Sometimes in this line of work it’s the small things that really hit home the strongest. Of course it’s great to win major campaigns, but it’s also great to see progress happening because people are starting to question archaic cruel practices on their own. Case in point: State-run Spanish television has quietly yanked live coverage of bullfighting from its programming, ending a decades-old tradition of showcasing the “national pastime” out of concern that cruel spectacle is just too violent for children.
Should they have taken it a step further and banned the bloodsport from national TV altogether? Of course. And do I wish they’d recognize that it’s more than a little odd to even have a “national pastime” that is too violent for children to even witness on TV? Yep. But the reality is that progress usually comes in itsy bitsy baby steps, and this is most definitely a step in the right direction. It sends a clear message to the citizens of Spain and to the rest of the world that there is something very wrong with bullfighting. Of course, some people will whine about it, since some people just can’t deal with change of any kind, and there’s not doubt that it will take many more years to rid the world of this hideous bloodsport, but it will happen, and this move by Spanish TV moves us that much closer. If they’re looking for something to replace the bullfights with, maybe some footage of the annual Running of the Nudes in Pamplona would do the trick. Actually, maybe not, as the lawyers are screaming at me to warn you that if you’re under 18 and you watch the video on RunningOfTheNudes.com, very bad things will happen to you.
