It’s true that Wichita has a cow town and cowboys in its storied past, but today’s residents don’t really want much to do with bovine smells and sounds and rodeo yee-haws in their neighborhoods.
That’s why the Wichita City Council should approve some commonsense restrictions on staging rodeos inside the city limits when it meets today.
The new rules, drafted by city staff in response to a host of complaints about informal Sunday rodeos on North Broadway, would forbid rodeos inside the city limits except indoors in certain zoned industrial and commercial areas or outdoors on city or county land.
City leaders should avoid the kind of heavy-handed zoning oversight that would effectively outlaw any kind of fun cowboy entertainment or exhibition inside the city — such as the live bull riding to be featured at the new Club Rodeo going in at the former Graham Central Station on East Kellogg.
But they also need to set clear boundaries so rodeos don’t run roughshod over the tender sensibilities of city slickers.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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30 Comments
You know after giving this subject a great deal of thought, taking into account that it is mainly held as a part of the Hispanic community’s heritage and that it is something that even the poorest member of the Wichita community can attend. Without paying a high admission price like at other venues would charge.
I have come to the conclusion that….SCREW THOSE PRISSY CITY SLICKERS!
Why is a rodeo just a hispanic heritage..
the city has a venue for rodeos Use it.. don’t like it. then load your hoard in the ford …and go back to messico. but no, they will resort to their usual illegal activities.. like rooster fighting, dog fights and such….why dont you hold a clean up 21st & Broadway rodeo
And so Randy says, c’mon Phill, pile on with me, we have to bury those posts that reveal how I got this cush job!
And Phill, ever the eager toadie of Randy’s pals, dumped his harddrive onto the WE Blog in a bid to swamp this message out:
Randy will not answer questions about his biases and sources of income, but sure wants to play journalist real bad….see questions raised on the past consumer blog hit piece he posted for his rich relatives.
AND NOW, THIS WORD FROM RANDY’S SPONSORS: This message brought to you by Rent A Center and the new car dealers of Wichita, who ask, “Why own when you can lease from us in perpetuity???”
We hope you enjoy our bought and paid for editorial board member. It is good to have a voice running this board in godlike fashion, asking the hard questions but refusing to answer the same. Kinda like our salesmen!
What’s wrong troll?Your job at 7-11 doesn’t pay enough for you to get real credit?Waaaa!
I don’t think people object to the sounds of a rodeo. However, when you start housing large animals for any length of time, the smell and fly problem becomes a problem.
As far as I know, cattle and horses are brought in early (as much as two weeks) before the rodeo starts. Setting up an arena outside the city isn’t that tall of an order if they want a rodeo.
Rodeos are symbolic anyway, why would you want to hold one over a concrete parking lot next to a set of apartments?
I mean, take that show out to the fresh air of the country and get the feeling that the cowboy pioneers intended it to have.
The city has a ranch in the northeast corner of the county where it used to stable its horses. That would be a great place for rodeos; it would keep both the city slickers and the rodeo goers happy.
Rodeos are cruel to animals. They provide only the lowest of lowbrow entertainment.
In this case that entertainment is mainly for illegal aliens. End the rodeo and have a “roundup” of the spectators.
Rodeo is Americana. I try to take one in occasionally. It helps that PETA hates them.
Artist: Garth Brooks LyricsSong: Rodeo Lyrics
His eyes are cold and restlessHis wounds have almost healedAnd she’d give half of TexasJust to change the way he feelsShe knows his love’s in TulsaShe knows he’s gonna goWell it ain’t no woman flesh and bloodIt’s that damned old rodeoWell it’s bulls and bloodIt’s dust and mudIt’s the roar of a Sunday crowdIt’s the white in his knucklesThe gold in the buckleHe’ll win the next go ’roundIt’s boots and chapsIt’s cowboy hatsIt’s spurs and latigoIt’s the ropes and the reinsAnd the joy and the painAnd they call the thing rodeo
She does her best to hold himWhen his love comes to callBut his need for it controls himAnd her back’s against the wallAnd it’s “So long girl, I’ll see you.”When it’s time for him to goYou know the woman wants her cowboyLike he wants his rodeo
Well, it’s bulls and bloodIt’s dust and mudIt’s the roar of a Sunday crowdIt’s the white in the knucklesThe gold in the buckleHe’ll win the next go ’roundIt’s boots and chapsIt’s cowboy hatsIt’s spurs and latigoIt’s the ropes and the reinsAnd the joy and the painAnd they call the thing rodeo
It’ll drive a cowboy crazyIt’ll drive the man insaneAnd he’ll sell off everything he ownsJust to pay to play her gameAnd a broken home and some broken bonesIs all he’ll have to showFor all the years that he spent chasin’This dream they call rodeoWell, it’s bulls and bloodIt’s dust and mudIt’s the roar of a Sunday crowdIt’s the white in them knucklesThe gold in the buckleHe’ll win the next go ’roundIt’s boots and chapsIt’s cowboy hatsIt’s spurs and latigoIt’s the ropes and the reinsAnd the joy and the painAnd they call the thing rodeoIt’s the broncs and the bloodIt’s the steers and the mudAnd they call the thing rodeo
Why am I not surprised Outie?
Speaking of lowbrow.
JR, you are such a pussy.
Actually, JR, I’m in favor of anything that increases the odds of a redneck getting kicked in the head.
It doesn’t hurt them too much. They aren’t using it anyway.
Good point capn. “Fez” likely proving it.
Garth Brooks also has friends in low places.
“I mean, take that show out to the fresh air of the country and get the feeling that the cowboy pioneers intended it to have.”
JM,
Maybe I’m reading the above wrong, but there were no intentions of the cowboy pioneers as to what sort of feelings they wanted people to have.
Rodeos began as part of spring round-up. Cowboys gathering and branding calves often used it as competition to get the job done more quickly and add a little “fun” at the same time. They weren’t interested in the “feel” of it. Roping and bronc busting drew crowds, and rodeo was born.
At least call this what it is, if it weren’t MEXICANS having the rodeo would there be the same issues? That’s why the youth soccer fields for the MEXICAN leagues are located in industrial areas. Can’t have them MEXICANS celebrating by shooting their guns off in residential areas.
I agree with JR, Rodeos are cruel, I can’t imagine being entertained by watching animals being treated that way. That’s the one thing I hate about Mexico, the cock fighting, the bull fights, and the general abuse and neglect of animals you see there. You can judge the level of civility in a society by the way it’s culture treats it’s women, children, and animals.
Rodeos are cruel. I’m sure Mexicans and Spaniards who believe cockfighting and matadors think Americans are PUSSIES for thinking that’s wrong too.
The shame about all this is, it that it’s clear that the opposition to this rodeo, even for “good liberals” like JR, isn’t really about the rodeo. It’s about race.
If these were white kids, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
As to rodeos being cruel? Please. NO animal lives as well as a rodeo bull. Generally anything PETA hates is an endorsement that it’s a good thing.
“We must love animals.”I do. I love them fried, baked, broiled, BBQ’d, roasted, grilled . . . . .
I think GMC makes a good point. I think we should have a dispassionate examination of the issues – noise, possible cruelty, etc.
It is my understanding that the way they make the bulls so mean for riding is by tying their balls up tight. OUCH!
But stay away from fried – too much grease. BBQ … ummm …
Oh please!! “No animal lives as well as a rodeo bull” Why don’t you let someone tie up YOUR balls and ride you, GMC70?Animals feel pain as much as we do.
GMC?
How DARE you call me a racist. Now it is true that I have posted that illegal immigation is a problem that needs solving. I made a flip comment about “rounding illegals up” but you can cite no example of any racist comment on my part. I used one issue to comment on another. If they did a thread about ANY people having rodeos, I would comment as I did above. Rodeos are sick and mean treatment of animals.
“You can judge the level of civility in a society by the way it’s culture treats it’s women, children, and animals.”
Well said Mary.
GMC70,
“Generally anything PETA hates is an endorsement that it’s a good thing.”
Here are some examples of what GMC70 believes are “good thing[s]“.
“Enjoy” the videos… and do NOT worry about what the growth hormones, antibiotics, etc do to your health.http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming.asp
GMC70, do you “love” eating chicken more if they’re still conscious when their throats are slit? Do you “love” it even more, if they’re scalded to death in the feather removal tanks, after missing the throat cutter?
Please tell us how the drugs, and the mistreatment, pain, etc adds flavor (or what?) to the meat you “love” to ingest.
Good point, cosmos. Like my son once said, “If people had to watch animals be killed or kill the animals themselves in order to eat meat, there would be a lot more vegetarians”.
Well I remember being a little kid and having to chase the chickens after grandpa chopped their heads off. Farm kids learn pretty early that they’re food. I think too many have gone quite far off the deep end when it comes to animals- they’ve never had to partake in getting their own food so they take it for granted. There is a distinction between animals being a food supply, and torturing them for our entertainment.
political_mom,
“There is a distinction between animals being a food supply, and torturing them for our entertainment.”
Are you saying that treatment of rodeo animals is worse than what’s done at factory farms?
If so, I disagree. It’s not just killing them, it’s what’s done to them their entire life — small cages, growth hormones, genetics, etc.
Most of our animal “food supply” is no longer raised on “grandpa’s farm”.I suggest you read, and watch the videos at link I gave earlier.
all of the food on my farm was traditional, the cows had ample room to roam, the pigs had pig heaven type styes, chickens roamed free too. I don’t think we ever injected growth hormones. And yes, I would say rodeo animals are treated badly.
political_mom,
Sounds like all the animals on your (grandpa’s?) farm (many years ago?) had a pretty good life.
I don’t believe that rodeo animals are not treated badly — but I’d say that animals in factory farms are treated much worse.
Just something to think about… the next time you buy your plastic-wrapped animal “food supply” at your grocery store.
There’s a million times difference between the taste of the meat from grandpa’s farm than from the store, no doubt.
And our farm was fully operational till 3 years ago. Actually it still is, just run by new people.
That’s so true. I recently spent time in North Carolina with my son who is really into healthy eating. My kids are all vegetarian, but I’m ashamed to admit that I still eat meat. We ate at restaurants that only served free range beef, pork, chicken, and eggs. The food was so much better tasting.
No answer GMC?
I mean you made a pretty inflammatory charge!
“The shame about all this is, it that it’s clear that the opposition to this rodeo, even for “good liberals” like JR, isn’t really about the rodeo. It’s about race.”
GMC?
I explained my earlier post. I despise rodeos no matter who is having them.
I suggested that many who are attending and watching these rodeos are possibly illegal Mexican immigrants.
Did you dispute or disprove that?
Are the other posters here racists?
Are you defending the right of people to violate our laws by their presence in this country? A strange position for a man of law.
The charge of racism is a serious one. I invite you again to substantiate it or retract it.
—–
GMC70,
“Generally anything PETA hates is an endorsement that it’s a good thing.”
Please tell us which of the mistreatments of factory animals you believe is a “good thing”… and explain why.http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming.asp