual advice.

But increasingly, people are starting to say that鈥檚 not enough. Celebrities are vowing to 鈥渙ut鈥� their online attackers; politicians like Mayor Becker are threatening legal action. 鈥溾��[T]hey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 says.

We should be equally resolute. Having strong opinions is what makes a democracy strong. But let鈥檚 attack the issues, not the individuals.

Greg Knill is editor of the Chilliwack Progress