Mark Z. Barabak: Shutting up the bullies and other bad actors, so democracy can thrive

At the annual meeting of the League of California Cities, members were presented with a detailed report titled "Dealing With Disruptive Members of the Public."

It included a history of dissent, a listing of several recommended actions and a typology of the protesters known to show up at City Hall: The meeting wreckers. The character assassins. The amateur city attorneys. ("I've conducted my own legal research.")

That was 20 years ago.

In other words, the presence of outspoken citizens forcefully sharing their deep and abiding unhappiness with civic leaders is hardly new. It can