The annual running of the bulls kicked off in Pamplona, Spain yesterday and so far one Irish tourist has been killed. Despite the risk of death and injury, thousands of people let bulls chase them for over 800 meters on the way to the bullfight arena.
While human injury upsets everyone, some animal rights activists get particularly upset about how the traditions entails "torturing and killing a defenseless animal." PETA describes the festival like this:
Bulls are bred in fields and are not accustomed to the noise of the crowd or being surrounded by people. They are kept in crowded, dark enclosures, and when they are prodded onto the streets with electric shocks, they are momentarily blinded by the sunlight. They are terrified and are hit by runners with rolled up newspapers.
In order to show their opposition, PETA supporters participate in the Running of the Nudes two days before the major tourist-attracting bull runs. Whose side are you on — PETA's or Spain's?
- A fighting bull takes the curve.
- Hundreds of people are chased along an 825-meter course.
- The course leads to the arenas where bullfights are later staged.
- New Zealand participant is helped by the Red Cross.
- A protester opts for the Running of the Nude.
- Participants are trampled.
- The first day of the San Fermin bull run on July 7 in Pamplona, northern Spain.
- A young reveler jumps from a statue.
- Participants are charged by Conde de la Corte fighting bulls.
- Spanish matador Serafin Martin.
Source
sweatyBetty
American Retro
Kenneth Jay Lane
This is so scary to me, I dont know who in their right mind would participate. I'd pee myself...
1As much as I respect traditions this is just stupid and cruel. I don't know why but Spain has some of the most cruel traditions out there: Bullfighting, this 'race' and then they have one where the throw a goat out of a tower! Why? Who cares.
2Often it seems to me that the term tradition is just used to mistreat people or animals, but just because it's a 'tradition' does not make it anymore right.
As much as I don't like seeing people get hurt, who ever does this deserves exactly what they get, including death - it is a complete disregard for human life.
As for Peta - God they get on my nerves.
3I find Bull fighting (and the running of the bulls) very disturbing. I like countries rich with tradition but how can one see this as anything but cruel? I'll be spending quite a bit of time in Spain in the coming months and I'm just hoping no one decides taking me to a bull fight is a good idea because if I have to watch I'll be sad and disgusted.
4This is just another example of how animals are used and abused for entertainment. How ANYONE could think this is "bull-oney" is beyond me.
5Good point Zeze
6all of them BTW ZEZE especially comments on PETA..we all know how I feel about them
7Because I feel that this post is rather one-sided and leaving out very compelling facts, here is a list of reasons, from the US Humane Society, on why Running of the Bulls needs to end.
10- Pamplona's Fiesta de San Fermin runs annually from July 7 to July 14. Each morning, the festival hosts a Running of the Bulls over a half-mile stretch of cobblestone streets. Organizers select six bulls from Spain's top breeding ranches for the "honor" of, literally, racing toward their deaths that afternoon. By the time the festival finally closes, 48 bulls will have died for the amusement of tourists and adrenaline junkies.
9- The bulls are reportedly poked with electric prods and sharp instruments prior to releasing them on the streets of Pamplona. The technique apparently instigates the bulls to stampede.
8- Bulls have hooves, which give the animal some traction. But no hoof can provide traction on Pamplona's slick, cobblestone streets. Bulls regularly topple during the run, particularly at the sharper turns in the course. Not only do toppled bulls hurt people, but they hurt themselves. The animals have been known to break horns and legs during the race.
7- People drink a lot during the Fiesta de San Fermin. It's part of the ritual. Some stay up all night to watch the Running of the Bulls at 8 a.m. They are not, to put it mildly, in their best state of mind. Spectators have been known to harass the bulls or gouge them with sticks.
6- Because of the race's popularity with tourists from all over the world, the Running of the Bulls is a crowded affair. The congested course makes the race more dangerous not only for humans, but also for bulls. The animals can trip over fallen bodies as well as any human can. When bulls go down, they can get gored by other bulls, just like humans.
5- The point for humans in this annual ritual is to survive. The point for bulls—at least from the perspective of organizers—is to die. The race course literally dead ends into a bullfighting ring, where the animals will come face to face with their own death in a way that most of the human racers will never understand.
4- Once inside the bullring, the odds are stacked against the animal. Published reports indicate that the bullfighting industry uses a variety of techniques to weaken or disorient the animal, from drugging the bull to smearing petroleum jelly on his eyes. Some bulls even have their neck muscles cut so that they cannot raise their heads, and therefore their horns, all the way up.
3- Death is not pretty inside the bullring. A man on horseback will jab the bull with lances and puncture him with barbed sticks called banderillas. The great beast, drained of blood and energy, will then face a matador who will ritualistically tease the bull before sticking one last blade into the animal's heart. It's estimated that 40,000 bulls die in this manner every year in cities across Spain.
2- The thing is, the bulls don't always die from the last blade to the heart. Some matadors aren't skilled enough to guide the blade that precisely. In those cases where the injured bull is merely choking on his own blood, another person is brought in to finish off the animal, typically with a knife. Sometimes as many as 30 stabbings are required to kill the animal.
1- Bulls aren't the only animals killed during the Running of the Bulls. Thirteen people reportedly have been killed during the race since 1924. Many more have been gored by bulls, some seriously so. There's simply no reason for this death and bloodshed in the name of "entertainment."
8I've been to a bullfight, and although we feel the animal is needlessly killed for entertainment, its actually a very solemn event and when done true to tradition, its almost beautiful to watch the procession.
Plus, afterward, the bull that is killed is eaten. I had me some great bull tail in Spain. hmm..
The running of the bulls I think is an outdated tradition that is clearly more dangerous than it is worth.
9Third option: Dramatic entertainment and a great way to clean up the gene pool.
10Wow foxie, that is the most depressing thing I have read yet this morning. Even scarier that such brutality is glamorized and masked under "tradition." How entertaining.
"When a man wants to murder a tiger he calls it sport; when the tiger wants to murder him he calls it ferocity."
11Peta is seriously annoying, talk about the biggest turn off. To each their own, i guess, the spanish have their own thing going on right there.
12Well I think its pretty difficult for Americans to get their heads around these kinds of traditions because we don't have them! I mean what do we have? A hot dog eating contest?? Seriously?!
We're a young nation and these other nations have been doing crazy things for a long time... In a world that is becoming increasingly homogenous, I can see why they would want to perserve tradition even if we think its insane.
Not saying that I agree with them 100%, just saying that I can see their side.
13When something has been done for hundreds of years it actually is a tradition, not just something masked as tradition.
I'm with cab.
and ROFL Laine!!
14I agree with cab. Unless you're part of the "tradition", then it's hard to understand why you'd want it to continue. I have family in Spain and they never see it as a big deal. As for the people who get killed, they hold it's "their choice" and have never been compelled to participate in it themselves...
15The Mob traditionally rubs out its enemies, that doesn't make killing something we have to try and understand on their behalf.
16People have held on to slavery, genital mutilation, foot binding, all manner of ugly practices, with the claim 'this is how we've always done it.'
Oh I hear you, stephley...I don't think it's a good practice but it just seems so rooted in their culture that I have a hard time hoping that it will change. Also, the fact that people *travel* to Pamplona just to partake in the running of the bulls doesn't help me in hoping the cruelty will stop.
17the running of the bulls is a choice, youa renot forced to do it, whereas slavery, genital mutilation foot binding are not choices.
18Yeah, it is the people who travel to be part of it that bothers me - as long as there's a boatload of money in it for the town, no one will even consider stopping it.
19Tourists don't come see foot binding, genital mutilation or slavery, but to the child whose feet are bound or whose genitals are sewn up or the slave in chains, it wasn't a choice. The bulls aren't allowed to opt out for a vacation somewhere quieter.
20The bulls don't have a choice and they are indeed treated very inhumanely from what I have read and seen. Unless these bulls are killed humanely and aren't tortured and I cannot and will not justify this in the name of "tradition". I respect different cultures, but I cannot respect torturing another living being.
21PETA "shelters" kill more animals than they adopt out. I have no respect for anything they say. The Humane Society's reasons...I can definitely get behind those.
22Bullfighting is a tough call and I can see why so many debate it. It is brutal and cruel. There's no way around it, but it is a tradition that dates back centuries, it's part of a national identity that can't just be dismissed outright.
I hope you guys work this out. This is beyond my scope.
23i don't know they kill a bull, but in the western world how do they treat animals that are going to be slaughtered, not too nice. There is cruelty everywhere. for me personally I am not bothered by the spanish thing.
24Having lived in Spain and gone to a bullfight, I can tell you that it is indeed very sad to see a bull go down. However, please know that not all Spaniards enjoy bullfighting.
In fact, a large majority of them (including my host family) were against it. A lot of the people at the bullring were old men but not many young people. I think this is one of those things that will fade out with time but definitely not overnight.
25I don't really agree with either side. I just don't like PETA, they're entirely too extreme. As for the running of the bulls, I don't like the fact that tourists think it's "entertaining" it's not their culture! Tourists that visit the running of the bulls should be denied medical care when they're mauled! I'm an advocate of Darwin's law I guess.
26Just because its tradition doesn't mean we should look the other way. I'm fully aware of bull fightings place in Spain's history but that doesn't make it any more humane. Some things should be changed no matter how engrained they are into a culture. I would like Bull fighting eliminated completely, but there are ways to modify it to make it a little less cruel (not killing the bull, using a "stick" with paint that marks the bull without stabbing it.)
27Although my maternal patriarchal blood line leads right to the heart of the matter I've always found the running of the bulls to be one of the most stupefying annual events to entertain the hearts of men.
28The "Running of the Bulls" makes me sick to my stomach. This is as bad as the dog fighting we have here in the U.S., and I pray that Spain develops some morals on the issue and outlaws it. If people are stupid enough to do it and get hurt or killed, so be it. The bulls have no choice but to be tortured at the hands of the cruel. It is barbaric and outdated.
29So here's the score.
Good reasons to stop bullfighting : 10 really good, really painful reasons.
Good reasons to keep bullfighting : "Uh... they've done it a long time."
Hm... compelling!!
30I love how some of you are all about us getting involved in other country's traditions and practices, but at other times, cough, mass murder by a dictator, cough, think we should stay out.
31The difference is, we'll leave them to their traditions - no one's going to rush over to invade Spain to teach them the error of their ways and maybe take over their leather or wine production.
32And you guys are selective about which dictators cough oil rich you want to take on.
Me personally? Well, when I invade countries I find myself to be well informed.
33By "we" do you mean everyone who has posted in an agreeing manner on this thread? Because if so, if you read again, you will see they are saying something should be done.
34Nothing should be done, quite frankly don't people have better things to do than rushing to spain to throw flour bombs and spit on people, for god's sake? The economy, the loss of 62 000 jobs, hmm i don't know.
35^^^^^Exactly! And why to peta people like to be nude so much?
36Because they think their message will come across better, sex sells, great sommelier. It amazes how people get so mad about animals but when it comes to human lives, it's just total collateral.
37Because they think their message will come across better, sex sells, great sommelier. It amazes how people get so mad about animals but when it comes to human lives, it's just total collateral.
38Because they think their message will come across better, sex sells, great sommelier. It amazes how people get so mad about animals but when it comes to human lives, it's just total collateral.
39oh, I get it. And I was going to say that about the people caring more for the bulls than the people, but wasn't up for it tonight. It is so hostile here and my hormones can't take it.
40Re-read entire thread, no calls for action against anyone.
41One person would like to see bullfighting banned, another plans on being unhappy if dragged to a bullfight, otherwise, nothing but expressions of dismay at cruelty.
Here's one, you must have missed it.
"Just because its tradition doesn't mean we should look the other way."
42That's not a call for action hon. It's a simple statement of fact: tradition doesn't demand that we ignore something.
43Well, hon, that's what i'm talking about. A call for action = getting involved.
44You're not expressing yourself very clearly -
No one said anything that in any justifies your original comment:
"I love how some of you are all about us getting involved in other country's traditions and practices, but at other times, cough, mass murder by a dictator, cough, think we should stay out."
And no one issued any kind of call to action, simply stated opinions or facts.
45Takes adeep breath. ok:
me: us getting involved
posters: doesn't mean we should look the other way
ergo getting involved. i have completely stuck with my original statement, and can't for the life of me see where your confusion comes in? Is it just to be obstinate?
46Maybe by "getting involved" we should voice the obvious wrongs being committed. Maybe it means we should fight ignorance and move for more civilized, less barbaric ways of celebrating. "Getting involved" doesn't have to mean starting wars and trying to butt in through legal or governmental means. Getting involved is as simple as learning about the cruelty the bulls face and not supporting it.
47So surely you can see how one wouldn't understand the comparison you made of the war in Iraq to people not supporting bullfighting, great s.
If I turn around and take note of something, I am not involved. I am aware of what is taking place. Awareness is not involvement. You tied it in to something more to try and support your criticism of other people.
48Sigh
49I think the running of the bulls to be very humorous. They get 6 Bulls mad, release it into the streets, and then encourage people to get in their way. IMO, they should runn the Bulls every day, to get rid of a few more people.
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