Like other communities in our region, Portsmouth faces a big-box battle. The Town Council passed a temporary moratorium on June 11 on more big-box stores. The specific aim was to stop or at least delay a proposed Target store while town citizens and their leaders debate what they want the character of their town to be.

A Target lawyer, Robert Silva, complained that the meeting, which was attended by more than 200 citizens, was an example of “mob rule.” Council Vice President James Seveney countered that the meeting was “orderly,” with “clear discussion” of the issues. “Everyone behaved very well,” he said. Indeed, a meeting where at least 50 people agree to leave and watch through the windows because the fire-code limit is 140 is hard to characterize as “mob rule.”

If Mr. Silva thinks that inveighing against “mob rule” can blunt what he considers a rogue council, that’s his right. Citizens who disagree can write letters to the editor, and otherwise carry on the debate.

What is happening in Ports-mouth is what has happened recently in Tiverton, Hopkinton and other suburban and exurban towns facing similar decisions. Citizens gather at their places of public assembly and try to persuade their elected leaders to do what citizens want. Sometimes they are noisy, even angry. That’s okay, as long as they obey the rules. Sometimes the council, feeling the pressure, passes a moratorium for which no provision exists in the town charter, and gets denounced as “mob rule.” That’s part of the process, too — and so is the lawsuit that might be initiated to block the moratorium.

Portsmouth’s comprehensive plan describes its character as “semi-rural,” and by law the Town Council must protect that character. But citizens who think that Portsmouth needs more jobs and tax revenue have a right to push the council to water down its protection of that character, and maybe change it someday. And if it does, citizens who like peace and quiet more than jobs and tax revenue have a right to boot the incumbents out of office. (We’d be sympathetic if Portsmouth decided to keep out more ugly big-box stores, with their wind-swept parking lots.)

That’s democracy! We imagine that a town’s character will always be a moving target in the cross-hairs of progress. As it should be. You want your town to be the town you want? Then participate! We do. So should you.