Sir, - Well done to The Irish Times for publishing the photograph of an airborne Spanish matador (May 23rd). The Spaniard lived to tell the tale. The bull, no doubt, did not.
In the interests of objectivity, perhaps the injuries inflicted on our hero "Joselito" might be put in context. Senor Arroyo is recorded as having suffered a painful four inch deep gash to his leg for his troubles. The injuries meted out to the typical "fighting" bull, however, include the following.
Before entering the ring, vaseline is smeared into the bull's eyes to blur its vision; sometimes its horns are filed down. A picador on horseback chases the bull and cuts deeply into its neck, causing profuse bleeding, weakening the animal, and making it difficult for it to raise its head. Long banderillas are pierced into the bull's back, and it is enticed to run about the arena, so that by the time the matador enters for the "contest" the animal is already in agony, exnausted, confused and dying from blood loss. The matador makes several "passes" with his red cape (bulls are colour blind; the cape is red only to conceal the blood stains). A sword is repeatedly thrust into the bull's body until it collapses. If the bull is still alive, a dagger is stabbed into his neck. The final disgrace is for his ears and tail to be cut off and tossed to the crowd.
So, as "Joselito" nurses his wounds, perhaps he might do well to reflect on the idiocy of his situation, not to mention the base cruelty and cowardice of his so called profession. Every year, some 6,000 bulls are tortured and killed in Spain - many solely for the entertainment of tourists.
Call me a spoilsport, call me a crank; but as I looked at our hero "Joselito", being tossed into the air, one refrain kept resounding in my head. Ole, Ole. Sweet, sweet justice. - Yours, etc.,
Sydenham Road,
Dublin 4.