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 Editorials | Opinions | March 2008 
Bull Fighting - A Fascinating Sport or a Fading Tradition?
 Rebecca Morgan - PVNN
| | Although bullfighting is still a prominent tradition in many cultures, it’s popularity is on the decline. | | |
In every country across the globe there are different cultures and traditions; some modern and some which date back thousands of years. According to the "Moral Relativism Theory Of Ethics," we should accept what other cultures do with no questions asked, which may have been a theory which worked a few hundred years ago, but nowadays such a view only promotes social conformity and leaves no room for improvement in a society.
I do not accept bull fighting as a sport or a spectacle to enjoy, but I have to understand that it is a part of the culture here in Mexico and accept (in a defeatist fashion) that I alone can not do anything to stop it.
However, having said that, I, an animal loving vegetarian, took it upon myself to face the "Plaza de Toros" here in Puerto Vallarta and see for myself what really happens in a bullfight and gain an insight into this huge cultural tidal wave which has been sweeping several nations for centuries.
Having done no research on bull fighting and only hearing rumours about what happened, I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived. I took my seat in the crowded, but fairly middle sized stadium, and waited for the fight to begin.
The atmosphere was hardly that of pre-theatre excitement and as I looked around at my fellow audience, I knew I had made a mistake and I really shouldn’t be there. Many people looked nervous and unsure of how to behave, and all I could think about was what was happening "back stage" to the bull itself, as one of the few rumours I had heard was that the bull was tortured before the fight to make it weaker.
As these thoughts rushed through my head, my nerves and a feeling of sickness started to accumulate and when the band started playing lively music, this only made things worse, as the juxtaposition of the music and the manner of the event itself simply magnified the absurdity of such a concept in today's society.
After doing some research I found out details of what in fact was happening to the bull before the fight. Many prominent former bullfighters report that the bull is intentionally debilitated with tranquilizers and laxatives, and beatings to the kidneys. It has petroleum jelly rubbed into its eyes to blur its vision, heavy weights hung around its neck for weeks before the fight, and is confined in darkness for hours before being released into the bright arena.
Finally, the show began when four matadors marched into the ring followed by two men on heavily protected and padded, blindfolded horses. After more anticipation built up among the crowd, a loud rumble was heard and the bull was released into the ring, to the amazement and apprehension of the crowd.
It was instantly clear that the bull was not in peak health and strength but it was still charging at the matadors with determination. I wondered why the bull was insistent on charging and didn’t just stand still or lie down, but I found out that this is because bulls are specially bred for bullfighting. Selective breeding has enabled ranchers to create a bull who will die in a manner 'most satisfying to the public.'
The matadors continued to wear the bull down, until one of the horses and it’s rider came into the ring and drew attention to the bull. I must have looked down at a crucial point because when I looked back up I noticed that the bull had a patch of blood near its neck and I wondered how it had got there.
It soon became apparent that the horse rider had a spear and was stabbing the bull, thus making it weaker from blood loss. The main aim of the rider is to stab the bull in the neck area to weaken it’s powerful neck muscles.
At this point I had had enough and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was clear that most of the audience shared my concern as many were recoiling in their seats with shocked expressions - and a few even left the stadium.
This continued for about five minutes, and it all seemed like a nightmare to me; the manic music still being blared out by the band and the terror and confusion in the bull’s eyes. Then came the moment when the lead matador was left alone with the bull. This part went on for a good ten minutes and the aim was to continue to break the bull down and show off the matadors "skills" to the audience.
The most sinister moment was when I realised that the matador was concealing a long silver sword under his red flag and I knew that this could only mean one thing. After painful amounts of teasing and taunting, the matador finally achieved his goal – he stabbed the bull through the heart, and with one final groan, the bull collapsed, defeated, but finally at peace.
Needless to say, I didn’t watch the other three fights and left the stadium, along with many others.
Before I decided to go to the bullfights I faced many inner battles of whether I should go or not, and my moral compass was all over the place. After seeing the fight with my own two eyes, my inner battles were still raging, but I did come away with a first hand insight into something which I refuse to tolerate.
I have come to realise that the issue that I have is not entirely the cruel treatment of the bulls. After all, animals are slaughtered for food everywhere, sometimes just as painfully as these bulls are put to death in the ring. Rather more important is the idea that people consider the killing of an animal in this way 'sport,' and will pay money to watch it.
This brings into question the entire notion of killing animals for 'sport' at all. It could be argued that killing animals for 'sport' is hardly a sport at all, if the animal has no chance to survive. In the ring, the bull has no chance.
Although bullfighting is still a prominent tradition in many cultures, it’s popularity is on the decline. Barcelona recently declared itself "an anti-bullfighting city," and 38 Catalan municipalities followed its lead; the last bullring in Barcelona closed in 2006 because of poor attendance.
According to a 2006 Gallup survey, 72 percent of Spaniards show no interest in bullfights, up from 31 percent in the ’90s. Interest in bullfighting has also declined in Mexico and Portugal and in China. It appears that the moral zeitgeist is now telling us that bull fighting should be frowned upon, and perhaps, one can only hope, that in a hundred years time bullfighting will be a thing of the past. It makes me sad to think that this is an unthinkable future. |
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