Quote:
“Originally posted by matt.b
Did you not hear he spoke even in the house about it, how he liked it. My mum dragged me to one when I was 9. Disgusting it is. And I dont eat that culture crap that is brought up as excuse. Its as disgusting as Rodeo, where the bulls/horses balls are tied so they go wild. Fine death is part of nature, but deliberate physical pain for amusement? ”
Maybe this post by Tamara can help you put this in a little bit better perspective than you appear to have already.
Quote:
“Before anyone reading this goes on a hunting mission against me, let me point out I personally don't condone bullfighting and only once I have watched one (Pamplona). That was enought for me, thanks.
I have never heard anything about bulls not having nerves in their backs. In fact, bulls are bred for their brave nature.. the bravest are the best. When a bull shows special bravery is spared from death by public consensus. Some of the breeds and even particular bulls are part of the history of bullfighting.
In my culture there are several reasons why bullfights are seen as part of our tradition and therefore justified:
Bulls live an apparently happy free range life in open countryside and are well look after because they are highly valued. The aim is to have good bulls who will be brave and full of energy the day of their fate. Once the bull dies, his meat is eaten. Some people say it's a clear double standard to be oustraged by bullfighting when every person who eats meat is somehow eating meat from animals who suffered bad conditions for most of their lifes but, yes... they meet their death in a "kind" way. Of course people who are vegetarian or eat free range are excluded from this double standard.
Vision about animals changes from culture to culture. In some places they are food.. in others they are sacred. Here animals are seen mostly as the sweet sheep roaming the hills, a packet of meat in the supermarket or as pets therefore pampered sometimes to the point of depriving them of their natural need for freedom. Sometimes some people find more humanity and comfort in their animals and will choose them over a human being. That's a part of this culture and can be bewildering for others coming from other cultures. I do remember watching a very interesting program about a group of african people who decided to march towards Europe with the aim to become pets. Being human beings in their countries wasn't such a perk after all.
Nature let to its own devices is cruel. Just watch some nature programs. That's part of how ecosystems regulatate themselves and the food chain works. Free choice for animals isn't a choice. That's life. Sometimes our well intended interventions are what makes it worse for animals... Bullfighting has a long and old tradition (Crete). Bullfighting came to symbolise the battle for survival and the aknolegment of cruelty and bravery in hunted and hunter. Man versus nature... an even battle or so they thought. Any of them can be the loser, but it's mankind who is expected to be the survivor. After all human beings are meant to be superior in this scenario.
Bullfighting is also part of a long cultural tradition. Some of the most celebrated hispanic artist and writers were very much pro-bullfighting and their work is testimony of this. Just to mention a few of them... Garcia Lorca, Goya, Picasso... and a very long list of very well respected individuals. They found beauty, eroticism, ... man/woman methaphor, passion, joy .. in bullfights. Would I think less of them? No, because being part of their culture I do understand where they come from. I do understand that our culture is more basic and primal somehow. After all we are just a more sophisticated kind of animal but our basic instincs are still there... and I aknowledge them.
I know all this is far and beyond the scope of Big Brother and sorry for that. I am justifiying myself thinking that perhaps in the future some of you when talking about bullfights would have a bit more of an insight into my culture and therefore you will be a bit more forgiving.
Going back to our topic.. Cameron perhaps got it wrong about the absence of nerves.. but he lived in Spain for a while and comes from Orkney... two places where according to my own experience, people have a much more pragmatic view about animals very different from people who live in cities and who hardly ever do have to confront killing animals. Just a thought.”
(Neglecting here for deductions in non-voting public and repeat voters of course 
)
”
