A half-ton bull named "Little Bird" has flown into Mexico's history books by leaping into a packed crowd of bullfight fans and injuring seven in a panicked frenzy. Television images from a bullfight on Sunday showed terrified spectators scattering as the 1100 pound beast jumped over the heads of stunned journalists and crashed into the most expensive seats at the vast Mexico City ring. The rampaging bull -- whose name "Pajarito," means "Little Bird" in English -- gored one woman, who is still hospitalized. Bullfighting remains a popular sport in Mexico, although it does not draw the same crowds as during its heyday in the middle of last century. Mexico City's bullring was built 60 years ago and is one of the biggest in the world, holding 48,000 spectators. Little Bird was the first bull in the ring's history to jump into the crowd. You can see a video of it at:
OK, I’ve never understood bullfights. I’ve especially never understood the running of the bulls in Spain. It must be an early form of X-Games or thrill-seeking. It probably all boils down to a showing of power and control over something bigger than we are. I don’t know. But, while I feel for the people in the crowd that they had to suffer, I wonder what kind of enjoyment is found in watching such an event? It may be just me, but I wonder and ask, “Haven’t we come a little farther as humanity”? Yes the numbers of attendees to such events are down but some people still like them!
I’m not usually a huge animal rights person and I’m not saying the bull has feelings but it reminds me of playing tag on the school playground and making someone “IT” that can never tag you (too slow, too uncoordinated). They come SO close but no, the red cape flashes in front of them and they miss. Enough of my rant. It’s an odd sport, from another culture, and another place and time in history, I know, but, maybe it’s time…
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