Call me old school, but I prefer the days when free speech meant a disheveled man preaching in front of the Boston Garden with a “repent or go to hell” sign.  And yes, such a person did in fact exist and was a staple at almost every concert or sporting event back in the 80’s and 90’s.  This individual posed no threat to anyone and oddly enough, actually did me a favor once by helping me score some concerts tickets when he pointed out a scalper.

Nowadays, you have a different scenario when it comes to public expression.

Like most things in these turbulent times, it gets a little more complicated.  For one, you need to be young  and easily manipulated, and you don’t necessarily have to believe in what you’re advocating for.  What you do need to do is have a willingness to expend time and energy for an ill-defined cause, embrace lawlessness, and exhibit irrational behavior.  You may deem it necessary to jeopardize the safety of the community at large, endanger the wellbeing of police officers and interfere with the daily operations of institutions of higher learning.

One other thing – you may need to clear your calendar. There will be no packing up signs at the end of the day, as you’ll  need to bring a tent and other type of makeshift building materials for the long haul.  Be prepared to spend days if not a week or so at a fixed location with a complete disdain for zoning laws.  Not to worry though, you’ll have access to plenty of food and water on your mini vacation, as the masses that surround you have come prepared.

And last but not least, it will be helpful to show a proclivity towards counterintuitive behavior, as you may need to stock up on face masks, the wearing of which seems to be an integral part of open air demonstrations.  After all, what’s an outdoor protest without a device that limits your oxygen and muffles your voice.

Get with the times and stop living in the past, as the saying goes.  But I think I’ll take a pass on this one, if you all don’t mind.

Scott Liftman is a freelance journalist who resides in Framingham