If you’ve ever been to even an amateur rodeo, you know 2 things: 1) it’s dangerous, especially for the humans, and 2) they are extraordinarily safety conscious for animals and humans. Rodeos are not reckless.
In the past couple of weeks, at a rodeo near my town, a rider was killed. It was literally just one of those split second things. He went off the bull in a bad location, he was stepped on, he got up and “shook it off,” and then he collapsed and died on site. Nothing could have been done to avoid that possibility.
I’m tired of hearing arguments that this is “cruel.” The knowledge that we are all animals who will eventually die is cruel. Animals (including us) preying on each other is cruel. Animals dying of disease or disability or age is cruel. It’s also nature. We all evolved in this “cruel” system of predator and prey, and cycles of life and death in its many forms. We need to stop thinking “OMG” at every risk, every animal use or performance, at being omnivores, and more. When did we become so stupid and fragile as to believe that practically everything is “cruel” to one being or another, despite having the best scientific knowledge humanity has ever possessed?
Absolutely, some things can be excessive and truly cruel. Reckless or intentional use or abuse of animals, including ourselves, qualifies. Keeping pets (within our ability to care for them), our omnivorous diet (without excess), shows (as long as there is adequate protection and health care), and agriculture (again without negligent or reckless treatment) are not among those.
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