If an idiot gets hurt... do we still have to feel sorry for him?

street bullfight - I have no sympathy for the ones who get hurt
@arkaf61 (10881)
Canada
August 21, 2009 1:56pm CST
There is no account for human stupidity, and I have moved to the bull side a long time ago . Ok so I am Portuguese, and proud of being Portuguese, but there are times where I feel like hiding the Benfica ( Portuguese soccer team ) banner and "galo de Barcelos" ( Portuguese silly clay rooster symbol of some legend or other, but that everyone has for some reason LOL ) in a corner for quite some time. This might be because I am a female and lack the macho instinct so strongly engraved in Portuguese men. I never liked bullfights. I root for the bull and hope he gets as many as he can so he can die in glory. My take is that if someone chooses to be a matador or a picador ( The stupid guys on horse hurting the poor bull and risking hurting their horses as well )then they deserve whatever they will get. True their skill might save them but hopefully they'll get a few boo boos each time. Bulfights are considered a sport and an art featuring professional performers executing specific moves at close range with the bull with the main goal of appearing graceful confident and courageous. I can in fact appreciate the grace of a matador( in portugal he has just the cape ) or the courage of the forcados ( group of usually 8 men who challenge the bull without any protection - as opposed to the matador - or weapons. The front man is supposed to provoke the bull to charge to perform a pega ( bull catch) once the bull charges the front man is supposed to secure the bull's head usually by fitting in between the horns and then the rest of them secure the bull so he won't move for a few seconds.)But my appreciation is very limited. Bullfights are still a big tradition in Portugal, and although - unlike in Spain - the matador does not kill the bull in front of the public, sometimes ends up being killed after he leaves the ring from all the wounds he received.The lucky ones will end their lives in pastures in Portugal but not all are that lucky. So much for the Portuguese idea of "blodless bullfight". The bullfight begins with all the pomp and ceremony of an event that has been held for hundreds of years. The band with the traditional bulfight musics play while all of the day's participants parade in their shiny costumes. But I'm getting too long and off course for what I intended this discussion to be. I was not going to talk about the secular bulfights in Lisbon, which are somewhat different than in the rest of the country. I was going to talk about something called street bullfight in the islands of Azores. They exist only in one of the islands, and basically are not a done by professionals. They just have the bull on a rope and let it loose in the middle of the city. That in itself would be a great reason for me to stay home. I would think it would be the same with most people. But...huh...not really people come out to see or participate. And although the results can be considered funny by some - check here with sound: http://www.malhanga.com/videosflash/parte.4/index.htm - many times the consequences are tragic. I'm sorry but in my opinion they are idiots, and they kind of deserve what they get. Have you ever seen a bullfight? Portuguese or Spanish? Do you, like me, root for the bull? Would you go play with the bull in the middle of the road in Azores? If you're a man, would you feel more of a man, just because you put yourself in a dangerous situation trying to outsmart the bull?
2 responses
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
22 Aug 09
Those animals are running to save own life...I feel only sorry for animals at this point. Humans are supposed to have bigger brain. Some people don't understand that animals can feel pain...animals attack when under the stress.... Idiots are doing many stupid things and this is the stupidest and worst game I even seen... I don't see this fanny at any point...poor animals...I wish I feel sorry for idiots...but I don't....
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
22 Aug 09
I know, how can I feel sorry for them? I don't feel sorry for the bull in the Azores thing, since he is not being hurt, but still I root for him. Like you I can't find what is funny about it, it seems tragic and crazy.
• United States
21 Aug 09
If an idiot gets hurt, let's hope we don't have to still feel sorry for him or her. I know I sure don't. I just have a very difficult time for feeling sorry for someone who brings whatever bad thing that happens onto him or her. I see it as it was their own fault. I've seen clips of bullfights but have never actually watched one myself though.
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
21 Aug 09
I feel like you. I can even understand the professionals. They're choosing the risk, but they at least know what they are doing and are being paid for it. I won't cry if they get hurt, but I can understand them. Many professions are risky. But having the people in the village face the bull in that way? I have not watched a bull fight in over 20 years. It was never something I would look for, but I wanted to see what it was all about. It was a good show before the fights actually started. The picadores in their horses, doing all those tricks and nice steps as if dancing. The music, the shiny clothes, But once it actually started it wasn't as fun any more. I guess I would have find it ok, it there weren't for all those sharp thingies they were sticking in the bulls. I liked the matador's steps and how he controls the bull with just his red cape, again up to the point where it wasn't fun anymore. The forcados were my favorites, because they were not hurting the bull , at least not in the same way. But again, they most probably would have more trouble with it if the bull wasn't already hurt and tired. No, not my thing. And no... not crying if they get hurt