I just had to write immediately when  I saw this video.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20100819/video/vwl-raging-bull-comes-at-sensitive-time-15af341.html

You’ll see for yourselves how spectators ran for their lives after the bull, which presumably was being taunted by a pumped up matador, literally jumped into the stands at a bullring in northern Spain injuring at least 30 people. I was blown away by the sheer strength, power and determination of this heavy beast to scale the heights of the security walls and fences.

You can only imagine how much this magnificent animal wanted to get out of the ring.  Now I’m not writing a post about it for the sake of the crowds.  No!  I’m on the side of the bulls.  After all, crowds pay their money, they take their chances.  Bulls on the other hand have limited choices.  They are taunted, mutilated, prodded and poked with spears until fatigued and crazed, they are easily finished off by one or more brightly coloured, frilly attired men in tights.  Or, they just might be able to can fight their way out of the ring as this bull manageds to do (only be shot dead, but at least it’s quick).

This incident may well have been ‘terrifying’ but a bull escaping and ‘terrifying’ the crowds is rare compared to having several bulls repeatedly  terrified at every single show and all in the name of ‘sport’.  The crowds would do well to think of the bulls and not just themselvesfor a change!

I know the full horrors of this spectacle because when I was a small child (some forty years ago) on our first trip to Spain, we saw a show ourselves and believe me, it was a disgusting experience none of us ever repeated.

Putting history and culture aside, this cruelty has got to be stopped!  I’m only sorry I couldn’t find a petition to sign on the page with the video link.  If anyone knows of one, or even how to start one, lets do it!  Let’s end this bloodiness because there’s too much blood being shed in the world already without shedding more in the name of entertainment.

A gimmer of good news though, whilst Spain is split over whether bullfighting should be completely outlawed or not, Catalonia thankfully is showing sense and leading the way by becoming the first major Spanish region to ban this deadly sport.  Sadly for the bulls though, the ban won’t take place until 2012 – why the wait for goodness sake?

Dawn