this is a big deal

Leave it up to liberal and free-thinking Catalonia to finally outlaw bullfighting. So what if this may have far deeper political implications than what it seems? It's not just about animal rights, people. It's about independence and nationalism, and Catalonia has got a lot of it. Though not quite as extreme as Basque Country, this region, too, sees itself in a different light than the rest of Spain. Despite this, I sense respect among the other Spanish regions for their northern cousin, and only hope that they may follow suit in the future. The ban will take effect in 2012.