YOUR VIEWS

PROBLEMS between the Centro Camino and the Town hall/Neighbours seemed to have been going on forever. As long as I can remember the Centro Camino has had Public Relation problems. Even excluding the long term battles with the Ajuntament back in 2001 there was an internal dispute over a change in president when rational comments were replaced by almost religious and emotive claims of devotion, passing of mantles etc. Animal lovers can be over passionate and sometimes a little paranoid.

Your Views Wednesday claims the Palma Council is “intent on persecuting them” and that “it is a very sad fact the majority of locals are not animal lovers”. Not the best PR. It may surprise some but many Spanish think we Brits are cruel to animals, particularly dogs, which we use as substitute for babies. We remorselessly train them to sit, beg, roll over and especially not to bark. To many Spanish this is the antithesis of what a real dog is.

This insight into the Spanish psyche has taken me years and even more years of assimilation to appreciate some of their views on bull fighting which is also in the headlines this week. While not in favour I can appreciate a Spanish point of view. According to the Humane Society International 250'000 bulls are killed in the ring. If that seemingly bloated number is correct then without the Corrida these 250'000 animals would be slaughtered on reaching 6 months. Often 6 months of force feeding in confined space. Contrast this with the 4 or so years the Toros are coddled before a grim last few minutes and if you've ever been inside a slaughter house you'll know the word humane is misplaced.

Mike Lillico
Playa de Palma