Catalonia considers banning bullfighting - what do you think?

[The Sheriff]

The vote in Catalonia was only taken as a slight to the rest of Spain - and if those who did not vote but abstained - had voted the motion would have probably been lost.

As it is there is now a dispute in the area as to whether the vote was legal or not ?

[cantabrian]

like it or not like it, it is their culture !! BUT i do disagree with the one sided battle PUT THE MAN WITH CAPE AGAINST THE BULL nobody else in the RING MAYBE A BETTER RESULT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(BULLS 3----MATADORS 1)

[The Sheriff]

Cantabrian, Yes it is the Spanish culture and whether to ban it or not is a decision that should be taken by the Spanish people only - not by Brits who get upset at the slightest harm done to animals.

As to it being one to one in the arena these animals are so vicious that there would soon be no Matadors left - that is why they have to be weakened first by the Picadors and the Bandaleros - the whole idea behind the display is that Man in the form of the Matador should overcome Evil in the form of the most dangerous thing that roamed Spain in the past the Fighting Bull.

These Bulls do not have to be goaded into attacking - they are on the attack on anything that moves from the moment they are released into the ring.

If it is Banned in Andalucia or any other part of Spain which I very much doubt it will be - what will happen to the 1,000's of Bulls which are alive today - will the petition signers like to have one as a pet ?

Having worked in a UK slaughterhouse at the age of 10 and killed many animals myself - albeit for the food chain - I am used to seeing animals bleeding to death so maybe I have a different outlook on this subject than others.

[bobthelock]

Originally Posted by The Sheriff

Yes it is the Spanish culture and whether to ban it or not is a decision that should be taken by the Spanish people only - not by Brits who get upset at the slightest harm done to animals.

Some interesting points raised - - - culture and tradition sometimes need to change and if it takes external forces to assist , then so be it. For example in India - - - - - -
The burning of wives on the funeral pyres of their husbands, widow-burning, commonly known as sati ("suttee" in English), has been practiced in India since at least the fourth century B.C.E. , when it was first recorded in Greek accounts. It was banned by British colonial law in 1829–1830 and survived in the native Indian states until the late 1880s, when it was effectively eradicated, although extremely rare cases persisted into the early twentieth century. It took British influence to change this - the Indians said why should they change it's their way and the British said fine go ahead but our way is to hang folk who murder. This put a stop to it. Admittedly the British were the Colonial rulers at the time and the Brits have little influence in Europe / Spain, but my point is that sometimes change takes place faster if 'outsiders' give their support to change. As to what about the 1000s of bulls, well they can be phased out and turned to steaks. The matadors will have to find alternative employment like I had to when I was made redundant some time ago. Life goes on - - - Bull rings would make excellent concert arenas.