Cockfighting: Sport, Culture, Or Animal Cruelty

2897 Words12 Pages
Cockfighting: Sport, Culture, or Animal Cruelty? Introduction Cockfighting is reportedly the world’s oldest spectator sport, with a history that traces back 6000 years. Evidence of cockfighting is found among the earliest records of civilization. Cockfighting is a sport in which two specially bred birds, known as gamecocks, are placed into an enclosure, pit or arena to fight one another for the purpose of entertainment and gambling. The gamecocks are fitted with a sharp, curved steel blade, known as a “gaff.” A cockfight will usually end in the death of one gamecock or sometimes both. Is cockfighting a sport, a cultural tradition, or just simply animal cruelty? Cockfighting in Hawaii or perhaps throughout the world, depending on whom you ask, will give you different views on what they believe it represents. Some will say it is a sport thriving with underworld activity, others say it is a rich, cultural practice that has been tradition for many years, and lastly the view of cockfighting as a blood sport in which the fighting birds suffer greatly. This has been an ongoing issue that state lawmakers and politicians deal with time and time again. This research paper will explore the different views from various groups of people and will hopefully shed some light on what cockfighting is really all about. Cockfighting – History of the Sport The claim that cockfighting is the oldest sport in the world is supported by the more enthusiastic supporters of cockfighting. Although the first record of the sport in China occurs in 517 B.C., it is thought to have occurred well before that date (Ullah, 2009). Cockfighting has been thought of as “universal”, as it has an extensive history from ancient Persia, India, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States. It has been documented in nearly every country, differing only in rules of the contest and

More about Cockfighting: Sport, Culture, Or Animal Cruelty

Open Document