TIME TO LET THEM IN PEACE

If I were a bull, I swear I would not like to be drilled with one of these sharpened swords. I would neither like to be surronded by the thunderous crowd, which claims for my death as if I was responsible for some kind of unforgivable crime. The worst thing is that I´m sure the ones who practise bullfighting would neither.

Some German friends of mine once asked me why should I be ashamed of my native country, Spain. I answered them I was not ashamed for being Spanish at all, although I can´t really stand two main inner-national things: everything which has to do with politics (the administration network, the scandalous corruption, the educational system, public services, etc.) and some backward aspects which are still part of our contemporanean culture, standing out the “games” which not only do not respect the animal rights, but also humiliate and kill them in a not very kind manner. Even though some of these outrageous games (as the one which consisted on throwing a goat out from a bell tower) have luckily been banned, there is specially one which remains in the present: bullfighting.

But the most interesting question is: how is it possible that bullfighting, such a barbarous act, keeps still alive (with a remarkable public support) in a modern and supposedly evolved culture? From my point of view, it is something completely lacking of coherence. The medieval game of bullfighting has not changed much since its origins, but the historic eras do change! So, if a medieval game is accepted in a modern era… then we deduct the problem lies in the Spanish people´s mentality. Two years ago, a very good history teacher explained me and my classmates that Spanish mentality changes too slowly, and there are several historical examples which prove it. For instance, in 1812, when some new liberal constitutions in Cadiz tried to abolish absolutism, they firstly did not succeed, because people in Spain were used to being governed by absolutist kings. Something similar happens with bullfighting and some other sort of aspects,  which place Spain one hundred years of mentality development before other countries such as Germany, UK, or Denmark.

So, why don´t we stop disturbing bulls? Perhaps we´d better worry about other serious problems as unemployment, home eviction, cultural integration in Europe, corruption, the current problem of massive immigration... Come on, let´s think efficiently!

THE ART OF MUSIC: A FORGOTTEN FRIEND

“Music is the art of expressing those things which can´t be expressed by words”, as Beethoven or Chopin used to say. Music can be considered another way of communication, another language as well as English or German, because there is an emisor who brings a message to the receptor. However, it seems the role of music as a discipline in our contemporanean society is not that important. What is more: it is so undervalued.

I have been learning music since I was 10. I started playing the bassoon, but I also applied for piano soon. Since then, I know my life has changed. Music has imbued me with lots of values as self-encouragement, imagination, perseverance, self-improvement or patience. Even though I´ve also practised sports, painting or theatre (which also involve a huge set of values), I honestly think music has nothing to do with them… it´s something amazingly different. And it´s a pity many people are not able to judge it: you can´t really understand or appreciate music and its advantages until you study it, until you get into this world.

Luckily, I´m not the only one who thinks music discipline is important in the field of education. There are lots of studies which prove that music can supplement and ease one´s development as a human, and there are lots of people who agree and claim for making music an important part of the process of education, as in several powerful countries (Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland…) where the musical culture is essential happens.

However, Spain seems to disagree with this idea. The laws made by the Spanish Government are more and more letting music aside from the general education of the youth. Politicians consider music something minor and subordinate, something lacking of importance, a “hobbie”. For instance, music will not be compulsory at primary school henceforth, and several weekly hours will be taken out at secondary school. In my case, I wanted to study both piano and bassoon at the Superior College of Music in Murcia, but I was not allowed because there is a new absurd law which prohibits students lead two different specialities at the same time… how smart!

Sometimes, I wonder myself what is gonna happen if Spain continues this way. Not only health services, but also education and arts are being frightfully hurt by these current politicians and their backward laws. The question is: how do they expect us to fly, if they are cutting our wings?