The Catalan Region of Spain has banned "Bull Fighting"!

Whilst I agree with the banning of "killing" animals for sport I'm wondering where the "Animal Lobby" will stop.

Are Dog Shows, Horse Racing and Jumping, Pigeon Racing, keeping budgies or Canaries next?

Where do you draw the line on cruelty to animals?
Bear in mind that if a Ban is introduced it means the end of the Animal involved, The Bulls will now not be bred for the Bullring and so the "Fighting Bull" will become extinct in Spain, Many people will lose their livelyhood.

There has been a small lobby who, for years, have protested against horseracing. Small concessions have been made in regard to the treatment of the horses (eg, excessive whipping is banned), but I can't see too much more success for them, given the widespread popularity of the sport.

I see no comparison between bull-fighting and horse racing. Horses bred for racing are well cared for, and well treated. A measure of how much they actually enjoy what they do is that they will often run on, even after they've unseated their rider. Bullfighting is a barbaric, deliberately cruel sport which always ends in the tormented death of an innocent animal. I hope Catalonia's example will be followed swiftly by the rest of Spain. And as for those who earn their livelihood from the sport, they'll need to do something else. I have no sympathy for them.

Another case of Doo Gooooders riding thier moral steeds interfering in other peoples lives!
All so they can get that warm and fuzzy rush like a junkie.

Supply and demand, If no one watched these fights bullfighting would not exist!
So a Ban is anti capitolist or communist in nature!
I dont like bullfighting myself but to ban it is illogical and just plain stupid but then again stupidity is rewarded these days.
Just my opinion

Stressing again - I personally do not like Bull Fighting (where the animal is tortured and killed) I've seen demonstrations of the Matadors Skills and is was spectacular without the Final Coup de Gras the bull being led away as is the custom in many other countries. American Rodeo is entrenched in "Animal handling" sports and apart from accidents all participants "Live to fight another day"

Unfortunately the bulls are bred for fighting and are well cared for up until they enter the ring for the last time. It's in the breeders interest to have fit and healthy animals.

As you say Maggie, the horses used in racing are very well cared for and that is where I think, there are double-standards, the course Vet is there to ensure they are fit for racing but the racing fraternity have no qualms about ending a horses life when it's no use to them anymore.

Maggie, I wasn't for a moment comparing bullfighting to horseracing. I was just stating the fact that bans had also been implemented there. I'm no fan of either one, to be honest.

This sort of reminds me of the Olympics in the early part of the 20th Century. I can't, off the top of my head remember which Olympiad, but St. Louis is ringing a bell, but in the shooting events, for the moving target events, they used LIVE PIGEONS! That only lasted one Games, as common sense took over and they used clay pigeons from then on.

I think it was in Paris in 1900. Some other odd events here...

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1270844,00.html

Even clay pigeons is no longer pc
They must be refered to as "Clay Targets"
What a crock of S

Deviating a bit off topic, re cruelty to animals, as "Sport Shooting" no longer uses live animals as targets. In "Field Sport" the sole object is to hunt and kill. Both derive from the second one but are completely different activities, one I've done and one I couldn't do to save my live.

While the target might now be called a "Sporting Clay", the range near to me (an old quarry) still has events using the old names deriving from the animal or bird the clay is supposed to resmble.

Flushed Grouse & Driven Pheasant
- Target fired from low down, towards and overhead of the shooter.

Springing Teal - Target launched almost vertically.

Bolting Rabbit - Target launched to roll on it's edge along the ground, jumping in the air when it hits a bump.

Can't remember the one where the trap was on top of the quarry walls but it was supposed to represent birds coming into land or the one near the top of a tree.

In Rifle Shooting - PC has taken hold - The Running Boar and Running Deer are now known as "Running Targets", the target hasn't changed only the name.

In Athletics "Hare & Hounds" now called Paper Chase, but several running clubs are still called Harriers.

Didn't you know? Sporting shooters are a bunch of rednecks. If you use an animal name to refer to a target - they might go out and start shooting innocent birds! They're all barbarians these shooters!

While we're at it, lets ban fishing! I mean we don't have to eat fish and depopulate our waterways. You could hurt the ecology of the area.

And domestic fires? We've got to save the trees! Without trees global warming will kill us all! You shouldn't be allowed to light a fire because in gathering the wood you destroy a centipede's home!

Don't get me started on that monstrous flyspray either...

Setting todays Chat Quiz, I came across a quote from Charlton Heston President of the NRA and staunch advocate of Gun Laws (if that's not contradictory)

Quote
"...the God fearing, law-abiding, Caucasian, middle-class Protestant - or even worse, evangelical Christian, Midwestern or Southern - or even worse, rural, apparently straight - or even worse, admitted heterosexuals, gun-owning - or even worse, NRA-card-carrying, average working stiff - or even worse, male working stiff - because, not only don’t you count, you are a down-right obstacle to social progress. Your voice deserves a lower decibel level, your opinion is less enlightened, your media access is insignificant, and frankly, mister, you need to wake up, wise up, and learn a little something from your new-America and until you do, would you mind shutting up?

'Bout sums it up!

I beg to differ about racehorses. Some are treated well but many are not and many end their lives in misery having been sold on to unscrupulous or ignorant people who don't know how to look after a thoroughbred horse. One Grand National winner was found living on kitchen scraps tied to a shed at the bottom of a block of flats - he was "lucky", he was rescued by a racehorse charity and ended his days hunting and being very well cared for.

Many are also very difficult to rehabilitate because of having physical problems from being ridden at too young an age and psychological problems from not being allowed to develop properly as part of a herd for the same reason. Why do they keep running after they've unseated a rider? They're herd animals and instinct tells them to run if everyone else is doing so! Having said that, I think many horses DO enjoy their jobs and those that ARE well cared for can lead good lives and I would still prefer horse racing over bull-fighting any day if I had to choose.

John, you said you wanted more forum participation! Here I am...

I think you would find that Charlton Heston, as NRA President, was arguing against proposed new gun laws and media hysteria about the availability of guns in the USA, rather than for them.

He was a staunch advocate of the second amendment (the right to bear arms)

In addition the quotation is taken out of context. You neglect to mention that it he was addressing the issue of "a culture war he said was being conducted by a generation of media, educators, entertainers, and politicians against" the people mentioned in the quotation

The quoted speech might at first appear to be gibberish but, in fact, he seems to be going down the list from the most socially acceptable gun owner to the least, as perceived by his "enemies".

The full speech can be found here

The full paragraph from which the original quote is taken is:

Rank-and-file Americans wake up every morning, increasingly bewildered and confused at why their views make them lesser citizens. After enough breakfast-table TV hyping tattooed sex-slaves on the next Rikki Lake, enough gun-glutted movies and tabloid shows, enough revisionist history books and prime-time ridicule of religion, enough of the TV anchor who cocks her head, clucks her tongue and sighs about guns causing crime and finally the message gets through: Heaven help the God-fearing, law-abiding, Caucasian, middle class, Protestant, or—even worse— admitted heterosexual, gun-owning or—even worse—NRA-card-carrying, average working stiff, or—even worse—male working stiff, because not only don’t you count, you’re a downright obstacle to social progress. Your tax dollars may be just as delightfully green as you hand them over, but your voice deserves a lower decibel level, your opinion is less enlightened, your media access is insignificant. And frankly, mister, you need to wake up, wise up and learn a little something about your new America… and until you do, would you mind shutting up?

I might not agree with the guy's opinions but I think he should at least be quoted in context

Guns are power pure and simple!

When citizens are stripped of the right to bear arms they are stripped of thier power, stripped of thier freedom and become mere subjects of an all powerfull government.

It should in a FREE DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY be the people who hold the power not the government. The vote is how free citizens decide what go"s but it is the firearm in free citizens hands that GUARANTEE'S that vote

History has proven this time and time again
Hitler disarmed his people
Stalin disarmed his people
Pol Pot disarmed his people
they enslaved the people, stripped them of thier rights and opened the gates of HELL!

Accepted Tom
The speech was made in the aftermath of a slaughter and he was saying that "Some control" over gun ownership was necessary. I think he was right. Yes, the right to bear arms is there in the constitution but like all laws it's flawed, not everyone has the sense to use them properly.

And Welcome Mink, I know your love of horses, and that was exactly the point I was making.(Most) Private owners will lavish all the care and attention on their horse BUT when it comes to business which the Horse Racing is then a horse past it's best is just a spent asset to be disposed of!
Harsh but that's how it is, The same in the Bull Ring, animals bred to "entertain" for 10 minutes and then be slaughtered!
When you consider that the farmer sends hundreds of cows to the abbatoir for next to nothing the fee's paid by the Bull Ring must be attractive.