Never been the least bit interested in the rodeo and I spent some time living in Calgary. It was always the midway and the exhibits for me. I think it is uneccessary, unlike meat. Ex-vegeterarian and vegan here. If you want to be healthy and vital long-term, meat is necessary. My eyes have been opened very wide on that one. I've eaten just about every way a person can eat. Meat is necessary. The rodeo isn't. But if certain standards are met. Standards that are arrived at through legislation. I choose then to understand that my own opinion should be a guiding principle in my behavior but no one else's. I don't get to tell everyone what to do. One, it is not my place and two, it's an impossible job.
This kind of protesting gets my griddle too. I see it more like bullying than protesting and often they give the worse of the worse scenarios and pass it off as common place. Purposely mislead. For example, pictures of cows with their heads poking through bars. "Oh that is awful," we say. No that is feeding time and they are free to roam about the rest of the day. Or they show pictures of something happening across the world. They use misleading propaganda to convince people to put their health in jeopardy. Believe it or not, it is a worldwide movement and has been going on for decades and the big food producers are involved. The push for plant-based is huge and has profit as its main motivator and not healthy or animal welfare. Geez, mono-cropping kills and maims like nothing else. It is the bigger problem but it is likely to stay hidden behind good intentions. Eat your meat (or fish. It's meat too) And stay sane, vital, and healthy.
Thanks for your comment. It's clear that you've put a lot of thought into these issues. I admire your point of view - you have your own stance, but aren't bogged down to the point where it's become an ideology which you want to foist upon others. If only more people were like you and viewed their own opinion as a guiding principle in personal behavior, then the world would be a more open, less divisive place!
I've never been into rodeo or bullriding either. My wife is mad keen on horse-riding and all things related to farm-life. I can take it or leave it, but I do admit that I was excited to go because it's something I'd never experienced. Now I have experienced it, I don't think I would go again. Not because of the moral issues, but rather, because it's something I only need to experience once in my life.
It must have been tough avoiding the Rodeo in Calgary, what with the Stampede. My wife and I were there last Xmas, and even though it wasn't Stampede season, every tourist-related area was still plastered with Stampede-related paraphernalia!
Ahhh the corporate spiders weave a tangled web, don't they? Keeping people unhealthy is in their interests - they can then feed us ever more low-quality food, and then ply us with pharmaceuticals when we get sick!
Interestingly no one ever seemed too worried if I did not want to go to the rodeo or take part in that side of things. I think a lot of bonafide cowboys (working cowboys) might not be all that into rodeo either. There were so many other ways to get involved and enjoy community.
I haven't met enough bona-fide working cowboys to know whether or not they are into the rodeo, but that may very well make sense. I was looking up one of the champions of the PBR Australia, and the guy is a drilling engineer.
The rancers tend to be over in the 4H club.