Bullfighting is a horrendously cruel sport on animals. Bulls are killed in a ceremony of pomp and music and in front of cheering fans with wounds from lances before being spiked through the heart.
This is entertainment? We think not.
If people, often tourists, don’t watch, bullfighting would end despite its long, historical tradition in Spain.
The Spanish government’s tourism board actively promotes visits to bullrings to lure holidaymakers.
Now the government wants to open bullfighting courses for teenagers from 15 to 16.
It’s a move that hundreds of thousands of people, including many Spaniards are opposed to.
Nearly 430,000 people have signed a petition urging the government to stop bullfighting courses, including at least 300,000 Spaniards have signed on.
The good news is Spanish bullfighting is under attack. According to the Guardian, left-leaning new politicians who have come into office over the last year after regional and municipal elections are cutting funds for the sport. Several municipalities are even contemplating banning the cruel practice.
The courses being offered by the Spanish government are being seen as a desperate attempt to rally around what some conservatives still see as a tradition.
Spain’s minister for education Iñigo Méndez de Vigo defended the courses:
Bullfighting is a long-standing Spanish tradition…There are many bullfighting schools that each work in their own way and with this, we’re aiming to have all of these students receive classes in maths and language, among other subjects.”
h/t: The Guardian,
Photo credit: Change.org
