Funny enough, America is known as the land of the free, but ironically we are still fighting the restrictions of social enclosure. Our society spews its conformist values on anything it surrounds, and in the moment that one seems "different", we quiver. Amongst these individuals are ravers, members of a grossly misunderstood sub-culture that often encounters stereotypical generalizations. However, ravers are nothing of a menace to society, but the heart of culturally acceptable behaviours.
People typically see raves as a place to propagate unorthodox behaviour.
" Ravers must be hooligans that act wild like animals. They definitely disturb society with their fear evoking hallucinations It could only be the product of the dozens of drugs they have cocktailed within the last hour "
It sounds like something my mom would say, but this is not the case. I too at one time was a believer that nothing but bad could come from the experience of a rave. It was the propagated media images clouding my reasoning that excluded me from accepting any possibility of negotiable goodness. This was until I had the pleasure of experiencing rave culture for myself.
While in Europe this summer I had the opportunity to pass through Switzerland. Much to my disbelief, our little German bus got caught up in the streets of Zurich's annual "street-parade". Wearily, I stepped off the bus into an experience unlike anything I had envisioned before. The second largest rave in the world was invading two thirds of the city. In sneakers and jeans with a camera in hand, I