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An Analysis of the Burning Man Festival

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An Analysis of the Burning Man Festival
Burning Man: A Ticket to Free Expression

August 27, 2012, you and your friends pile into the care and you drive until you finally reach nowhere, also known as Black Rock Desert. Burning Man, a week long experience of art, exploration, freedom, and expression. When attending Burning Man there are not many rules, only a select few that are enforced. One of the enforced rules of Burning Man is that you leave the land the way you found it. If you bring it you take it. Volunteers stay weeks after Burning Man to make sure the desert is clean. Burning Man has a permit that allows up to 50,000 people to attend and this year, for the second in a row, they have sold out again. One thing that they mention to you when you get your ticket is that if they feel you can’t meet your basic needs (food, water, shelter…etc.) then they will not let you in and will ask you to turn around. People see this event as their ticket to express themselves completely with no fear of judgement. You may be thinking that people who deal with the crazy heat and harsh conditions are out of their minds but it is all part of the experience of survival and promoting being respectful of the land. How does this relate to you? Burning Man helps encourage artistic freedom and encourages unity.
The environment created by Burning Man is a free and no hate one. It allows you to express yourself in anyway you see fit without judgement. Having minimal rules and still a peaceful, non-hateful environment shows us that even with minimal rules we can all co-exist without hostility. Everyone is accepted and invited to Burning Man. You do not have to be an artist to enjoy Burning Man and its surroundings. It is a place where you can go to voice your opinion without consequence and you can also hear others opinions and maybe learn more about yourself. While out in Black Rock Desert you may learn about how others see the world and become wiser. It may seem Burning Man doesn’t affect you directly if you do not


Cited: "Burning Man :: Welcome Home." Burning Man :: Welcome Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 July 2012. <http://www.burningman.com/>. Gibson, Scott G. "BURNING WITHIN ME." Blogspot. N.p., 24 Sept. 2003. Web. 12 July 2012. <http://penguins2002burn.blogspot.com/>.
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