There’s nothing wrong with criticism of public officials. It’s not only constitutionally protected but it can be productive. It’s part of the decision-making process. It provides public feedback for the elected and appointed volunteers who decide policy, spending and the rules of law in a community.

But abuse is not the same as criticism. It’s hurtful and it’s never warranted.

There are more than three dozen seats on the borough assembly, school board, port commission, planning and zoning commission, parks and recreation advisory board, convention and visitor bureau board and economic development board. They are all unpaid positions and all of the members are part of the community, trying their best to make good decisions.

Not all of their decisions make all of the people happy all of the time, and maybe not even most of the people happy most of the time. But making people happy is not their job. Considering the laws, listening to public testimony, reviewing staff reports and voting — that’s their job.

And if people don’t like it, they can vote for someone else in the next election or step up and volunteer to serve on any of the commissions or boards appointed by the borough assembly.

What the public should not do is call out insults from the audience at a public meeting when they don’t like how someone votes.

That’s what happened at the Nov. 4 planning and zoning commission, when members voted 3-1 to deny a conditional-use permit for the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska’s Tidal Network, which wants to put up a telecommunications tower near 13-Mile Zimovia Highway.

Commission Chair Terri Henson was the only vote in favor of the permit. As soon as she said “yes” during the roll call, someone in the audience shouted out “shameful.”

The audience was heavily against the tower and said so during public testimony. That was their chance to speak. Henson and the other commissioners deserved their time to discuss, debate and vote on the permit application, without having to endure an outburst from the audience.

The job is tough enough without bad behavior.

No one has to thank board and commission and assembly members for all their decisions, but they deserve thanks for serving.

Disagree with their decisions, but do it respectfully.