# data[].attributes.body
I think the articles we read showed a full spectrum of the argument surrounding bulls in Spain. I do think the pro-bull side could've been captured more, even though I don't agree with it, to give us a bit more understanding of why they feel so strongly. I'm left wondering why bulls are so incredibly central to the Spanish culture, and while a few articles gently touched on, I'm not 100% sure I understand. I'm glad people are standing up for the animals, it takes a lot of courage to acknowledge that your cultural history is problematic.

I did some digging into the full history and found a couple things: first, that running in front of bulls was a way herders/butchers guided their animals during transport when they arrived in the town. And second, San Fermin was the first bishop of Pamplona, and was killed in France. So the fiesta of San Fermin combines these two things into one event, that has important but storied history.
http://time.com/4386999/pamplona-spain-running-of-the-bulls/

# data[].attributes.body
I had heard about the Cierros tradition in Pamplona, but wasn’t familiar with how expansive this tradition was. I had assumed it was a singular event in one city, once a year. Learning that this is a fairly frequent game of spectacle I agree with the members of PACMA, that this tradition doesn’t need to progress. Learning that Valencia had an event in which bulls ran with their horns a flame, sounds pretty awful for the animals and I’m glad they decided to ban that activity. Reading Mr. Hollander’s account of the passion he has for this tradition, I can understand why many people would want to continue this event. The days leading are fun, and the event itself feels like it would be exciting, for many people I can see them thinking back on this event fondly. However, Mr. Hollander personifies the bulls saying that they die with honor. I don’t believe animals search for a fight, they react to how they are treated, if they are scared or in pain, they will fight.

The article I found, agrees with my opinion, but I was surprised that the event doesn’t seem to be as popular with the locals. This article also mentions that there isn’t much money to be made for those funding the event:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This summer, 12 families have lost loved ones to bullfights or bull runs. These individuals were gored to death, and in each case it was entirely preventable. Others have been maimed or otherwise injured but have escaped with their lives. The bulls, of course, are never that lucky.

Bull "festivals" are shameful, barbaric spectacles of mostly drunken men who deliberately harass, terrify and cause injury to animals. In the run-up to these notorious events, bulls are often confined to small dark enclosures overnight before being forced out into a menacing crowd on the street, frequently through the use of electric shock prods. The bulls try to get their bearings after being momentarily blinded by the sunlight, but runners immediately begin hitting them with rolled-up newspapers and other objects. It's no surprise that they panic, literally running for their lives and often losing their footing, slamming into walls, sometimes breaking bones and otherwise injuring themselves, or into people in their desperate attempt to flee from their attackers.

And while the people who are gored during this display of human cruelty and idiocy have voluntarily chosen to participate, the bulls (thousands every year) have no choice in the matter. And they all end up in the bullring. There, more than a dozen people will attack each one of them, taunting, beating and jabbing them with daggers for approximately 15 minutes. Finally, the matador takes over to stab the exhausted animal repeatedly with a sword. At best, the term "bullfighting" is a misnomer, as there is very little competition between a sword-wielding matador and a confused, maimed, psychologically tormented and physically debilitated bull. It is neither art nor culture to torture a bull, a sentient animal, to death by repeatedly stabbing him with spears until he dies. And anyone who attends a bull run or bullfight is supporting these cruel and bloody spectacles that are costing both people and bulls their lives.

Most people in the UK don't realise that bullfighting is something many Spanish people are working hard to end. A ban on bullfighting in Catalonia went into effect in 2011 after parliamentarians were presented with the signatures of 180,000 residents demanding an end to the carnage. It has also been outlawed in the Canary Islands, and more than 100 Spanish cities and towns have declared their opposition to it. Several years ago, Spain's RTVE network implemented a ban on airing bullfights, deeming them psychologically harmful for children to watch.

Former Spanish Minister of the Environment Cristina Narbona, herself the daughter of a bullfighting expert, publicly denounced the blood sport, saying, "I am deeply ashamed of living in a country with such a tradition". But in fact, bullfighting is no longer a tradition that most Spanish people want to be associated with. According to a Gallup survey, 76 per cent of Spaniards show no interest in bullfights and the same number also oppose the use of public funds to support them. Nonetheless, the loss-making industry shamelessly continues because of the millions it receives in EU subsidies.

In the 2013 report "Toros & Taxes", compiled by Spanish MEPs, an official Spanish source is quoted as saying that "major revenues derive from ... subsidies from the [Common Agriculture Policy] ... we can say that economic returns for fighting-bulls are negative". In the UK, Common Agriculture Policy payments given to Spanish farmers using their pastures to rear fighting bulls are reportedly worth more than £110 million a year. The study concludes that "[w]ithout such backing [bullfighting] would probably be on the brink of financial collapse...".

With 2015 set to be one of the bloodiest and most deadly bullfighting seasons in recent times, isn't it time we pulled the plug on the subsidies and consequently this dying industry? Let's hope for the sake of both people and bulls that this year's carnage will finally prove to be enough.

Reuse content

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bullfighting in Spain has hit a gruesome peak this year - and no thanks to the EU

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This summer, 12 families have lost loved ones to bullfights or bull runs. These individuals were gored to death, and in each case it was entirely preventable. Others have been maimed or otherwise injured but have escaped with their lives. The bulls, of course, are never that lucky.

# data[].attributes.body
After reading these articles, I have more of a sense for the arguments put forth in support of and opposed to bullfighting. I think that the new york times article did a good job articulating why it's an important part of Spanish Heritage, as did the other articles on this matter. I don't think the arguments opposed to bullfighting are very strong, as I am unconcerned with animal suffering, if such suffering leads to something such as Bullfighting, which has become a pillar of spanish culture. This articel talks about Bullfighting tourism: https://www.tripsavvy.com/bullfighting-in-spain-1642940
I was in Spain around seven years ago, but I was in Barcelona, and it;s banned their, which I didn't know until this article. So even if I wanted to, I could not have seen a Bullfight. Interestingly, this article floats the idea of the EU stepping in to ban the practice. That gives rise to an important question; should good global citizens use supra government agencies such as the EU to intervene into nation states and tell them what to do?

# data[].attributes.body
It was very interesting to reflect on the readings this week on the bullfighting.  While I had always heard of bullfighting, I didn’t realize that it was highly controversial.  I can certainly understand the firm opposition to bullfighting.  I also understand how people want to preserve their culture, particularly as times change so rapidly.  So far in my research of bullfighting, I am firmly against it.  However, that being said it is also something that I am researching as an outsider and I do not have any experience with it, nor is it something rooted within my culture.  One aspect that surprised me about bullfighting, on top of the cruelty, is how dangerous it is in general.  Another aspect of the readings that surprised me was the perceived romanticism behind bullfighting.  While I had never heard that before, I can understand it in many ways, particularly with it being such a historic tradition that so many generations have experienced.

The related article that I read and am sharing is:

http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1908948,00.html

# data[].attributes.body
For this week’s research into the Spanish custom of bullfighting, one particular concept that transcended the numerous articles presented to us was the connection people had between the tradition of bullfighting in Spain, and their own individual connection to their Spanish identities through their support and/or dissent of the tradition. Within the first article presented, NPR’s “Momentum Grows Against Bullfighting in Spain, As Thousands Rally” includes an exclamation from a protestor, Chelo Pozo, stating that “Bullfights are a national shame and if they represent me, then I am not Spanish” (NPR). The article presented by the Guardian, “Thousands rally in Madrid to demand an end to bullfighting” embraces both this exact testimony, as well as creates space for those in support of the cultural tradition. The Guardian article highlights the perspective that “they [Aficionados, or supporters of bullfighting] see bullfighting as an art that is an integral part of Spanish culture, like flamenco” (The Guardian). After reading these articles and seeing the contrasting influence that this tradition has on Spaniards’ identity to their nation, national traditions, and culture, I was compelled to sit back and think of American traditions that divide us and make us feel questionable in our national identity as well. I am interested to ponder this relative question further.

In regards to bullfighting, one additional article I found that interesting was the article “Tensions Are On the Rise in Spain Over its Bloody Tradition of Bullfighting” by Time Magazine, published in 2016 by author Amanda Calvo. This particular article is interesting due to the fact that it highlights the catalyst for much of the current tension on the topic of bullfighting stemming from the media’s coverage and portrayal of a prominent Spanish bullfighter who died while bullfighting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tensions on the Rise in Spain Over Bullfighting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The death of a Spanish matador in the bullfighting ring has renewed calls for a total ban of the bloody tradition and reopened a debate.

# data[].attributes.body
The tradition of bullfighting brings up an interesting characteristic of culture and the importance of understanding the difference between cultural values, even within the culture itself. While some see the bullfighting tradition as cruelty to animals, others view is as an art form. It was very interesting to read about the different sides of the controversy, both provide valid statements. As a global society, or what I have seen in my limited travels, we tend to move away from violent customs throughout the span of our history. However, it would be really unique to witness a tradition that has been around since 711 A.D. While I would be interesting in watching the running of the bulls if I have the chance to travel to Spain, I would not be interesting in participating in the event. I also thought it was interesting to learn that the tradition attracted the attention of other countries through Ernest Hemingway’s novel, “A Sun Also Rises.” The link I decided to use talks a little bit about the history and the phases of the event.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Matador leading a bull (Photo: el fandi-288a image by Paco Ayala from Fotolia.com )

Bullfighting is an iconic tradition in Spain and one of the defining cultural characteristics of this Iberian nation. Deplored by some and adored by others, bullfighting is a bloody and violent spectacle that straddles the boundaries between art and brutality. Spanish bullfighting was first brought to the attention of the Western world in Ernest Hemingway's novel "A Sun Also Rises." It remains a curious attraction for many travelers in Spain, despite the ongoing disputes between moral activists and die-hard bullfighting aficionados.

History

According to "Frommer's Travel Guide," bullfighting in Spain traces its origins to 711 A.D., with the first official bullfight, or "corrida de toros," being held in honor of the coronation of King Alfonso VIII. Once part of the Roman Empire, Spain owes its bullfighting tradition in part to gladiator games. At first, bullfighting was done on horseback and was reserved for Spanish aristocracy, but King Felipe V ended this trend because he believed it was in poor taste for nobles to practice such a bloody sport. Commoners continued to develop bullfighting on foot with smaller weapons. The art of dodging and stabbing the bull grew into its present form around 1724, and matadors today still cling to a traditionally strict code of conduct.

The oldest bullring in Spain is located in the southern town of Ronda, but cities like Madrid, Seville and Pamplona also have a rich bullfighting legacy and some of the largest rings in the world.

About the Author

David Thyberg began his writing career in 2007. He is a professional writer, editor and translator. Thyberg has been published in various newspapers, websites and magazines. He enjoys writing about social issues, travel, music and sports. Thyberg holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh Honors College with a certificate in Spanish and Latin American studies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bullfighting is an iconic tradition in Spain and one of the defining cultural characteristics of this Iberian nation. Deplored by some and adored by others, bullfighting is a bloody and violent spectacle that straddles the boundaries between art and brutality. Spanish bullfighting was first brought to the attention of ...

# data[].attributes.body
I originally thought bullfighting was somewhat of a dead tradition before last week. These articles were quite shocking to read because they expressed completely opposing views: some of them recorded the grand protests against bullfighting activity, while other articles glorified and almost romanticized bullfighting within Spain. Regardless of the view, it's clear that it's a deeply-engrained tradition in Spanish culture; that in itself makes it incredibly difficult to remove. Throughout many cases in history, torturous acts that were part of a certain culture were nearly impossible to remove because it's just part of their identity and has an emotional aspect to it that outsiders may not understand. That's why I found the last two articles so interesting because they had a romantic tone toward an act that is torturous. I found a new article that explores whether or not bullfighting is expected to live on--and the article suggests that it will still continue.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Within the stadium the crowd has gone quiet, the bull hunched in the middle of the sand-covered arena with blood trickling down its back and head dropped in exhaustion. For the past 15 minutes it has been chased and goaded and stabbed. With the shadows lengthening as the afternoon fades, this animal is now ready only for death.

The matador strides to stand in front of it, his hand raised high in triumph. A whistle comes from the stalls in response, a sound quickly picked up and replicated by other spectators. The stadium is a cacophony of noise - and none of it is cheers.

"They are angry," says Carlos Flores, sitting beside me. "They think the matador has played the bull badly, weakening it too quickly so as to deprive the contest of drama."

He is the son of one of Spain's pre-eminent bull breeders, and had invited me to watch the fight. When he first saw the bull, he warned it would most likely not be a fine one - too weak in its back legs. But it is the matador that he, too, blames for what we have witnessed.

At no point had he fully bent the bull to his will. It had not charged with fury. Its horns had not cleanly followed the twitching cloak. Too prematurely, it had been deeply bloodied, sapping it of strength. "Not good," Carlos says. "Not good at all."

Hearing the crowd's displeasure, the matador tries to end the contest with a flourish. He kneels down. He throws his arms up in the air. He leans his body a few inches above the outspread horns. All for nothing. There is barely a flicker from the bull in response.

Finally he sweeps his cloak so that it almost catches the animal's eye. That does prompt a reaction. The bull stumbles forward. The matador passes the point of his sword through the back of its neck and into its lungs. Twice the bull circles, drowning, before finally it falls. In response the crowd sighs its indifference.

Carlos is as uninterested as the rest when four horses, their driver cracking the ground beside them with a whip to drive the team forward, drag its corpse from the arena. He is already craning f his neck towards the entrance archway to catch a first glimpse of what will come next.

"Maybe this bull will fight," Carlos says. "The day will get better, I hope."

It is a sentiment that could be directed at not only this fiesta but at the state of bullfighting in Spain as a whole - indeed at the very state of Spain itself. For bullfighting, like Spain, is in trouble. Serious trouble.

While the past few years have seen Spain's economy tank, unemployment soar to 26 per cent and youth unemployment to 50 per cent, the sport that more than any other symbolises the country has fallen into its own crisis.

Attendances have fallen by 40 per cent in just five years. In 2008, some 3,295 corridas were held across the country. Last year, it was 1,997. This year, according to some reports, it will be fewer than 500.

Cash-strapped towns can no longer stage festivals involving bullfights or running of the bulls. Nor is paying €50 for a seat enticing, especially with the wealth of alternative entertainment - not least football - freely available on television.

In response, Spanish matadors have gone to Latin America, particularly to Peru, seeking corridas. Bulls being bred for the ring - where they could have raised up to €20,000 each - are being sent to abattoirs for just €750 a head. Even some of the country's most famous arenas, among them the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas in Madrid, have been accused of not paying bullfighters what they are owed.

To try to find out what has gone wrong, and what it means for the future of the sport and Spain's relationship to it, I travelled to the estate of El Palomar. Set within the sweeping vista of Albacete, the nearby hills gently rising towards the Alcaraz mountains on the horizon, this has been home to Carlos Flores's family for 200 years. They have made the estate one of Spain's most revered bull-breeding centres. Its 18th-century manor house even has its own private bullring.

The present owner is Samuel Flores, Carlos's father. He took over the estate, aged 19, on the death of his uncle. Now in his seventies, he is adamant that bullfighting has weathered crises before - not least when Republicans sought to ban it during the civil war for its seeming pro-Franco links - and will do so again.

He is dressed in the modern uniform of the Mediterranean gentry: a green flannel jacket with elbow patches, checked shirt and chinos. On the veranda of his home, uniformed waiters serve the family lunch. In the pasture beneath, bulls laze in the heat. The effect is one of timelessness; of a world unchanged despite present troubles.

"Bullfighting will have its better moments or its worse moments but it will keep on going," Flores predicts. "It's not only the big ferias in the big cities. It's also the bulls that they run in the streets, in the little villages. Bullfighting is never going to stop.

"What the sport needs is for the economy to improve. Once people have money again, the towns and villages will start hosting bullfights and its popularity will again flourish as it did through much of the past 30 years."

He points to the number of young people wanting to visit bull-breeding estates like his own, and to the number of wannabe matadors enrolling in bullfighting schools. To Flores, it is a clear sign of the passion for the sport among the young and proof that a fresh generation is coming through to take it forward.

This should not surprise anyone, he says, as the sport is "part of the culture of Spain". So could there be a Spain that exists without bullfighting? Flores gives a dismissive shake of his head. "The government wouldn't allow it."

Spain's present government certainly wouldn't. The prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, and his centre-right government plan to declare bullfighting part of Spain's "national patrimony" and Rajoy has promised to channel more money into the sport's promotion.

Such support, however, cannot be guaranteed for ever. Many of the present government's most vocal opponents are anti the sport, particularly in the increasingly independent-minded region of Catalonia. There, the government voted last July to ban bullfighting as outdated and cruel.

It was a vote which not only exposed the country's disagreements over bullfighting, but also its disagreements over the form of Spain itself. Many interpreted the result as being as much due to Catalonia wanting to emphasise its difference from the rest of the country, especially bullfight-mad Madrid, than anything to do with the debate over animal cruelty.

Anna Mula is the key figure in the antis' campaigning group Prou! [Enough!]. Dark and doughty, she is in her own way a revolutionary: one who helped organise 180,000 signatures to be gathered to force a parliamentary vote, and then used her background as a trained lawyer to assist in drafting the subsequent legislation.

When we meet, she is adamant that the Catalonia vote was nothing to do with politics and all about the idea that bullfighting should have no place in a civilised country. "To condone these public spectacles is to transmit the message that gratuitous violence can sometimes be tolerated, even applauded and admired," she tells me. "This brutalises the society that tolerates this violence."

It is a belief that she has held since her grandparents took her to her first bullfight when she was six years old. "I was crying and crying," she recalls. "I didn't understand why people didn't save the bull."

Having grown up in Russia, and having been plagued throughout my life by misinformed opinions expressed about my country and culture by those in the West, I am passionate that places and people should not be made to be like - or even judged by how much they are like - our own here in the UK, particularly when animals are involved. I have eaten and hunted too many and have seen the reality of our own food industry too clearly to resort to that sentimentality.

Yet, when I explain to Mula that I worry criticism of sports such as bullfighting by those in the West could too often be an attempt by one people to impose their standards on another, she is adamant bullfighting no longer reflects any mass culture in 21st-century Spain.

As evidence, she points to a recent Mori poll which showed only 26 per cent of the Spanish population now supports the sport and 76 per cent oppose the use of public funds to help it. "Supporters say bullfighting's traditional but a lot of traditions have been banned in the past," she says. "We have to keep only the traditions that society accepts."

Seville, with its bullring dating back to 1761, has long been considered bullfighting's spiritual home, and the city's annual, week-long Feria de Abril one of its blue riband events. During the festival, the city's plaza de toros is packed each day, while outside locals in traditional Spanish costumes parade in horse-drawn carriages. Here, if anywhere, I knew I would be able to see if the sport could still generate passion.

This year, the tournament's biggest draw was the matador Juan José Padilla. He is a legend in the bullfighting world after he was horrifically gored in 2011 - the bull's horn passing through his jaw and out his left eye - yet returned triumphantly to the ring just five months later, despite now having to wear an eye patch.

Padilla is Carlos Flores's friend so I met him shortly before he fought, and then travelled with him and his entourage to the arena. When we arrived, the matador's hotel suite was unbelievably hot; it is kept highf to keep his muscles loose and ready for the heat of the sun. The temperature had no visible effect on Padilla. While the rest of us were quickly reduced to wiping our brows, on Padilla I spotted not a drop of sweat.

His dresser was fitting him into the traditional satin suit of the torero, its pink cloth emblazoned with sequins and gold thread. He was already in his embroidered white shirt and short, black necktie. Now he was being squeezed into his trousers, the material skin-tight so no sag of material risked catching a passing horn. To do this, Padilla had to be physically lifted off the ground - sweat patches spread across his dresser's shirt as he made his efforts.

I quickly realised that for bullfighting aficionados, Padilla is like a rock star. A crowd waited for him in the hotel lobby and his retinue had to form a phalanx around him for protection as he was mobbed by fans. A small van then carried us the quarter mile to the ring. Crowds lined the streets, growing in size and sound as we drew closer.

All the way Padilla seemed barely to notice, fiddling instead with dozens of icons that hung as amulets from his wrist. "I give thanks to God," he explained when I asked him about it. "I ask him that my piety helps me return safely. When you know you've done everything you can to prepare, there's nothing more you can do. Everything else is in the hands of God."

When we were finally deposited on to the street outside the arena's main entrance, the pressure of the crowd was so great that it physically lifted us up and pushed us forward while the local Spanish police, their batons out, desperately sought to maintain control. It was a heady experience - part exhilarating, part terrifying - but one which made clear the adoration matadors can still elicit and gave the lie to the claim that they are in utter decline. No wonder then that, even in these difficult economic times, the most celebrated continue to be able to charge as much as half a million euros for a corrida.

Spanish culture has long fascinated me with its exterior of sunshine and siestas masking a dark and violent soul. I will never forget, years ago, first seeing the canvas of José de Ribera's Apollo Flaying Marsyas. Cruelty had been illuminated as beauty. The effect was utterly Iberian and utterly absorbing to behold. It is why I had been looking forward to the bullfight - indeed had wanted to enjoy it. Yet the spectacle of our arrival at the stadium only reinforced how much of what followed was a disappointment: the limp fight, the angry crowd, the desperate matador.

At one stage, one of the bullfighters took four or so attempts to get his sword through the right spot in the bull's back to kill it. I found myself depressed, bored even. Almost the only emotion I could muster was the sense that this was an unfair contest, and that if the matador himself were gored, the interests of both justice and entertainment would be far better served. Instead, this tedious affair was neither culture nor art - and certainly could not be called sport.

Then, however, it was Padilla's turn to fight. He entered the arena to a fanfare of trumpets and, the sun now rapidly fading, the sequins and reflective thread of his outfit glistened in the floodlights that lit the arena. A matador's uniform is known as the traje de luces - the suit of lights. Seeing him, I understood why. Padilla's pink costume shone bright against the yellow sand, focusing 12 and a half thousand eyes on him. A reverential hush momentarily descended till the stadium band struck up a paso doble. Suddenly, there was a new atmosphere: one of expectation.

I cannot claim to have understood all the subtleties of what I now saw, but what was clear to even my untrained eye was that in his first fight, Padilla exhibited a skill not witnessed in the other contests. For a start he ensured this bull fought. It charged at a pace that reduced it almost to a blur; then followed Padilla's cape as the matador stood ramrod-straight and used its moving lure to direct 85-stone of muscle and bone.

At one point he led the bull in a series of turns, the animal's horns always passing barely a foot from his frame. Again and again it thundered past him until - bewildered - it was left standing silently only a few feet in front of him, immobile with confusion. Padilla turned his back on its horns to stand, hand on hip and left foot forward, to salute the crowd. That was greeted by a barrage of "Olés" as, somewhere in the crowd nearby, someone started shouting: "The guy is crazy. The guy is crazy".

This, I said to Carlos, was finally a bullfight. He nodded agreement. "Every move, every gesture, has its own meaning," he said. "What you are seeing has been developed over centuries."

When the end came it was quick and clean. One moment Padilla was in front of the bull, poised on tiptoe. Then he sprang, the blade went in, and the animal fell in a moment. The arena became a sea of white handkerchiefs being waved in the traditional gesture of appreciation. The sound of the paso doble again rang around the stalls as Padilla conducted his lap of honour.

That night, in the back alleys and big avenues of Seville, a party was held. Rows of marquee tents were put up to house the revellers, and great crowds moved from one to the next, seeing friends and being invited inside to enjoy food and alcohol. For one night, at least, it seemed as if the country's woes were forgotten. The talk was of bullfights and matadors, and what had been good and bad in the arena.

This sport will outlive Anna Mula and other campaigners, I kept thinking, as the assembled masses spilled over the streets like blood from the bull's heaving flanks. The matador was once again centre stage, accepted and adored.

Twitter.com: @mrevgenylebedev
The definitive guide on the state of modern-day bullfighting can be found at Into The Arena: The World Of The Spanish Bullfight by Alexander Fiske-Harrison (Profile Books, 2011). Link: http://www.intothearena.co.uk To stay at El Palomar, visit: http://www.el-palomar.com/
Reuse content

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Will bullfighting survive in modern Spain?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Photographs by Nicolás Haro Within the stadium the crowd has gone quiet, the bull hunched in the middle of the sand-covered arena with blood trickling down its back and head dropped in exhaustion. For the past 15 minutes it has been chased and goaded and stabbed.

# data[].attributes.body
From reading the articles, I got more of an insight about the actually opinions from the people of Spain and how they view this tradition of bull fighting in the modern day. I have been to Mexico where this is also a practice that still goes on, so it was interesting to read more about bull fighting from a country that has been practicing this for so long. A very great point from one of the articles that I really understood was when many of the citizens of Spain discussed the issue of trying to end the sport of bull fighting was that since it has been a tradition for so long, it is extremely difficult to get rid of. This is extremely sad because since it has been such a prevalent part of Spaniard culture, it is difficult to let go of the tradition for many, but many of the citizens are now more opposed to bull fighting because it is truly a sport that supports animal cruelty. I really enjoyed learning more about the tradition and the reasons for citizens wanting to voice their opposition and raise awareness to this issue in order to change this tradition for the better.

Here is a link of another article discussing the bullfighting culture in Spain:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
¡Olé! This is a common cheer that spectators chant to applaud bullfights. To this day, bullfighting remains a popular spectacle in Portugal, Southern France and especially numerous regions in Spain. In fact, nearly 75% of Spanish provinces enjoy bullfighting as millions of citizens and visitors attend a spectacle every year. However, it does have its opposition.

Those in opposition to bullfighting believe it is cruel to sacrifice the bull at the end of the spectacle, while advocates of bullfighting argue it's an important art form comparable to dancing and music, and it's a tradition embedded in Spanish culture. It's important to note that the bull is not always sacrificed at the end of every bullfight. In Portugal the bull is not sacrificed at the culmination of the spectacle and in the Spanish regions of Navarra, La Rioja and in the regions of Castille and Valencia, the bull returns safely to his pen at the conclusion of the performance. So what exactly is the art of bullfighting and where did it originate?
Bullfighting's Origins
Bullfighting and bull sacrifice originated in Rome. In ancient times, it was common for soldiers to sacrifice a bull as a ritual for good luck. In more modern times, bullfighting became a spectacle in the Roman Coliseum where soldiers or gladiators battled animals. The Roman Emperor Claudius introduced bullfighting to Spain and it quickly became a unique event in Spain.

Roman gladiators and soldiers previously rode horses to compete against the bulls. But in 1726 the Spaniard Francisco Romero remained on his feet and introduced a new style of fighting. Romero - and other bullfighting greats like Juan Belmonte - would remain within a few inches of the bull throughout the event and they used the muleta - a stick that the famous red cape hangs from. Spanish citizens were enchanted with this new style and art form. Thus bullrings were quickly constructed to host bullfights as a popular spectacle.
The Event
The Spanish style of bullfighting is one of the most famous. It's called corrida de toros or la fiesta and three matadors fight two bulls. It's a lively spectacle as the matadors dress in colorful gold Analusian clothing, called Toreros. The event is divided into three different stages, and a bugle is blown to announce each stage. However, before the event begins, the matadors parade into the bullring with accompanying music.
Tercio de Varas
In the first stage, called the tercio de varas, the matador waves his cape to observe the bull's movements and to judge how ferocious or dangerous the bull is. The matador will also poke the bull with his lance to provoke him and wear him down. The matador will then leave the ring after this stage.
Tercio de Banderillas
In the second stage, the tercio de banderillas, the three banderillas attempt to each place two barbed sticks in the bull's shoulders. This is intended to further weaken the bull for the final performance.
Tercio de Muerte
This is the final stage where the matador re-enters the ring. In one hand he will carry the muleta, the stick with a small red cape on it, and in the other a sword. The matador will get dangerously close to the bull and wave his red cape in front of the bull to urge it to lunge at him. This draws many cheers of "¡ole!" from the crowd and it displays the matador's control over the bull. The graceful series of three to five passes ends as the matador thrusts his sword between the bull's shoulder blades. A successful performance is applauded by the crowd when the bull dies instantly to spare it pain.

Overall bullfighting is not as popular as it once was in Spain. However, it's still celebrated by many as both an art form and a sport that celebrates Spain's history and its unique culture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
¡Olé! This is a common cheer that spectators chant to applaud bullfights. To this day, bullfighting remains a popular spectacle in Portugal, Southern France and especially numerous regions in Spain. In fact, nearly 75% of Spanish provinces enjoy bullfighting as millions of citizens and visitors attend a spectacle every year.

# data[].attributes.body
Reaction/Opinion

After reading the articles, I found it interesting that the bull runs vary depending on the time in the day. I have heard about bull runs in Spain but had no context to about what they were really about. I had no idea that those participating wear all white with a red scarf. This is meant to honor saints. I found this really cool! Bull fighting is a very dangerous activity. Many get injured every year according to several articles. The dangers of this activity are not just to humans. Bulls used to be speared to death at the end of the festival before it was banned. This is crazy to me. I couldn’t imagine how gruesome that must have been. I understand why some think that this festival tortures the bulls. Overall, the festival is centered around torturing the animals for entertainment which is obviously very controversial.

Another article...

http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1908948,00.html

Within this article, photos of the bulls and the crowds are embedded. This was shocking how packed the streets are. Once again, there is room to argue that the bull is being tortured.
The article also refers to a brief history of the festival. The tradition was thought to start around the 13th century and used to be in September (not it is in July). I thought this was interesting. It makes me wonder why it was changed from September in the first place.

# data[].attributes.body
Here is an article about Rodeos in the United States (and it even compares it to bullfighting).
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20120207-ethical-traveller-are-rodeos-a-form-of-culture-or-cruelty

# data[].attributes.body
I found the articles very interesting, and I am relieved that the majority seem to be against bullfighting.  To me, the more pictures I saw of the events (and the pictures were amazing!), it does seem quite cruel.  I have never understood killing animals for ‘sport’, and there is a lot of it in many different forms around the globe (dogfighting, cockfighting, fox hunting).  Bulls and horses are not naturally predatory animals; the only way to get them riled up enough for these spectacles is to taunt them and torture them.  These articles really brought to my mind our rodeos here in the United States.  They have proponents and opponents just like the bullfighting in Spain.  I’m not a full-blown PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) member, but I do appreciate their bringing to light (and to public attention) the injustices done against animals all over the world.  I do see the point of those who would like to carry on Spanish tradition, but can’t we eliminate the animal cruelty and still celebrate tradition?

# data[].attributes.body
I think its interesting seeing this split in viewpoint on the bulls and the dichotomy. Along with this, the fatalist mindset that is apparent with both the running of the bulls and the bull fighting is surprising to me. The running of the bulls in particular was fascinating to see from the view of someone who participated in it. It’s terrifying and there’s an admitted chance you might not live. It reminds me of adrenaline seeking individuals who may rock climb without rope for example. They do it for the thrill and ignore the potential consequences for the sake of that rush.

For the bullfighting, its unsurprising and yet fascinating to see there is this belief of a romantic air to the bull fighting. The idea of the bulls ‘fighting as bulls’ and showcasing that they are bulls as one article put it is hilarious in the belief the bulls are fully aware they are fighting to entertain humans and have to put on a good show. I personally disagree with the necessity of bullfighting; we don’t sacrifice animals in certain religions anymore. The world and culture changes, and there are alternatives.

here is another link on bullfighting: https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/818508/bullfighting-Spanish-matador-death-banned-divides-Spain

# data[].attributes.body
It is curious because I grew up in the capital of Spain, Madrid, and I have never met someone in my life who likes bullfighting. Plus, most of my friends and relatives think like me. It is a cruel act. I love animals and I think they need to be respected.
Here in my village people hunt, or kill animals but just for eating. They are much healthier than those you buy at the markets. I respect hunting but I can not understand killing animals just for having fun.
I hope foreign people know our culture more for our food or buildings than for bullfightings since most of Spanish people (at least in my area) don't even agree or never celebrated this cruel tradition.