sábado, 20 de diciembre de 2014

4






16 comentarios:

  1. Bullfighting is by far a controversial subject. To begin with, members of Animal Welfare Association often complain about the way in which bulls suffer. Additionally, they also state that more and more people enjoy watching animals being mistreated. Therefore, they are continuously against bullfighting and collecting signatures to root out this event.
    On the other hand, there is another group of people who claims bullfighting is part of a cultural heritage. If bullfighting were to be banned completely, it would cause a lot of people to be agitated and distraught. It could be similar to ban football in England or even in Spain because of the violence between players we may watch on a number of occasions.
    As far as public funds are concerned, I believe that the fact that bullfightings are considered a Spain’s cultural event, it is absolutely comprehensive that governments support them. However, politicians should prioritize; not only should they support traditional events, local parties and so on, but they must also establish the way in which funds should be distributed equally.
    As regards animal’s mistreatment, I would point out those industrial farms where not only are animals being grown up in absolutely horrible conditions, but they are also being feeded up unnaturally. When it comes to bulls, they live in excellent conditions, being looked after in freedom and feeded with the best food rather than being cramped in tiny cages eating transgenic food to become fattening as soon as possible. Are people barking up the wrong tree?

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  2. I won´t sit on the fence in this topic and I´ll try to refute some of the arguments pro-bullfighting gives:

    • Bullfighting is a tradition, and as a tradition, it must be maintained and respect". I do not know since when advocating violence and destruction are worthy of historic perpetuation? Misnamed traditions such as female circumcision or slavery (sadly existing nowadays) scandalized us ... Of course we´re not talking about people but animals, but traditions grounded in violence do nothing but perpetuate these behaviors as worthy of practice.

    • Bulls are an important part of the Spanish touristic industry. Most tourists go to a bullfight as a curiosity and they went out the square outraged.

    • "The bull dies with dignity". That argument really drives me up the wall. In my opinion, for the bull, pain is pain and death is death for all, not worthy or unworthy, it's the end of its life and, in case it happens, the sooner and without suffering, the better (from my perspective as a human being). Is worthy a slow, painful death?

    • "Bullfighting is culture" In 1980, UNESCO -world authority on culture- issued its opinion: "Bullfighting is the `art´ of torturing and killing animals in public according to rules. It traumatizes children and sensitive adults. It aggravates the condition of neuropathic attracted to these shows, and denatures the relationship between man and animal. It constitutes a major challenge to morality, education, science and culture ".

    Culture is understood by our RAE (Royal Academy of the Spanish Language) as "a set of lifestyles and customs, knowledge and degree of artistic, scientific, industrial at a time in a social group" and it will only be constructive and valid as long as it bets on giving value to humans, transforming them into a more sensitive, intelligent and civilized human being. The cruelty that humiliates human - or animals- and destroys through pain can never be considered culture.

    • "Without bullfghting, the brave bull would disappear" The bull is an herbivorous animal. Much of its life consist of seeking pastures for feeding, and it is not brave but in territorial fights, in the struggle for reproduction and / or in dangerous situations.

    The bull is artificially manipulated and provoked to respond aggressively to the bullfighter. The brave breed of bulls has been genetically manipulated by man in order to make them be aggressive. In this case, the end of bullfighting would also mean the end of the bravery of the bull that is economically exploited by herds but it wouldn´t mean the end of bulls, because more-or less-brave bulls may occur in other subspecies of bulls.

    I agree with my mate Manuel about the horrible conditions of other animals being feeded up unnaturally to be fat earlier but, as the Spanish proverb says, “evil of many, consolation of fools”. We should also finish with that animal mistreatment.

    • "The bull does not suffer". Like any animal with a central nervous system, the bull DOES feel: It´s impossible not to feel a bull “puya”, the ´”banderillas” or the matador´s sword, or does the bull urinate and defecate on the run, because it feels “stage fright”?

    Furthermore, we must remember that the bullfighting season, schools and farms are funded with public money, money of all Spanish pockets without taking into account if they are in favor or against bullfighting and anytime, but especially in a time of a crisis like the one we are in, public money CAN NOT be wasted.

    In summary, we should take the bull by the horns and root out bullfighting, at least, with the conception it has now and maybe we could conceive the same “show” without hurting the animals (change the swords for something to be sticked in the bull as an example).

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  3. There is a huge public debate about bullfighting in Spain, and even in many countries around the world.
    On one hand, not only bullfighting is a popular festival in diverse Mediterranean and Latin American countries, but is also an ancestral cultural tradition from Grecian-Latin legacy (as an example we can think about the gladiators fights against animals in the Roman Circus arena). Besides, this custom is an influential resource in Spanish economy: jobs of the “matador” and his “cuadrilla”, fighting-bull raising, tickets, accomodation for all the people who is involved in the “fiesta” or subsequent meat and gastronomical market (one of the most famous dishes in Córdoba is bull tail stew).
    On the other side of the coin, most of the people who claims the banning of bullfighting, contends that it is a cruel and unfair fight between men and animals, based on the torture of a bull just for the audience to be entertained.
    I am always sitting on the fence when we are discussing this controversial topic because I usually be empathetic with both arguments. However, if I had children, I would not like them to work in anything related to bullfighting, and I am not thinking about them to be a “matador”, but everything that implies this custom.

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  4. Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.

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  5. Nowadays bullfighting is a burning topic among Spaniards. Is bullfight just culture or an art of torture? There is a deep debate between supporters and people who are against this kind of entertainment. On one hand, what is true is that bull is an icon of Spain. “Osborne bull” is placed in the entrance of most Spanish cities and it is a well-known piece of souvenir especially in Andalusia. So, not only has bullfighting a cultural heritage but also it has a powerful economic and social impact. A wide number of families and companies are financially dependent on it. On the other hand, bullfighting involves a lot of violence in the "corrida" and several dramatic episodes where they both, "the matador" and the bull fight till the end. Those who oppose bullfighting maintain that the practice is a cowardly and humiliating tradition of torturing a bull. But do not forget that bulls live in a desirable situation compared with the one of others animals that live in agony such as pigs, chickens, and ducks among others in farms.

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  6. As some of my classmates have previously said, bullfighting is nowadays a quite controversial topic to talk about here in Spain. There are two polar groups of people, the ones who defend it as a historical tradition and the ones who argue against it as an unnecessary public animal slaughter, whose points of view are diametrically opposed, so there is no elegant remedy for solving this situation that turns this confrontation into a walkover for any of the parts.

    If you ask me about my personal opinion about this topic, I should start saying that, in general, I’m not in the mood for traditions. I understand that they are a way of creating group culture but, when taking part in them becomes something dogmatic and you are seen as a weirdo if you decline to join in, I prefer to keep out of them. On the other hand, although I am an omnivorous eater I don’t like animals to be cruelly and pointlessly wiped out, even less as part of a collective amusement. So, all in all, I think people in the XXI Century should find more commonsensical pastimes than watching the suffering of other living creatures and, therefore, Spanish authorities should reconsider subsidizing this type of events and think about its progressive restriction.

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  7. I agree that bullfighting is a tradition, but it is still a slow, cruel and nonsense torture. Modern societies should avoid unnecessary animal suffering, no matter how old or profitable this spectacle of blood is.
    Some people think of bullfighting as a sport, or even more, as art. Sincerely, I do not see how killing a defenceless bull can be considered a sport. It is clear that the bullfighter would have nothing to do against the bull, if the confrontation was really fair. When bulls enter the "ruedo", they are weak and half-blinded, and they have been administered drugs to slow them down. Moreover, bulls are not the only victims of the game. Horses also suffer in the ring, many of them dying because of the charges of the agonising bull.
    The fact that people eat meat from killed animals do not justify the agony of the bull and the use of his death as a means of entertainment and amusement. Animals are supposed to be killed as quickly and painlessly as possible when they are going to be used for meat, although this is not usually the case with intensive animal farming.
    In my humble opinion, bullfighting is another form of animal torture. We should realise that animals are essentially other living beings with the same rights than us and deserving the same respect.

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  8. It strikes me that people don't really have a problem with cruelty to animals, they just don't want to see it.
    The bulls are tortured and killed for the sake of entertainment and this a cruel spectacle. In the ring the bull lost a significant amount of blood and is exhausted while it is being tortured.
    Within bullfighting countries such as France, Portugal, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Mexico there is a small but strong part of society that keeps bullfighting alive based on the claim that it is part of the country’s culture.However, most citizens of these countries do not want animal cruelty to be part of their heritage.
    In my opinion, it's not acceptable, because we live in a modern society that realizes that animals are much more than just objects and we need to respect them as we do to other human beings. New scientific research has found that animals are very similar to us, so that's why we need to respect them and not use them for our profit.
    I am confident that bullfighting is a dying industry that is destined to be banned in the near future.

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  9. This video reflects a cruel reality that sadly we still have in Spain. The debate comes whether we should ban this sport, or on the contrary, we should support it, even though with public funds.
    In my opinion, bullfighting is an old-fashioned way of entertainment, not appropriate to this century. Consequently, not only should not receive public funds, but also it should not be broadcast at an earlier time for the sake of the children.
    First of all, we should focus on all the pain that the bull goes through in their ordeal before being killed by a “matador”. For instance, the bullfighters ride a horse in order to implant bar sticks into the bull. As a result of this, the bull almost bleeds to death due to the wounds they receive during the show. Finally, the “matador” uses a special sword to kill the beast without “pain”. I cannot really understand those who claim that the bulls have a good life before going to the ring bull, and even justify that if it was not for the bullfighting, the bulls would not exist.
    Another point is that the organizers really need public funds since the bullfighters wages are creeping up, whereas people who support it , and pay to watch it lively are decreasing. Those who support this sport are trying to deceive us, saying that this is part of the nation culture heritage. Maybe, they are right in this point, because this tradition has been going on for centuries. However, that does not mean that we should tide bullfighting over via public funds.
    To sum up, I believe that bullfighting is fading away because of lack of interest among youngsters. Therefore, this sport should be transformed into something where animals are no damage.

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  10. From its origins as a show in the eighteenth Century, bullfighting has suffered criticisms, prohibitions and numerous difficulties. Old monarchies, aristocrazy, illustrated thinkers or ulterior regimens (from dictatorships to democracy through the Second Republic) have banned or criticized this entertaiment considering it unworthing,no didactic and cruel, But citizens liked it. So, they destined the benefits sometimes to charity, sometimes it was highly taxed and kept under control (bulls depended untill 2012 The Ministry of Interior, when transferred to Culture). But,in spite of all these arguments, the show goes on.
    All above make us think in different surveys carried out by several agencies. These show us, for instance, how the interest for this "fiesta" has been gone down through out the years. The lack of interest is higher in women and young people. And,the profile of followers is mostly male from 45 years old, with the maximal interest among people 65 and older.
    Finishing,I think bullfighting is a regrettable and sad entertaiment where an animal is dazed, slashed and finally killed off after a long suffering, even before the event, while waiting its turn.

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  11. I think I can write about this issue in a relaxed and not passionate way. I am not an activist in animal defence but I do not like animal suffering at all. I am also a enthusiastic supporter of Spain and all its fiestas but I am not specially devoted to bullfights.
    I think that the killing of the bull at the end of the bullfight is a terrible action, and not only the killing, also the previous performances of banderillas, picador and so on cause big suffering to the bull and should be eliminated.
    On the other side bullfights are strongly and intimately joined to Spanish culture, they are an emblem and a identity sign of Spain. Also there are many people who enjoy with them and the bullfighters art. Besides the sector generates employment and in some sense moves the economy and generate richness. Defenders of the national Fiesta add that this bull breed "toro bravo"would not exist without the Fiesta.
    I think both sides are important and have to be taken in consideration, in such a way that an intermediate solution has to be reached. Both groups has to be open-minded and think as the other one. Fiesta defenders have to think of celebrating bullfights without animal suffering and animal defenders have to think of going on with a different kind of bullfights and try to support them and all the related aspects in a broad sense.
    However , looking at the present trends and opinions of the global World Society I think animal defenders will win the debate and finally bullfights will be forbidden, as it has already happened in Catalonia.

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  12. For the last several years, detractors of bullfights and animal protectionists have strongly fought against the celebration of this event.
    The Fiesta Nacional, as bullfight is called in Spain, have many critics and supporters. The former stand up for the abolition of these shows and they argue that bullfights are an act of torture against an animal and cannot be considered as a festivity. On the other hand, those who back them hold that they are part of a long tradition and, as such, ought to be respected.
    In my opinion, it cannot be admitted that none of the parties are right, as most of the arguments put forward by both are well-founded. From my point of view and as I see it, it is a cruel, bloody and irrational act, but not because of that an excuse to come into conflict with someone thinking differently or whose values are not the same to mine. I consider that bullfights will gradually cease to exist, as nowadays the majority of young people are not drawn to this kind of events. It is not necessary to campaign for or against. There is a time and a place for everything.

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  13. Few Spanish traditions divide opinion as much as bullfighting. For every bull enthusiast willing to defend their art there are ten who see it as just cruelty to animals and want it banned - yet still the practice goes on.
    Bullfighting has existed for thousands of years and it has been popular in Spain for nearly a millennium, though some say it has existed in Spain since the time of Emperor Claudius, two thousand years ago.
    For the last years, there have been a rise of the animal rights movement and an ever increasing number of people have been critical of bullfighting, both within Spain and in the rest of the world. The number of websites in opposition to the activity far exceeds the number in favor. For example, in 2010, the government in Barcelona banned bullfighting in Catalonia but Madrid and Andalusia continue to host bullfighting events and the stadiums are usually full, both with curious tourists and die-hard fans. The national Spanish TV network, TVE, shows bullfighting at prime time on its main channels.
    According to animal rights activists who argue that the practice is barbaric and that the animal suffers extensively during the ritual. They also differentiate between killing for meat - considered to be a necessity, and killing for fun.
    Personally speaking I totally agree with them, although I can respect their follower because I can understand this like a tradition in spite of I am against.

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  14. Bullfighting is a controversial topic in Spain. I do believe that it is a torture, but tradition has changed this point of view. How can we name culture a show like this?

    I know that this is a business and a lot of people can get money from this “tradititon”, but we must think that we are killing bulls in a show.

    I can understand that there is a risk, because bullfighters can die, and this is part of the success. Followers of bullfigting say that there is a fight between bull and bullfighter, but I think that bullfighter has a lot of advantages over the bull.


    Fortunately, we can see less followers in the bullrings every year, and I hope that next generations will forbid bullfighting in Spain. Animal torture can't be either culture or art.

    I live in a city where good bullfighters were born, in addition there is a museum about bullfighting, and I have lived this tradition since I was a little boy, but it can't blind my eyes about this torture.

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  15. Personally, I am neither in favor nor against bullfight, but I jumped out of my skin when I go to bullfight.
    However we should consider several aspects:
    First of all, I am going to talk about bullfight in layman´s term. I reckon bullfight is a Spanish´s tradition and, as a Spanish´s tradition should be preserved. It´s important to keep up our country´s traditions. If we root out our customs or traditions, we lose our roots.
    Another thing we should know is that bullfight generates incomes. It is livelihood to many people such as cattle breeder, day laborer, bullfighter or butcher and, everyone knows money talks.
    It is said that without bullfight, this breed, fighting Bull, wouldn´t exist. Their forceful argument for bullfight is “this animal is born and breed to die in a bull ring”.
    Secondly, needless to say that bullfight is something cruel. Not only enjoy people the fighting Bull suffering, but also agony. It drives me up the wall. Also, the more blood people see the more pleasant it is.
    To sum up, you decide. What do you prefer? Tradition or show? Both are antagonistic, so, It´s up to you.

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  16. Whether you love it or hate it, Spain’s bullfights are definitely a essential Spanish tradition considered as a national and artistic treasure by many experts. But at the same time, there are many Spanish anti-bullfighting people who are completely against bullfights, not only environmental groups, but also people who are just in favor of animal rights, who see bullfighting as an useless torture.
    Although there is a slight decrease in the number of followers, bullfights and other festivals involving bulls are still a reason for gatherings and enjoyment for a lot of people, above all in Andalucía. Many people here still consider bullfighting a real cultural expression of art, where the intellect of mankind challenges the strength of the beast.
    For or against, one thing is for sure: the issue of bulls in Spain leaves none impartial. As the bull itself is one of the most important and characteristic symbols of our country. One even could find immense hoardings of Osborne’s bull on many of the Spanish highways.

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