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Bullfighting is a form of art which ought to perdure

I apologize for my misconduct. I had written an argument, but I fell asleep after clicking review, forgetting that you have to click submit. I am just informing, I expect to be marked down. I think your right that this argument boils down too our different beliefs about the bulls mentality. For all that matters to me, is the bulls suffering, if it wasn't for that there would be no debate. Nobody can seriously dispute that its an art, nor that is has some positive cultural impacts. For it does have positive impacts on society, and cultural expression is a good thing. cultured activities shouldn't be continued at the expense of defenceless animals however. However, if the bull was a human you would disagree with it. So the problem is that you don't see the bull as important enough to be treated with the same respect as a human. You liken them to turnips for example, and say they have "non-existent rights".That is what this debate is about. For this is the attitude that I wholeheartedly disagree with. That is what this debate has been about. My opponent likens a bull to a turnip, he clearly has a very old-fashioned opinion of non-human life. For those of you who also share this attitude, I will attempt to quickly bring you up-to-date. My opponent says: "Bulls are not self-aware, by which I mean they have no concept of being alive".There are a number of things wrong about this. Firstly how can anyone know for sure? Secondly; whether they are self aware or not, it doesn't mean they don't suffer. 'Suffering' is an adaptation used by mobile creatures to avoid death and damage, its primeval. Because it is such an ancient mechanism, its probably the similar to experience for all mammals. Therefore, intellect doesn't make suffering worse. So my opponents argument that, because we are more intelligent, Bulls don't deserve rights that protect them from suffering, is founded one on a false assumption. It is wrong because being intelligent doesn't make you suffer less, and so its not right no make others suffer, on the grounds that you are more intelligent. The same reasoning legitimizes almost all cruelty in the world. My opponent is one of those people who cannot see what they are doing, as they are too caught up in their culture. They struggle to see outside of their culture, and others must suffer for there traditions. Your entire argument is only legitimatised on the grounds that bulls are 'like turnips'. If, one day, you realised that other life forms are also important and not so very different, perhaps you would disagree with bull fighting. There is nothing more to it than a lack of empathy or lack of understanding of the creatures that you use for your game. Modern societies wouldn't allow it, because they have moved on. More primitive societies take time, members of that society struggle to see outside its paradigms. Its easier from a more forward perspective to look back, than for more backwards societies to look forward. I am not more philosophically enlightened than my opponent, I am mearly part of a more enlightened culture. Thank you.