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Bull fighting is one of the most contentious issues here in Spain and comes up in conversation on some medium every single day. There are many that argue against the bull fight and many that are for keeping it as a 'sport'.

Is calling it part of Spanish heritage and culture enough to allow it to continue? The same used to be said about fox hunting in the UK and after many years of debate and protests it was finally banned.

However I am not so confident that the same will ever happen with bull fighting. Just talk to some of the older folk about bull fighting and you will quickly see just how passionate they are about it. In fact it still has coverage on the television and the matadors are like pop stars earning huge money.

But is it right?

Every country has cruel and dangerous pastimes from dwarf throwing to running down steep slopes pursued by enormous logs. But is teasing and goading an animal to attack acceptable in these modern European times. Many of us eat meat and we are not blind as to how the meat arrives on the table. But we convince ourselves that it is a necessity and that they are killed in a humane manner.

But are they? How many of us have been to an abattoir?

The Spanish say that the meat is used after the kill and therefore it is more like a cull, but with a bit of sport thrown in.

Now they do have a point about heritage. The bull rings themselves are quite breathtaking and most are swathed in history. What would happen to them without bull fighting?

It is a multi million euro industry in Spain and in an economy that is already suffering so badly is it a good idea to put so many people out of work?

Each newer generation in Spain becomes more aware of the morals of such things as bull fighting and it has been proven that very few of the younger generation agree with or attend bull fighting so it looks like it might actually die out of natural causes in years to come. When crowds get too low to finance it then we might just see it disappear altogether.

So does this mean we have to put up with it until this happens?

What does it teach the younger generation here in Spain?

Spanish are renowned for not treating animal very well and bull fighting is showing the younger generation that it is OK to taunt and hurt animals. In fact in a recent fair in Alhaurin El Grande, Andalucia some youths are up in court to face animal cruelty charges as they torture a young bull at the end of the festival and injured it so badly it had to be put down.

Resource: By Paul J Lopez

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