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BULLFIGHTING AND PETS - A CRY FROM THE HEART

A CRY FROM THE HEART.

God Help you My Animal Friends.

Never in the history of humanity has the barbarity of the Spanish treatment of animals ever been as explicit and repugnant. The word Spanish has to be used despite the fact that thankfully there are a number of citizens who appear to have sentiments and who promise to be the fighters of the future against unculture and those filthy rags that dare to call themselves homo sapiens. Whilst trying to capture a lonely pup cropssing busy roads and going from restaurant to restaurant I was almost at the point of befriending it with a bowl of water which I had procured nearby and which it practially ate,. The simpleton and despicable owner of the restaurant practically kicked the terrifed soul with the result that I lost him. I cried for some time with anger and sadness. It was one of thos heartless days in the sombre and jaded Costa del Sol that appears to be a wasteland of what once was a paradise full of joy and promise. Neglect settles in every corner and alleyways and the once blue waters soiled with sewage that was always denied an existance but which had to be there where it has always been dumped by millions of toilets into the sea. Greed, corruption and lies to a people who deserve very much more because they are what they are - a persecuted race which always has aggressive, demanding bureaucracies, armed police and violence round the corner. A very few lucky ones at the expense of the rest. It is not the only place of its kind on earth, but it is the most insensitive, argumentative and destructive – especially when it comes to poor defenceless creatures that are allowed to be sold in shops like disposable toys. Not one single one of the faceless politicians always looking at their bank balance, cares about much except making sure that people envy him. A much thought of national Government Minister called Zaplana, soiled his own doorstep when he admitted to television audiences that he entered politics to make money of course. He thought he was being open and honest by saying so...... It is widespread and the vast array of courts in every corner of every municipality makes localities feel and look like a Siberian correction camps. Most doorsteps betray the hidden power in the yellow, certified letter notices and most families have been to court for one thing or another. The business community itself goes through the horrors of petty denouncements and stiff penalites even before they have time to consolidate and create more employment– shutting shop out of sheer fright when they face embargoes and thousands of euros for what is considered infringement of labour, sanitary or safety laws. The true culprits, of course, the large companies with political clout and little regard for the political weaklings who seek directorships for themselves and family look on with a sneer as they themselves, break every law of decency both in consumer standards and angled, hard sells which no Ombudsman or consumer society can handle in such colossal volume. Much denied racism against foreign investors has also shown its ugly head as happened in Turkey in the sixties and for which she paid very dearly including the unjust execution of one of its Presidents by the ingoing one.

Yesterday a bell sounded in heaven and Peter run to the door uttering his few Spanish words. Iberia has been given another chance. I cannot express it better than a dear lady, Carmen Manzano, with a pair of strong trouser legs who has taken over her duties as President of one of the most hard fought animal protection associations in Spain. The association has saved hundreds of thousands of animals from miserable torture and death and one which claimed the life of its previous President.

 

To all and Sundry

 

Yesterday 28th. July was to all those who believe in the dignity and love for animals and for which we fight against the injustice of their abuse and abandonment - a National Feast Day – one without blood , without fear, without pain and without animals being tortured or rendered dead..

 

There are traditions or customs which last through the centuries but it does not mean that they carry reason with them – Was it reasonable that women in our country had no votes till very recently ? Was slavery reasonable ? The persecution of the jews throughout the centuries ? And so forth to infinity.... There is no need for these traditional attitudes to keep alive the unity of a nation. (Referring to comments made by top politicians that bullfighing and all customs were necessary to keep a country united – sounding very much like a proponent of bread and circus).

It seems absurd wanting to mix politics with the abuse of animals, nationalism and dignity topwards other living creatures.

 

I am firmly against bullfighting but also against abortion and it seems incredible to me that people should be in favour of cruelty towards a bull and yet approve abortion. But whilst respecting the freedom of choice I assume the importance of life and no......I am not in favour of abortion.

 

I feel Spanish and I acept the diversity of culture and language. I am not for separatism called

Catalanism but yes, anti bullfighting traditions.

 

The day of the famous match between Holland and Spain, my husband and I were in Tarragona and lived what went on there that day. The cries of Españaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaña, the flags in the cars and balconies, the rockets and squibs, proved once against that it is the politicians who create separatism – citizens have more important things to take care of – like the day to day of our mangled economy which has little to do with the millionaire salaries some people pay themselves.

 

Another argument held is that the losing of the bullfighting tradition will result in the loss of cultural identity – well, to hell with it ! Did not the dinosaurs and the pygmy elephants of Sicilly which were very pretty, disappear ? Do we need a race of animal (meaning the fighting bull) bred to be tortured and massacred in the name of a bloody and cruel tradition ?

 

More arguments utilised in favour of keeping the tradition: "There are so many children who die of hunger and abandonment so why waste energy in defending animals ?" (These are actual arguments put forward by high ranking officials). My answer is yes, because we have to defend life and the dignity of all its species. If I saw a child abandoned in the layby of a motorway, or hungry, rest assured that I would bring the car to a halt and I would help and I would do the same thing for an animal - that is the little difference.... (the argument is held that there is great deal of difference between a child and an animal)

 

And now the economic argument – that saving animals represents a loss of a great deal of

money …." How much money has been lost and never recovered in corrupt practices and absurd subsidies, my dear Politicians ?" Bull rings can be utilsed for other events – they do not have to be there simply for torturing bulls.

 

We have taken a giant step and we will continue to move forward. Pray God that the day will come soon when there will be no festivals like that of the roped bull, the bull of Tordesillas (where crowds are invited to drive any blunt object like spears and knives into pursued, cornered and cowered bulls until they die a slow and agonising death) or the flamed horns bulls (where tar balls are tied to their horns, set alight and bulls terrorised to the point of losing their eye sight, noses and facial flesh for fun ) - nor the bulls thrown into the sea nor so much blood and suffering......

 

Carmen Manzano Rodriguez

President of the Association for the Protection of Animals of Malaga.

 

NB. The italic explanations in bracket are mine – HB.

The original and brave text follows in its original Spanish.

Sr. Director de Prensa,

Ayer, día 28 de julio, fue para todos los que creemos en la dignidad y el amor a los animales y que luchamos contra la injusticia de su maltrato y abandono, día de Fiesta Nacional…una fiesta sin sangre, sin dolor, sin miedo, sin animales torturados y muertos…

Hay tradiciones o costumbres que perduran durante siglos, pero eso no quiere decir que sean razonables…¿razonable era que las mujeres no votasen hasta hace relativamente poco tiempo? ¿razonable era la esclavitud? ¿ la persecución durante siglos a los judíos? y así podríamos seguir hasta el infinito…

No se necesitan estas tradiciones para mantener viva la unidad de una nación.

Parece absurdo querer mezclar política y maltrato animal, nacionalismos y dignidad hacia los animales:

Soy antitaurina convencida, pero no abortista, me resulta increíble que uno de los argumentos taurinos sea que se esté en contra de la crueldad con los toros y que se apruebe el aborto. Pues no, y respetando siempre la libertad de las personas, pero asumiendo la importancia de la vida…no estoy a favor del aborto.

Me siento española y acepto la diversidad cultural y del lenguaje, no soy catalanista, pero sí antitaurina.

El día del famoso partido Holanda-España, estábamos mi marido y yo en Tarragona y lo que allí se vivió, los gritos de Espaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaña, las banderas en los coches y balcones, los cohetes y petardos, demostraron una vez más que son los políticos los que crean el separatismo….los ciudadanos tenemos cosas más importantes por las que preocuparnos….el día a día de nuestra maltrecha economía, que poco tiene que ver con sus sueldos millonarios.

Otro argumento manido es que se "perderá la raza", vale, pues que se pierda, ¿no se extinguieron los dinosaurios y los elefantes enanos de Sicilia, que eran bien bonitos? ¿necesitamos una raza de animales para ser torturados y masacrados en aras a una tradición sangrienta y cruel?.

Más argumentos: "tantos niños que se mueren de hambre y abandono y gastar tanta energía en defender a los animales", pues sí, tenemos que defender la vida y la dignidad de todas las especies; si yo viese un niño abandonado en un arcén de la carretera o hambriento, no duden ustedes que pararía el coche y lo auxiliaría, y que lo mismo haría si fuese un animal, esa es la "pequeña" diferencia….

Y ahora el tema económico: se pierde muchísimo dinero….¿cuánto hemos perdido y no recuperado en corruptelas y subvenciones absurdas, Srs. Políticos?. Las plazas se pueden usar para otros eventos, no hace falta que sea únicamente para maltratar a un toro….

 

Hemos dado un gran paso, y seguiremos avanzando, ojalá llegue pronto el día en que no existan ni el toro ensogado, ni el toro de Tordesillas, ni los toros embolados, ni los toros al mar, ni tanta sangre y sufrimiento….

 

 

Carmen Manzano Rodriguez

About the Author

Henry Bloomfield is an oil engineer who studied business management in part time course at the Literary City Institute in London.  He lives in Hove and has a second home in the Axarquia, Malaga Province.He is writing a book about "earning money when the time is wrong". His profession has made him have to live in more than a score of countries around the world for a year or two at a time.