Firecrackers and Bull Run Tradition: When money and excitement ruled safety out

Run for survival: Bull runners may experience the greatest joy and excitement

Encierro, that's what the Spanish called it. It involves acts of running and securing oneself from loose-running wild behaving bulls in a small town street of Spanish-style town house. It is wild and dangerous but many claimed that this event is full of excitement, since panicking and surviving danger are what average bull running fans crave for.

I've never been to this kind of festival and I don't think I will. Watching these people in actions really caused my heart throbbing out of my chest particularly when it involves tossing and goring of human flesh by the angry bulls. But from what I observed, although it had claimed lives and injured thousands, it is not as 'extremely dangerous' as many people think. In fact, statistics showed that since 1910 there have only been 15 fatalities compared to 182 fatalities due to auto racing crashes.

No mercy: A runner is being gored by an angry bull

Common eyesight injuries due to firecrackers in India - The Tribune

Firecracker injuries are also common in The Philippines - News Flash

The statistics of the earlier is also much lower compared to the fatalities and injuries due to homemade mercun/fireworks/firecrackers. Whatever the statistics tell, it is clear that they are not a safe game to play. Although mercuns are banned in my country (mercun is a Malay term for firecrackers), they are visible in almost every corner of the village and town. And from what I observed, it is a lot worse than 'Running of The Bull'. Mercuns are not just very noisy and disturbing, they are also damaging to our ears and our properties. Every year a number of children all around the world lost their fingers and eyesight due to mercun mishandling. Shouldn't it be a wake up call? I do blame parents, adult society and authority for this failure. I still believe the authority should be the entity that care. The question is, are we doing enough? If we aren't, that means it's money and excitement that rule! Enough said.

For me, I'm against mercun for now and forever. Mercun is nothing but just another sign of parental and religious breakdown.
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