UPDATED: Banning the bullfights has nothing to do with l’Estatut

UPDATE: The Catalan parliament has voted in support of removing the exception permitted to bullfighting from its animal cruelty law. Bullfighting has been outlawed here!

Catalonia’s parliament will likely vote today to finally ban bullfighting within Catalonia. This is a decision that has been approached in a very stop-start manner, and which has been under debate for quite some time. I think I’ve made my feelings quite clear about the barbarity that is La Corrida, and I welcome the ban, and hope that it’s eventually extended throughout Spain.

Various parties seem to be trying to make this a question of revenge for Spain’s constitutional court rejecting passages of Catalonia’s statute of autonomy recently. It has nothing to do with that whatsoever. This is about banning a vile celebration of animal torture. Just as the Canary Islands did in 1991, Catalonia will freely make the right decision today.

Incidentally, right-wing PP leader, Mariano Rajoy’s un-rousing speech yesterday, where he said “Just as you can’t force someone to go to a bullfight, so you can’t prohibit them from doing so!” – is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard. And I moved here when Aznar was still in power. That statement in particular, could be applied to any activity you like. Try it with “a walk in the park”, “a bank robbery”, “have a carajillo in the morning and then drive your police motorbike”, “spout shite”. These are some of my favourites, but I’m sure you’ll find your own. Bon dia.

18 thoughts on “UPDATED: Banning the bullfights has nothing to do with l’Estatut

  1. A big, proud animal in the peak of it’s youth and physical prowess, runs into a ring. It is then tortured to death in front of a cheering crowd.

    As you say, to want to be rid of that has nothing to do with politics, it is just common sense.

  2. A similar popular initiative has recently been accepted for debate in Madrid. Aguirre’s majority means it has no chance of being accepted, but the argument that it’s just Catalans or other nationalists who oppose bullfighting is even weaker now than it ever was.

  3. It’s the same old argument isn’t it? Reactionaries in Spain argue that anything that changes archaic old Spanish laws and practices that have no place in the 21st Century are trying to destroy civilization.

  4. I have to admit to my own cruel thoughts: whenever I saw that a torero received a cornada I cheered for the bull. I find bullfighting especially offensive because it’s cowardice cloaked in machoism: humans know just too well how a bull behaves and simply outsmart it.

    I hope there will be no exception for the correbous, at least those variations where the bull gets its eyes burnt.

  5. Ok, politics and into the fray:

    Guys, this is not only about bullfighting, it IS a national issue (and more). Even Pilar Rahola recently said something like: hell, you’re giving fodder to all those who read it in nationalist terms.

    In La Vanguadia internet edition from today, at the time I write, we can see that the issue is put squarely not only into national, but into party politics (which, is the “and more” I announced): “gracias al voto decisivo de CiU”. For the last month and a half, LV is making propaganda for CiU as the “real national saviour” (no quote). Now they have subsumed toreo into this endeavour.

    On the other end, read ABC (paper) from today. Certainly this paper is on the opposing extreme, which precisely confirms the national (or nationalist) subtext this issues suffers.

    Every party (and their minions in the press) are making this into something it originally was not meant to be, and which in my mind it should not be. But this is happening and we cannot ignore it.

    Reality is perception…. Sad.

    And true.

    1. Not everyone has been framing it like this. Anyone with a memory will know that this, and the other 2 bits of legislation voted on today (Vergueries & Área Metropolitá de Barcelona) have been knocking about for a goodly while. I don’t doubt that some MPs voted in favour as a way of getting their own back.

      I wouldn’t be surprised if Sr. President Montilla voted against because he’s going to be looking for a job outside of Catalonia soon. He won’t be missed by many.

    1. Yeah, that’s why I got rid of the negative voting. It makes it too easy for someone to hover about voting comments down without getting involved.

      I’ve disabled the function completely until I can decide on a better way to use it.

      1. Tom, I repeat my stance: the sum leaves out the details, hence there is less info.

        I prefer more info. I want to know the details, how many negatives and how many positives.

        Next: Per se, I consider this voting system, which is not of your invention, a way to brow-beat “the other”. That’s always the worst kind of participation, but if done in detail it is at least a little honest.

        I see two alternatives: keep up both the positive votes and the negative ones.

        Better: no votes at all. The important part is the reasoning. Make people speak their mind. Really.

        1. I don’t know if you found the info yet, but here are the numbers I’ve found.

          Yes votes: 68
          No votes: 55
          Abstentions: 9

          1. Thanks, Alex. I think Candide was talking about the numbers behind the comments rating system, which I’ve now deactivated.

            The result was very close, as 68 was apparently the minimum required for the amendment to pass.

            Montilla changed his mind since the last vote, apparently as he ‘likes freedom’, whatever the fuck that means.

  6. I have been threatened at gunpoint to either change my mind or succumb. Do those people who so rapidly value a comment at -1 (or +1) without participating in the debate really think they can make a more lasting impression?

    1. Thanks, yeah I will. I think I’ll leave it offline until I get back from Menorca. Two weeks completament desconectat. I need this holiday 🙂

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