Should Rodeos Be Banned? For as long as we’ve known, animals have been exploited for human amusement in cases such a rodeos, circuses and Seaworld’s use of orcas. It may seem like we are on the brink of a change in the right direction regarding the use/abuse of animals in entertainment: elephant bullhook ban in Los Angela taking effect in the beginning of 2017, and restricting the use of orcas in shows at SeaWorld during 2016. Could it be possible that rodeos, with their inherent cruelty, be far behind? Unfortunately, some of the participating animals suffer through loss of life from contestant physical punishment and demand. Examples such as: A Laramie County Community College rodeo coach was charged with cruelty to animals after four rodeo …show more content…
Then a prayer goes out for the participants and the including animals, setting up a cultural scene to give the viewers the aesthetic feel of the old western times. Rodeos are a part of American culture especially in the western portion of the country which came to existence because of the farmers and their ranch hands. The first documented rodeo to show was Sante Fe, New Mexico in 1847. Rodeo, they say, is about the historical cowboy daily life, the American frontier ethic and the kind of values that built a nation, but is our nation built on a myth. Rodeos don’t prefer to dwell on the abuse and suffering of animals rather on the tradition, heritage and simpler times when one could beat up on animals without tofu-eatin’ do-gooders giving them a hard time for it. To focus on the abuse suffered by animals is to ignore reason itself, missing out on the big picture. Interestingly, for the animals, that is the only picture. There's a documented number of over 176 “groups” participating in the fight against this cruel sport in hopes for a better life for all animals involved. Being nothing similar to the rodeos today, the cowmen have what is called the round-up, when the calves are branded and the fat beasts selected to be driven to a fair hundreds of miles away. This roundup is a great time for the cowhand, a Donnybrook fair it is indeed. They contest with each other for the best roping and throwing, and there are horse races and whiskey and wines. Not including abuse and endangering contests. “Today's rodeos bear little resemblance to ranch work where care was taken to not injure animals. Modern rodeos are nothing more than western-themed circuses with contestants wearing John Wayne costumes and racing against the clock in a cruel spectacle for
Although it’s entertaining to watch these animals perform, most people don’t take the time to think about the issues that the companies that are involved in this type of entertainment encounter. The frequently asked questions of how
An excited crowd waits expectantly to see the horse, cowboy, and calf burst out of the chute. Within seconds, the cowboy has the calf roped, on the ground, and tied. The action appears effortless. Two wranglers release the calf, and it trots out of the arena, seemingly unharmed. The question remains, are rodeos humane? That does the calf think of all this excitement? Contrary to what many people assume, PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) sanctioned rodeos treat their livestock humanely.
Contestants arrive at the arena an hour before the performance to draw the calf each will be roping. A large pen of calves is assembled, each calf branded with a different number. Corresponding numbers are placed in a hat and each cowboy draws his calf for the first go-around. There is always some cowboy who knows what rodeo string these particular calves are from and can discuss some trait of nearly all of them. For example, " number 16 breaks hard and heads straight to the far end of the arena. Number 8 will break hard but tends to veer sharply right on nearly every run. Number 21 breaks slow and many a good horse has run right past him".
The image of the cowboy as Jennifer Moskowitz notes in her article “The Cultural Myth of the Cowboy, or, How the West was Won” is “uniquely
Everything about going to this rodeo was fantastic: the food, the fun, most of all, the rodeo grounds. The place that I fit in was in the stands of the arena. Sitting there for four days got a little old, and, going on the fifth day, I was a little tired. Nevertheless, tired or not, this was what I had been looking forward to--the Short Go. This is the round in a rodeo when the top 15 from each event compete for the title of State Champion.
The imagery associated with bulls and steers is confusing, since it is clearly supportive of bulls over steers. Bulls are associated with passion. Those who identify with bulls through their enthusiasm for bullfighting are called "aficionado" from the Spanish word for passion (131). Those who lack aficion are valueless while a true aficionado is a "buen hombre" (132). The bulls are "beautiful," muscular, aggressive and "dangerous" (139, 141). Because of their physical prowess and their sexual potency, bulls are capable of ascending to the heights of glory. They arouse passions in the crowds who gather to watch them run and fight. In sharp contrast, the steers are weak and emasculate. ...
“Furthermore what the crowd honors is the victor, tossing him flowers and gifts, which he gracious returns, it is no mans victory over the animal, for the bull is always defeated; it is man’s victory over ignorance, fear, necessity. Man has made his victory a spectacle, so that it may become a victory of all those watching him and recognizing themselves in it” (Barthes, 2007). This is a very interesting paragraph from ‘bullfighting’ by Barthes. It proposes that bullfighting is never fait because the bulls can never win, and that the joy in the ‘sport’ comes from realization that man is greater that beast. This paper will analyze this paragraph using two opposing books for reference, ‘death in the afternoon’ by Ernest Hemingway and ‘on bullfighting’ by A. L Kennedy.
Ascione’s (1993) definition of animal cruelty is defined as “socially unacceptable behavior that intentionally causes unnecessary pain, suffering, or distress to and/or death of an animal” exclusive of socially condoned behavior, such as legal hunting and certain agricultural and veterinary practices. Not all violent individuals have been previously cruel to animals but studies have shown that a great number of them have exhibited this behavior. A great majority of the literature calls for a better understandin...
Animal abuse can be looked at in many different forms but it’s mostly up to you to determine if you agree or disagree with it. Many people believe rodeos should be outlawed because of the visible abuse. It could be from a steer getting drug behind a horse or from probes that make bucking horses and bulls buck. Others believe that all actions are taken to insure the safety of the animals and the contestants. The real question is what do you believe?
... rodeo as cruel and abusive. But the rodeo today is changing with the hope of getting better. The bucking and roping stock are treated as prized animals. They even have their own bucking champions. The solution to any kind of animal abuse is in the continued scrutiny of the sport by the PRCA. As the sport evolves and the animals become more valuable it should cause better care for the animals.
“There can be many reason for animal cruelty, like any other form of violence, is often committed by a person who feels powerless, unnoticed, or under control of others. Some who are cruel to animals copy acts what they have seen or that have been done to them, others see harming an animal as a safe way to get revenge against--or threaten-- someone who cares about that animal”. (“Animal… Statistics”) Concerns towards abusing animals have gone up in the past. Although there are not many cases on animal abuse, many have occurred. Abusers are charged with Criminal Animal Abuse and then sentenced to life in prison. Some animals that are physically abused are sometimes rescued by Animal Control, and are taken it to an animal shelter. However, many shelters have not had the space to keep the animals so the workers would have to put them down (Carol Roach). Researchers have shown that the main animals getting abused are dogs, chickens, horses, and livestock (“Animal...
Executive Summary Every 60 seconds, an animal is abused. Dogs, cats, horses, and many other types of animals are being neglected and tortured everyday, yet resulting in few and minor consequences for the perpetrators. Animal abuse is prevalent in the United States and has been an ongoing issue since the 1970's, and prior to. Society as a whole has chosen to avoid the facts and arguments about animal cruelty, because to some it is seen as acceptable and typical. It becomes much more frowned upon when people actually see the results of the cruelty, especially in the media.
Since the beginning of the modern day circus in the early 20th century millions of Americans have enjoyed the performances by both the people and the animals that perform for our entertainment. However, the audience is blinded by shock and awe of the show from what really happens behind the curtain. Animal cruelty, poor living conditions, and lack of legal regulation scars the animals and becomes very dangerous to the overall health of the animals and those who are around them. The mistreatment of animals in circuses has been occurring for far too long, and new laws need to be implemented in an effort to prevent future acts of cruelty toward these animals.
Torturing these bulls for the enjoyment of the show needs to be stopped. Bullfighting is not the only sport that forces animals to fight for their lives to please the audiences. Allowing this to continue opens the door for other cruel sports to go on in the world. “Until the mid-nineteenth century in countries such as Great Britain, a full range of animals was used in baiting contests: donkeys, tigers, bulls, horses, bears, monkeys, lions, and even boars in some rare cases”(Issues and Controversy). If this isn’t stop these sports people will believe that treating these animals with cruelty is normal. Also, if this isn't stopped more games could arise that harm animals. Eliminating bullfighting could start a trend to stop other cruel animal sports such as, dog, and cock fighting. Both of these fighting sports are a big problem in the United States today. A solution is needed to get rid of bullfighting.
The article “Animals Used as Entertainment” lists rodeos, circuses, bullfighting, horse racing, cockfighting, dog fighting, and zoos as examples of the many ways animals are used in entertainment. Circuses and zoos are the two most relevant forms of animal mistreatment. Both of these are sources of entertainment for children and adults. Zoos declare that the...