Bull!

Courtesy google images

Like most "sport" hunting and canned hunts, there is no "sport" or real bravery in bullfighting. The bull is weakened, confined, repeatedly stabbed (causing great blood loss) by a group of picadors, and practically dead before the matador even enters the arena to finish the job. The matador dances around and essentially kills the pre-killed blood soaked bull. It is not about sport or bravery but show business and bloodlust as evidenced by the fact that there is a premium on fights involving white bulls as blood shows up better on their skin. After all, the color of the bull should not matter if the "fight" were about skill and not the summary killing of a pre-killed animal.

Contrast this with the running of the bulls going on now, where the bulls are healthy, very much alive, blessed by the clergy and startled into running through city streets where civilians, not matadors, engage with them. Of course there are always goring incidents and other injuries. So the trained brave matador takes on a virtually dead bull, where an untrained college student takes on a full strength herd of charging bulls. You know the matadors would never do that!

Now, let's look at California, where bullfighting, both regular and bloodless (Velcro tipped "swords" stick to a corresponding Velcro blanket on the bull) are illegal. Both are considered cruel as even in the bloodless fight there is a lot of tormenting and pain caused notwithstanding the fake swords. Yet, in California, a bloodless bullfight can (and does) occur every year"in connection with religious celebrations or religious festivals". (Penal Code 597m)  Ergo -bloodless bullfighting without religion is a crime. Bloodless bullfighting with religion is a family outing.

Every legislative season I try to find a lawmaker willing to repeal the religious exemption as the relationship between religious practice and the activity seems tenuous at best. None are up to the challenge as there are heady constitutional arguments involved and no guaranteed kill.

Clearly, we need a college student and not a matador for this fight.