There is an intriguing element of violence that captivates human interest. Many times it is idolized as a means to an end. In movies the hero is exalted for killing his enemies, the soldier is glorified for dying for his country, and stories of masked murders serve as fictitious instruments to both scare and entertain. In all parts of the world, violence is a temptation that purges the darkest secrets of our imagination, and sometimes reveals the malevolent side human nature. What is it that makes toying with death entertaining? I asked this question repeatedly after I watched my first cockfight here in the Dominican Republic.
First off, my experience was not what one would imagine. I was not surrounded by bloodthirsty, toothless, sun-burned farmers out in the bateys of the Dominican Republic. Rather, I was in an air-conditioned, high-class stadium surrounded by wealthy business men and beautiful waitresses carrying around food and drinks. There were electronic scoreboards, a bar/restaurant, and a green turf where the rooster fought.
I must say, the experience was not as brutal or bloody as I thought it would be. I think it was because roosters just claw and peck at each other, while a dog fight, for example, involves growling and fierce biting. Regardless, every fight was a fight to the death, and at the end of the round there had to be a loser. It was hard to watch a rooster suddenly fall to the ground without moving as the other stood triumphantly over its disposed foe. The men that bet for the winner cheered, while the rest sat down quickly with arms crossed.
It was interesting to watch a large amount of people yelling as two roosters fought to the death down below. It appeared that humans have an obsession with death. Whether we fear it through religion, honor it through burial, or crave it through a bellicose spectacle, death becomes a part of our lives because it is something inevitable. We all just have different ways of dealing with it.
After watching my first cockfight, I realized that life is similar. We ourselves fight with death, constantly struggling to enjoy life while working hard to sustain it. However, in the end, there always has to be a winner, and there always has to be a loser.
