Vick indicted in dog fighting case

[Lil' Hannah]

Originally Posted by AlphaGamUGAAlum

I have no problem with controlled fighting for sport for people, like boxing or real Olympic wrestling. But when the point is to maim or kill for entertainment and gambling, it would be sick for people to do it, and maybe even sicker to compel animals to do it who have no choose not to.

Last night my friend and I were talking about the whole Vick thing and he said "how is it any worse than bullfighting?" I don't really know enough about either sport to give a good answer so after a few seconds I brilliantly said "It just is, okay!" He does raise a point though...can anyone explain for me?

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by Lil' Hannah

Last night my friend and I were talking about the whole Vick thing and he said "how is it any worse than bullfighting?" I don't really know enough about either sport to give a good answer so after a few seconds I brilliantly said "It just is, okay!" He does raise a point though...can anyone explain for me?

The main difference is that Hemmingway never wrote about dog fighting so we don't romanticize it at all, in my mind - although some would argue that pitting man against animal is somehow different from beast v beast, I think some of the world finds bullfighting pretty much awful, too.

[ZTAngel]

I don't think either is ok but I think the way humans rationalize bullfighting is that bulls are aggressive, unmanageable animals. Dogs are seen as man's best friend...our companions. Dogs are viewed as "cute" while bulls are viewed "mean". I don't think there is as much as an outcry against bullfighting because people don't automatically think of their own pet when they hear about a bull dying.

[OneTimeSBX]

bullfighting isnt right either. however, a bull sure as hell can run you over, even kill you, in a controlled environment. these dogs couldnt, they didnt have a chance

ZTAngel is right, we look at bulls a whole different way than we do dogs...

[UGAalum94]

I suspect that if I actually went to see one, I would find bullfighting pretty bad too.

I think it's funny that K Sig RC mentioned Hemingway because when my husband and I were talking about this last night, I pretty much used The Sun Also Rises as my basis for understanding bullfighting. Thanks, Earnest.

But really, from the running of the bulls to bullfights in other places, I think the idea is based on the real possibility that the bull can gore the man and kill him. There's a bizarre element of authentic respect for the danger to both competitors, and the heroic nature of choosing to confront danger directly and repeatedly. (Sure, the bull's "choice" is probably instinctive and compelled by all the people involved, the flags, etc. I wondered what would happen if the bull just trotted over to the side of the ring by the door and stood there all like "no really man, I'm a lover not a fighter.")

Also, we take for granted that bulls are going to be killed. Most of the time today, it's going to be in a slaughterhouse maybe with electrodes really quickly.

But the tradition of bullfighting probably grew up in a time when people took for granted the legitimacy of man killing bull with knives, and bizarrely the fight probably grew out of respect and honor for the bull.

(Really, though, basically wearing the bull down and repeatedly stabbing him; not such a great example of humane treatment of animals.)

[Tom Earp]

Funny, I fought some Bulls in Mexico, down Baja Way out side of Las Reyes.

Once a bull has fought anyone they are not allowed to fight again and when killed, the meat is given to the poor for food.

If you have never been to a packing plant, the Bulls have a better chance than the cow you eat on your bun.

Breeding dogs to fight is incorrect, they are trained and tortutored to fight!

Killing dogs like the way they do is inhumain for sure.

I had a Pit Bull who was a pussy and was always playing and very protective of the lady I was living withs grand daughters who lived with us, ages 3-4. No one messed with them when tigre was around!