Running of the Bulls in Pamplona Is Cruel, Sadistic, Outdated and Should End

By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Let's hope the Spanish government takes yesterday's tragic death of a runner in Pamplona, and the injuries of many others, as a signal that bull running and, indeed, bull fighting are outdated customs that need to go. From Bloomberg:

The victim, Daniel Jimeno Romero from Alcala de Henares, a town near Madrid, was wounded in the neck and chest, the regional government of Navarra said in a statement on its Web site. Five of the 11 injured were released from the hospital. The others include a 61-year-old American man in intensive care.

PETA's UK affiliate explains what happens to the bulls after they are run through Pamplona's streets:

• The magnificent animals who slip and slide on the streets of Pamplona during the Running of the Bulls are later violently killed—all in the name of "tradition." Torturing and killing a defenceless animal should not be celebrated as tradition. People have always tried to use tradition to justify horrible things, such as child labour and slavery. But tradition doesn't make something right.
• Bullfighting is a cruel blood sport that should have been relegated to the history books a long time ago. No matter what its history is, bullfighting consists of the torture, mutilation and slaughter of animals for entertainment.

I know PETA's U.S. affiliate has engaged in some controversial methods of garnering publicity (pie-throwing and the like) for animal abuse. But in this case, PETA-UK is absolutely right. Will the Spanish government listen? Of course not. As long as officials make more money than they lose (I hope the Romero family gets itself a good lawyer) on sadistic treatment of animals, the running and the fighting will continue.

• Check out our political cartoons.
• Become a political insider: Subscribe to U.S. News Weekly, our new digital magazine.
• On Facebook? Become a fan of the Thomas Jefferson Street blog.