I think it’d ridiculous. All of it. Yes, should be banned.

It’s a stupid inhumane contest, I can’t even call it a sport. And you should put a stronger warning on the picture. I’ve seen it before but some jellies might get upset with the shot.

It is animal cruelty, but it is also a very old, Spanish tradition. I think it’s very easy to say all harsh things about it, when it is not your culture. But it does remind me of the old days of gladiators and I am glad that doesn’t exist anymore, so personally I say yes, it should be banned.

I say yes.

Yes.

Why?

If people want to play and commit suicide, who are we to stop them? How is this different as a “sport” from wing-walking, hot-rodding, speedboat racing, and even parachuting? They are all dangerous sports, and people die regularly. So what? They choose to engage in those sports, voluntarily. They know the risks. So let them play, and sometimes die. (Heck, you can die mountain climbing, too. Should we ban that? You can die riding your bicycle on the road. Should be ban that as well?)

As for the well-being of the bull – what a crock. Bulls tend to procreate like… bulls in a field of cows.

Political correctness for its own sake is silly.

If it were a fight, I’d be okay with it. But it is really only a ritualized slaughter, the bull never gets to win. So ban it.

Except for Ferdinand

Question shouldn’t have to be asked, of course it should be banned.
Not only that, consigned to the dustbin of history, the Spanish are a weird bunch when it comes to animals. They have festivals where it’s common to see goats thrown from church towers…I mean, WTF!!!
The bulls are starved for the days leading up to these sick “contests” & stand little chance, although pictures like that are of some comfort, fucking barbaric bastards.

just think of borat’s “running of the jew” and imagine they had used actual jews instead of big head costume, and you know why it should be banned.

@zenvelo – making Halal and Kosher meat is ritualized slaughter, too. What’s the difference?

I’m ready for it to be banned.

I am with @zenvelo , it is not a fight. Make them put on some shorts and boxing gloves and make them fight the bull, otherwise make it subject to the same animal cruelty laws that apply to the rest of the country.

If you put a dog in a ring and slowly stabbed it to death while taunting it, you would be locked up for at least 5 years, get a massive fine, and be forbidden to go near animals ever again.

As most of you know, I live in Spain, so I get to see this kind of thing on a first hand basis, and if it helps, I can tell you that it is a old tradition that is almost over.

Before a bullfight used to be like the soccer world cup or US superbowl, but now days it is seen more like something that old farmer men get up to some times.

The young generation are not that interested, and in most parts of Spain, bullfighting has no role at all in anyone’s life.

Most of my friends put bullfighting on the same level as midget tossing and bear baiting. In fact, the vast majority of people here have never been to a bullfight.

@poisonedantidote Don’t they also cut the neck muscles on the bull before the fight so they’re handicapped in how much they can move their heads?

@Adirondackwannabe Some times, some times not.

I do know however, that the bull is often taunted before hand, to make it angry. However, the worst part is after the bull is “killed”.

The idea of the final kill, is to stab the bull in the heart by going between the shoulder blades. However, the precision needed to pierce the heart means that most times, the bull is not killed, rather it is just crippled from spinal damage.

When the audience think the bull is dead, it is usually not, and it takes it a good couple of days to eventually die. During this period, the crippled bull is usually kept in some corner, where it is taunted more, and often tortured, by having alcohol poured on its wounds and other things.

In a way, it is kind of like boxing, in the sense that some fights are big fights, while other fights are just filler. If it is just a filler fight, you will find the bull is probably drunk, or drugged, or otherwise handicapped. If it is a big fight, they will often go for the bigger angrier bull, and try make sure it is alert and pissed off when it gets in the ring.

As luck has it, the ring here closed down some 10 years ago, and since then, there has not been a single bullfight round here.

Absolutely yes.

Yes; it should be banned. But as old as this “sport” is I doubt it’ll ever happen.

Should be banned, but so should a lot of things. How about in Africa when they penetrate the vein of an animal so they can drink the blood, geesh gross.

Absolutely.

Additionally, it is ridiculous to believe that traditions should be protected simply because they are old.

@muppetish – it wouldn’t make sense to have only new traditions, would it? I mean, how does it become a tradition UNLESS it is old?

@elbanditoroso That’s not really the point.

@elbanditoroso Yes, Kosher and Halal butchering is ritualized slaughter too. That’s a separate question, but I don’t approve of that either.

And, @elbanditoroso New Traditions are easy to create. Doing something two years in a row, or two events in a row, and it becomes a tradition. That’s the beauty of creating your own tradition! If instead of killing the bull, they tossed a garland of flowers on it for two consecutive Festivals of San Fermin, everyone would celebrate the Tossing of the Garland!

Maybe it should be banned but it is far less cruel than factory farming which takes place on a far greater scale.

Yes. It’s animal abuse.

Yes, ban it. You can tell how advanced a society is by how they treat their animals and the weak.

Definitely. Especially after all @poisonedantidote just said.

@Mama_Cakes unless that is a PhotoShopped fake, the matador’s tongue flew out at time of goring. Spain has quite a tradition of animal cruelty—witness the fate of the galgos, their hunting dogs, when they are deemed no longer useful.

Still, bullfighting is a tradition—and if @Mama_Cakes’ photo is the real deal, not without risk. The bull has a fighting chance. I do hope the victorious bull gets to retire in glory and live a life in green pastures.

@anartist It’s the real deal.

I always knew this was wrong, and I always felt sorry for the bulls, but @poisonedantidote really made it all the more real. How heartbreaking to imagine the torture these bulls go through. What a disgusting “cultural” display.

Next, let’s take all the kitten outs and chop their feet off to see how far they can run on stumps. I’m literally sick to my stomach to think human beings are capable of being so cruel.

It qualifies as animal cruelty, and should be banned. Yes, it is a cultural thing, and so is cock-fighting.

@elbanditoroso I’m not sure I understand your point. Are you saying that because there aren’t a shortage of bulls it is ok to be cruel to them. Do you feel the same way about humans? Sorry if I have misunderstood but your comment “As for the well-being of the bull – what a crock. Bulls tend to procreate like… bulls in a field of cows.” made me feel you think cruelty is fine as long the creature (being tortured) is in abudnace.

Lets bring back the good old days of the gladiatorial blood sports. Too many people in the world after all and it is quite an old tradition….

@uberbatman Why so the IRS/ government can finally get rid of all us Republicans? haha!

Yes it should be banned. When I hear about some jackass getting gored by a bull, I’m like, GOOD. Assholes.

Why?
According to your article, popularity is declining in Spain. Sounds like it might just go away by itself.
If people try to ban it, it simply inspires a counter-movement. Which might inspire renewed interest.

@KNOWITALL you must be talking about the Masai. And those cattle don’t die, anymore than you do when you give blood. And it is not particularly painful. As far as animal cruelty goes, that is low on the list. The cattle remain healthy.

However, consider the human animal. In some parts of Africa clitoridectomy is still performed—surgical removal of a girl’s clitoris so she will not experience sexual desire and will remain faithful to her husband. This is often coupled with enfibullation, sewing the vagina shut until the girl is given in marriage [can be done to girls as young as 4 years]. In this case women are treated as possessions of the male, much as cattle would be. see and wikipedia