Catalonia is First Region in Spain to Ban Bullfighting

Advocates of the ban called the practice barbaric, but opponents say it is part of Spain's cultural heritage and see the move as an assertion of Catalan independence.


The independence-minded region of Catalonia on Wednesday became the first on the Spanish mainland to outlaw bullfighting, a move some say is as much about nationalist politics as animal rights.


Lawmakers in Catalonia's regional parliament approved the controversial ban, 68-55, with nine abstentions, after emotional speeches that mixed expressions of support for preserving tradition with denunciations of bullfighting as institutionalized cruelty. The ban will take effect in the region, of which Barcelona is the capital, in 2012.  Click here for full story : http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-spain-bullfight-ban-20100729,0,2674342.story

I believe this is LONG over-due!  Some people say that bullfighting is part of the rich history and culture of Spain.  Well slavery, oppression against women and many other things were a big part of the way the world ran years ago.  People eventually realize that just because that's the way things used to be, doesn't mean that it is right.