Bullfighting Should Not Be Banned!
Martha Washington
January 30, 2015
The smell of tortillas, nachos and cheese, jalapenos, coke,
and other Spanish dishes, the crowd cheering, with loud intakes of
breath as the bull charges at the Matador, is thrilling! Bullfighting
is a sport many people love to watch. Many believe bullfighting
should be banned, well I don’t think so! Bullfighting is an old
tradition that has been around for centuries. There is a surplus of
beef in the some countries, so killing the bulls and using them in
bullfights helps provide food for the people and is an asset to the
bull population. In other countries bulls are used in rodeos as sport,
and this sport is accepted, why should bullfighting be banned?
Bullfighting should not be banned because bullfighting is a
highly regarded tradition in Spanish history and culture. Many
countries like Spain, France, Mexico, and Portugal still host
bullfighting shows for many natives and tourist. It is a timehonored tradition of the people. They bring picnics to the show and
a share it. The matador spends hours training and following the
traditional aspects of bullfighting for it to remain a cultural event.
(http://bullfightingfreeeurope.org). If you visit any one of those
countries and walk into a tourist shop, you will see many items
such as: mugs, t-shirts, pens, and postcards that will have a picture
or image of a matador with a red cape swinging at a big charging
bull. Usually written near the picture or image will be the words
“Ole” or “La Corrida de Toros” or the words Bullfight.
(http://diwyy.com/bullfighting-in-spain/) Even movies, and films,
books, and other media depict bullfighting in this manner and
reference it as an old tradition. Bullfighting has been around for
nearly 300 years. Native people and tourist flock yearly to those
countries to see a bullfight. It is a form of entertainment for tourist,
and many Countries use this as a form of entertainment to raise
prize bulls for fighting.
Bulls are bred and kept for fighting. Farmers in other
countries pride themselves on raising good fighting bulls for the
arena. Many farmers raise bulls and other beef cattle for revenue.
Often times after the bullfight is over and the bull has suffered
from the blades of the knife, and picks from the picadors they are
no longer useful. They are then slaughtered and immediately
cooked for their roast, hamburger and steak. Only the best bulls are
used in the fight and some farmers use special breeds of bulls to
get the most colorful and wild bulls. These bulls are treated special
and taken care of and farmers make good money off the sale of
these bulls. Most of the bulls are three to four months old when
sold and sale from $1200 to $5000 dollars each. These bulls will
be sent to market and slaughter for meat production after a few
years. Bullfighting is just one way bulls are used in sport and/or
entertainment before they meet their inevitable death
(http://www.ranchworldads.com/cattle-for-sale/bulls.php). Bull
riding in rodeos is seen as a form of entertainment like
bullfighting.
Bullfighting is a sport like bull riding in a rodeo. States in
North America, and countries in Central America pride themselves
on bull riding. Like bullfighting bulls in these areas are bred and
raised by farmers who then sale them to rodeo teams. These rodeos
host yearly events where bucking horses, and bulls are ridden by
men to see who can stay on the longest, and who can get off to
safety without being gouged to death. Many National Rodeo
contest bring in millions of dollars annually! These bulls for the
rodeos are kept for three to five years and used for practice riding.
After these bulls reach their optimal use they are turned out to
pasture or slaughtered for beef. Each year many tourist and
spectators pay to watch a rodeo, that includes bull riding. These
folks also bring or purchase food as they watch the rodeo show for
entertainment. If rodeos and bull riding can be accepted as a form
of entertainment for spectators then bullfighting deserves to be
seen as a form of entertainment too!
One day I hope to visit a Spanish Country, where bullfighting
is not banned, to see a bullfight! It will be wonderful to see an ageold cultural tradition, and to see the black and brown bramer bulls
bred especially for this sport. Like the rodeos I attend, to watch the
bull riders, I am sure, I will be amazed at the skill of the Matador,
and the ferociousness of the bull in the entertainment arena.
Bibliography
"Bullfighting in Spain - Should It Be Banned?" RSS. N.p., 20 Aug. 2012. Web. 29 Dec.
2014.
"For a Bullfighting-free Europe." For a Bullfighting-free Europe. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Dec.
2014.
Ranch World Cattle Ads. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.ranchworldads.com/cattle-for-sale/bulls.php>.