The Spanish bull-fighter was once a well respected figure, renowned for his bravery and admired by the ladies for his flair and good looks. His honored role in Spanish culture has diminished significantly in the past decades as the Spanish people change opinion and begin to see bullfighting in a new light.
But what is bull-fighting? Well, the main attraction is the classically clad bull-fighter (or matadór, or torero) whisking about his red cape to provoke the bull and have it charge at the red fabric only to find that the torero has moved aside, unharmed. But the torero is always in danger, risking a gory end with those two sharpened horns charging at him time and again. This is the beauty of the fight: man controls nature by overcoming his fear of death. Ultimately, the matadór stabs his long blade directly in between the shoulder blades of the bull thereby killing it –or the bull comes out on top and the torero goes home with less blood and a lot of disgrace.
Myself, I am vehemently opposed to bull-fighting, but I believe that it is very important to understand the logic behind the opposite opinion. So, what is the argument in support of bull-fighting? First of all, it is an important part of Spanish history and a tradition that has survived the centuries and should thus be respected. Second, this tradition gives honor to the bull, showing its strength and giving it a glorious death. The meat of the respected animal is then given to the poor, and all of its remains are used in some way so that nothing goes to waste. Additionally, the entire spectacle serves as entertainment for the masses who always need to have some fun so that they can decompress after the stresses of daily life. Oh, and we can’t forget the revenues that come pouring into the Spanish economy from enthusiastic tourists!
All right, so now we can see bull-fighting in a positive light, but what’s the other side of the story? The opposition view bull-fighting not as a glorious death but as inhumane torture. Before the torero even comes into the picture, rounds of other men have already weakened the bull through various means, including by stabbing rods into his back (usually toped with decorative ribbons) that impede the bulls movement…painfully. The bull is already exhausted by endless running, so this is definitely not a fair match between man and animal.
So there you have it. Is bull-fighting a glorious tradition or animal abuse? A fair amount of Spaniards today opt for the second opinion and are taking steps toward the eventual end of this bloody spectacle, and one province has recently named bull-fighting illegal. However, Spain is decidedly split on this issue, with most of the support coming from the South of Spain and Madrid, the capital. This tradition is not so engrained in the culture of the North so the people there let it go more readily. Most Americans will voice their opinon against bull-fighting (at least in my experience this has proven to be true) but we need to keep this in mind: our own treatment of the animals we eat is not ideal. The bulls that are later sent to the fights live a long life free-range with an excellent diet and every comfort an animal could want. Our own cows live in indecently sized pens that hardly allow movement and with a diet that leaves much to want. Yes, we don’t give the animal a torturous death, but we don’t give it a comfortable life either. Just as the Spaniards are working to improve their treatment of animals, we would do well to better our own treatment. Something to mull over as you eat your steak tonight!
No comments:
Post a Comment