The Art Of Torture

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INTRODUCTION “Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow-creatures is amusing in itself.” (James Anthony Froude, Oceana, 1886). This phrase explains exactly what bull and cockfighting is all about, they are not natural fights. Bullfighting is the process of torturing and finally killing a bull for entertainment. And cockfighting is a fight between two cocks that usually leads to death, it is forced by their owners or “coaches” that put in their legs weapons to defeat the other one. Some centuries ago, bullfighting was created in Spain, where the “show” ended with the death of the bull, and at the end of the XVIII century, bullfighting as it is known today was created. (http://www.elartetaurino.com/) It was brought as a tradition to Ecuador by the Spaniards that came to colonize us, that is why it is thought of as culture and why many people do not want to end it. It has existed over 300 years in Ecuador and it is part of many celebrations and festivals that this country has, especially in the Sierra. On the other hand, cockfighting was created by lower classes people in Asia and even though it was also brought to Ecuador by the Spaniards, it is not considered to be culture by many people; it is “criollo” because of its humble origin. (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelea_de_gallos) Even though bullfights make a man act following his instincts instead of his reason, (which differentiates humans from animals) it gains popularity, and that is something that needs to be stopped. According to the Ecuadorian matador Ney Valero, “Bullfighting is a tradition that is passed from generation to generation, is something that represents us.” (Personal Communication, May 25, 2011) This means that many people enjoy going to bullfights because it is tradition, it is something that is part of the routine of a holiday, or
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