In thirty nine andalusian towns with no taurine tradition what so ever, we’ve seen in 2005 some kind of taurine shows. In many of these places it had never taken place bullfighting, and in others it had not happened since six years. This rise has been mostly in Granada, Almería and Seville provinces. According to the Home Secretary Counsellor, “this data indicates some kind of reactivation of the Fiesta. It was usual until now, that the taurine celebrations, from training fights, bullfights to mixt shows, repeated themselves in the same sceneries each coming year”. In a moment in which more and more people are gaining conscience of what a bullfighting really means, and in which bullfighting convinces less every time, to celebrate these feasts in new localities, instead of using the usual places, is it not their strategy to disguise the reality according to their aims?
(Sources: Daily “ABC” and “La Razón”, 9th of December, 2005 editions).
It depends on the glass through which it’s seen
Terres de l´Ebre.- According to the Catalonian local Government report on the “ bulls in the Terres de l´Ebre campaign”,” nor physical or psychological suffering was detected in the 181 taurine entertainment shows, controlled by authorized veterinarians”. Figures that vividly contrast with the facts referred in the 19 denounces for injuries, presented by the Partido Antitaurino Contra el Maltrato Animal (PACMA), which relate – and show through graphic figures – how in l´Aldea ( Baix Ebre) ring they used an electric spear and subdued the animals by means of blows, kicks and humiliations, or like what happened in the second national competition of “bulls of fire”( where balls of fire are fixed on a harness on the animals back) where the bull, in panic, reacted by going after one of the men, dragging him through the floor and trampling on him, causing him serious lesions)”. And even worse, it took place in l´Aldea a “correbous” for kids, where they were mostly under 14 years, infringing legislation. Because of these facts, animalists urge the Catalonian Government to open sanction files for those who organise this events that are celebrated under the towns Councils responsibility.
(Sources: Daily “La Vanguardia”, 10th of December, 2005, edition).
Living in the past
Manlleu (Osona).- As the taurines can’t justify bullfighting, they harbour in tradition, forgetting that evolution of thought is in the progress of men. Thanks to the tireless work done by the Animalist Platform, the Manlleu Council declared this city antitaurine. On the 5th of September the Catalonian High Court rejected the appeal formulated by the Penya Taurina Manllueca to celebrate “correbous” in this locality, as these events didn’t take place since 1980 because of lack of tradition.
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Non the less the taurines, assure that “ is a very deep rutted tradition in the village”, and to demonstrate it, they’ve gathered the following documentation: on August 19th,1888, a bullfighting took place and in August 16th,1894 there was another celebration of sort, as published in La Veu de Montserrat newspaper, pompously advertising: Great training fight with cows from Navarra and Cuatro Yerba´s bullocks, some of which will be “banderilleados” and killed to death”… are we still living in the past?
(Sources: Daily “El Periódico”, January 2nd of 2006, edition). |
Fallacies that no longer convince
As time goes by, supporters of bullfighting are less convincing. They themselves recognized it during the bullfighting season of 2005 in Barcelona , that "bullfighters have a total lack of personality". "We conclude reassuringly, that bullfighting, as a unique art has disappeared, turning bullfighters into routine workers. This is how the "fiesta" is at the present moment, any historic page to review, is diluted in air, like shavings smoke" (Daily ABC, 29-12-2005 ). Perhaps they are beginning to understand that trying to justify the bullfighting in the name of art is an aberration.
Source: Daily ABC.December 29 th , 2005, edition).
More bullfighting Movies
The movie producer Andrés Vicente Gómez means to put forward a film on Manolete , "who not only was the best Matador in history, but also a man of a great personality". Now, he has taken his leap into the big screen. The main actors in the movie are very well known: the Oscar- winning Adrien Brody and Penélope Cruz.
Cayetano Rivera, "member of one of the most time-honoured families in the taurine circles", will teach Brody "all the bullfighting secrets and will also double Brody in the scenes where Manolete confronts the bull". Cordoba´s City Hall will help in the filming "in every possible way". No comments.
(Sources: Daily "Digital Star" and "La Vanguardia", 21 st and 28 th -01-2006 editions).
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The European Parlament, Zero Points
The European Parliament, the only democratic institution the European Union has, as it is constituted by direct vote of all it’s citizens, has it’s functions so limited, that it is a colossus made of stone that contemplates as, for political reasons, it’s policies and votes are useless.
More than 10 years ago, the Smith report was taken to the plenary for vote. It expressed the rejection to the barbaric “fiesta” as the bullfighting is considered. The Spanish Europarlamentarians, that move swiftly through halls, where sufficiently roguish- that’s why the picaresque is historically Spanish- to plot a clever break through. Knowing that in normal conditions they would loose the vote, right and left wings parties, because speaking of bulls, it’s an ¡all for one!, they managed to take advantage of lunch brakes, in which most of the foreigner parliamentarians leave the premises, they strategically placed themselves, and in a rapid count up of those present and not, if the numbers where favourable, would force the vote, which logically they won. Bullfighting had been saved. Latter on, when Tony Blair had been newly elected in the United Kingdom, when the Amsterdam Treaty in the EU recognized that animals where sensible creatures, put again at stake bullfighting. Then again, they moved threads skilfully with strategic diners and lobbies: they”armour- plated bullfighting”, as literally expressed by one of the most active europarlamentarian.
Recently, at the end of 2005, the green europarlamentarian Hammerstein-spanish, no matter his surname- achieved to take once again the bulls theme to vote, so that European subsidies with which fighting bulls are being beneficiated stop. Something long ago claimed for by the animalist sector, and wow, it won! More amazing still: the Spanish Socialist Party voted in favour of the suppression of these subsidies. The hoary taurine spanish factions were astonished. They reacted and pretty fast too. The EU Agriculture Ministry Council disregarded the result of the European Parliament election and subsidies continue. The ABC newspaper, mouthpiece of the taurine essences, two days before the Council meets, already took it for granted, that subsidies will go on. Latter on, the socialist faction goes back on, in its position at the Parliament, arguing that Spain can’t despise any subsidy from which it can beneficiate.
The next question is, what is the porpoise of this institution, paradigm of euroburocracy, that in between spectacular buildings, their allowances and travelling expenses and a long big etcetera, represent a true fortune for all Europeans? It is only necessary one visit, to see uniformed ushers transport thousands and thousands of photocopies, back and forth in loaded trolleys, as every document has to be translated to every official language to end up latter in waste baskets. It has been calculated that the thrown away paper supposes a great deforestation region.
The European Parliament, as a direct democratic institution, validates the expressed will of their voters, it´s a useless institution if latter their decisions, are crushed by the political interests of parties?
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