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A Bull and Two Goats. Tolerance. Bullfighting Tricks. S1085. Bad.



If I don't watch it, this blog site will begin to drip with sadness and despair. What else is there in the world of animal welfare and animal rights except for the occasional flicker of hope and happiness. This world is dripping with cruelty and it's all from one source, one species. I'll let you guess who that is. My stress level has increased over the years, counteracting my life-extending hypertension medication, largely from one habit. I read about animal welfare and environmental issues everyday. You see, I have this need to know. The animals are my friends and co-riders on this planet. And the Earth is my home. It's your home too. They are constantly under attack. Maybe, I can help in some way. Maybe not.

The latest activist act I committed was to call my state senator's office about S1085, a bill to allow commercial logging in New Jersey's public woodlands. Senator Bob Gordon's office didn't answer and so I sent him an email. It's one thing a citizen can do, and so I did it. The woods are where the animals live. The woods are a place of beauty across many levels, from a patch of algae on the ground to towering oak trees that rightfully look down on us. I want the woods preserved.

I hike in the woods to be one with Nature. Being in the woods reminds me to be humble. Humans can pretend and insist on it, but we lack grandeur and true dignity. This humbling aspect of the woods is easily lost on many people. These callous people just see trees. They think they are the center of the Universe, and that they are Nature itself. That is wrong. Senate bill S1085 seeks to destroy the forest. And when the trees are gone, they will quibble about replanting. Before you know it, a human imprint, like a shopping mall or a subdivision, will be suggested in its place. To denude the forest is like setting someone's home on fire. Yes, there is homelessness even in the forest. Totally unacceptable.

So, on this post, I will turn to some cuteness overload. In the video above, the bull sits in thoughtful luxury while two goats take advantage. Yes, this is the same bull that will ultimately end up in the ring with a matador. The bulls are not born angry, as you can see.

But, a word about bullfighting...Sorry, I can't help it.

We're used to seeing the bull as a taunted, bloodied, and charging animal. If you still are unaware of the traditions of bullfighting, you should know that by the time a bull gets in the ring, it has been tormented for several days in the stall. The handlers beat the bull's kidneys repeatedly. For weeks, heavy weights are tied around their necks to weaken them. The abuse turns the bull into a frustrated and angry animal. To give the bullfighter more of an advantage, the bull's eyes are swiped with petroleum. The bulls are drugged with tranquilizers or laxatives to bring on paralysis or a state of confusion. Bullfighting, for all the machismo displayed, is in reality a very cowardly show. You can say that there is no fighting in bullfighting, just a killing.

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