People also like to bury emotional truths in intellectual complexities, which is why I posted the meme. This article asks a good question in light of new evidence of animal sentience: how long can we treat the suffering of animals as an inconvenient truth? [theguardian.com]

But perhaps you would prefer to ponder the atheist philosopher Jeremy Bentham's quote: "The question is not "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but "Can they suffer?" [goodreads.com]

@verifiabliss I agree, in this context all that matters is the question "can they suffer" and then, whether we should our want to feel empathy. My point is that even though I do not know, I am pretty sure that an insect does not suffer.
In order to think about this, I think it is also necessary to define what we mean by "suffer". My definition would be that "suffer" is something that requires a certain amount of emotion and self-awareness. The mere physiological ability to feel damage and an innate reflex to avoid it is nor pain nor suffering. Even an amoeba and plants have such mechanism, but to call that suffering would be absurd, in my opinion.
So yes, what matters is if the suffer but whether or not the species is able to suffer at all depends on higher neural abilities. So most whales, despite popular beliefs, may not be able to reason or talk, but they probably are able to suffer. A shrimp, I am pretty sure, not.

But I do not intend to keep anybody from being vegan or even from disagreeing with me on the subject of suffering with this argument - if you are vegan, that is brilliant, go for it! If you disagree about the suffering, sure we can continue to argue and try to find out more. What I dislike is that some vegans tend to judge non-vegans in way that I find extremely exaggerated. No, killing an animal does not equate killing humans, And killing shrimp does not equate killing pigs. Drinking milk does not equate raping women. And the aim of avoiding meat and especially meat of mammals is one where it would be useful if we could all together achieve it even by a gradual reduction and a gradual change of habit of so many people on this globe.

As insects are classified in the animal kingdom, and honey is not considered vegan, I will continue to refuse insects as food. (And even if they weren't "animals" and it was proven they don't feel pain-- your hint is correct, I'd still find them disgusting, emotionally! )

@verifiabliss The guys in the program commented that even as recently as the 90's Sushi was considered gross. Now it is common. To me it is all about morality and the harm caused to the environment and sentient beings. My uncle was a state apiest and had some 100 hives in Md and Va. Enough honey is taken that does not destroy the bees overwintering ability and sugar water is given if the hives become stressed. We have an island apiest and I get honey directly from them. Bees are always a part of the food process and if not for their honey it is for their pollinating plants. Maybe, I'm justifying but thought has gone into that justification.