Rodeos - Christian entertainment?

[Sherlene]

Just wondering if anyone else is troubled by what they see happening to animals at rodeos?  I've been investigating this form of 'family' entertainment and I've concluded that rodeos are just the education our children need in order to become desensitised to the suffering of animals.  Personally, I don't want my children to become insensitive to the suffering of any living thing, animal or human.

There is a large push to get the barbaric 'sport' of rodeos into the Australian family sport category. 

A song, with a catchy tune, suggestive lyrics and a music video has been produced in order to attract the young and to make them want to attend rodeos.  You can watch it on Youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5X6BxV8st0

The song is called Bucking Hell Rodeo Down Under. It is sung by Glen Albrecht and he also wrote the music to the song, while rodeo photographer, Jenny Dyer wrote the lyrics.  Jenny's website is here  http://www.rodeodownunder.com/cd-buckinghell.html)

I posted the following comments regarding this music video, but 'rodeodownunder' (Jenny Dyer) might or might not decide to publish them on her youtube channel.

My comments :
This video isn't Australian culture - it's  copying American rodeo culture!  And it  conveys the idea that real men manhandle women for sport.  BTW it is pretty clear from the footage that these bulls don't want to buck because they have to be encouraged by flank ropes, bells and spurs. That spoils it for me. Too violent. I saw a horse rip its hoof completely off at Alice Springs rodeo and officials let it stand there for hours without vet treatment. Don't tell me its not a blood sport.
 
On the other hand, there exists an organisation headed by Steve Hindi that is especially out to protect animals. Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) has a website that reports the abuses done to animals in the name of sport.


If you are interested, you might want to check out these SHARK websites for further information about animal sports, particularly rodeos.  I'm interested in your thoughts if you'd like to leave a post/comment here.

http://www.sharkonline.org/

http://www.sharkonline.org/?P=0000000392 (videos of rodeos - illegally shocking horses with 6000 volts)

http://www.sharkonline.org/?P=0000000349

http://www.sharkonline.org/UP0000000419.pdf (animal protection laws -  flank ropes and spurs)

http://www.sharkonline.org/?P=0000000680 (need to see why calf-roping should be banned?)

Warning: the bull-fighting videos are horrific.  The videos, among other things, reports on the experience of one bull.  The story begins when the bull is in the holding pen with other bulls.  The bull is then isolated and placed in a dark closed in pen and deprived of food and water in order to weaken it. It has sacks of sand hung around its neck to tire its muscles. There is an opening in the roof to facilitate the stabbing of the bull with a sharp instrument.  This ensures blood loss and supposedly primes the bull to fight.  It is finally released into the bright sunlight of the bull-ring and the massacre begins.  The bull is repeatedly stabbed by a coward on a horse.  This coward thrusts sharp metal objects into the bulls spinal area, effectively harpooning him many times.  This is done so that with every step the bull takes, these sharp weapons work their way further into the bulls flesh.  The 'entertainment' continues with the entrance of the next coward - the matador who continues menacing the bull, inserting more harpoons into the bulls back. With the assistance of 4 other cowards, the bull is abused repeatedly with the harpoons.  Finally the bull's physical strength is sapped and he falls onto his knees through thrist, hunger, low blood sugar, spinal cord damage, limb control loss, blood loss and extreme pain.  The 'brave' matador then takes a dagger and stabs the bull into its spine, plunging the dagger completely to the blade handle, twisting it so as to ensure he severs the bull's spinal cord.  The audience complete with men, women and children, scream and applaude with the thrill of the stabbing.  The bull is now completely helpless.  It cannot move as it has been deliberately injured so that it is quadrapelegic or at least has serious spinal cord damage. However, the poor bull is not dead - the matador has made sure not to sever the spinal cord too high (or the bull's breathing would stop and he would die prematurely, before the matador had time to cause more suffering).  The bull can still feel pain on its head. Therefore the matador moves his attack to the head.  What terror the bull must feel being completely helpless and being still stalked by its persecutors!  The matador takes his trusty dagger and grabs the bull's ear.  He severs the bull's ear close to its head.  But even this excruciating pain does not end the bull's torment.  As the coward matador takes his trophy - the bull's ear - a horse is ridden into the arena.  A rope is attached to the bull's hind leg and the bull, still alive, is dragged with the harpoons still embedded in its flesh, outside the ring.  Some bulls die in the bull-ring, but this particular bull did not.  He died while being skinned alive outside the bull-ring.  For the rest of the story and graphic images of bull murder, you can visit this website.  http://www.sharkonline.org/?P=0000000423  Be warned!  It is shocking and sickening, but these animals can't be helped by people putting their heads in the sand.  It is so easy for us to turn our eyes away from such barbarism and refuse to watch the video because we feel shocked and heartbroken by witnessing these scenes, but the poor bull did not have the luxury to pretend he wasn't being butchered alive.   While we have opportunity to protest this horrendous cruelty, we should be opposing it. Bull-massacre -and all cruelty - needs to be exposed so that public opinion can stop the butchering of more animals.  Human entertainment should not require the abuse of animals. 

In His perfect world, the Creator placed humanity in a position of trust. Humanity was given dominion over the animals.  Dominion places a responsiblity to care for and meet the needs of humanity toward animals.  The satanic system has typically reversed God's perfect arrangement and humanity has been deluded to believe that their race should have the right to use and abuse animals - for food, for clothing and for entertainment.

Do we believe the gospel of Jesus?  Jesus said to treat others the way in which we would like to be treated ourselves.  Does anyone really believe that principle applies only to our treatment of other people and that it excludes our treatment of animals?  I can't see how any Christians - even the Catholic believers in Spain - could fail to see that there is something theologically wrong with massacring bulls as is done in that countries national 'sport.'

If you want to help animals, please consider emailing politicians and businesses:
In USA - SHARK's website: http://www.sharkonline.org/

In Australia, animal lovers can also email politicians and businesses and become involved by contacting:
http://www.animalliberation.org.au    (for rodeo section go to http://www.animalliberation.org.au/rodeos.php) and
http://www.voiceless.org.au/

You can purchase from the cruelty-free shop in Australia
http://crueltyfreeshop.com.au/?main_page=page&id=2

Vegetarian Network Victoria - recipes and excellent information
http://www.vnv.org.au/site/

Vegan principles:
http://crueltyfreeshop.com.au/?main_page=page&id=4

Hope this helps you make the world a better, kinder place.
Sherlene