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A.F.A.R.
Wednesday August 17th, 2022 with Carolyn Harris
This week, the vegan radio show host Marlene Narrow returns to the show to discuss the necessity and power of veganism and animal liberation.

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This week, I am pleased to present my second interview with Marlene Narrow. Marlene is the host of a radio show called Vegan Nation, which is broadcast weekly on WCUW 91.3 FM in Worcester, Massachusetts. She is a long-time vegan activist and a World Peace Diet Facilitator. In this interview, Marlene outlines her approach to vegan philosophy, and we discuss why it’s important for vegans to be opposed to all forms of animal exploitation, including vivisection and pet ownership. We explore what’s wrong with promoting lab-grown “meat”, and Marlene explains why veganism and animal liberation are necessary in order to achieve freedom and peace for human beings as well as nonhuman beings. Finally, Marlene debunks some common anti-vegan arguments, and she describes the best thing about being vegan. By the way, during the interview I said that promoting lab meat is a waste of vegan advocates' time. This is true, but I actually think that promoting lab meat is worse than a waste of time, as lab meat involves animal exploitation and perpetuates speciesist attitudes in society.
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Vegan Queen V - Freedom Warrior
Interactive CKCU
hillbilly (vegetarian)
What's the MORAL difference between taking an animal's life and taking a plant's life? All life feels pain?

5:01 PM, August 17th, 2022
Carolyn Harris
Certainly, animals feel pain, as they are sentient (conscious, feeling) beings. Plants don't have pain receptors or a central nervous system, so they can't feel pain or have emotions. I think we all know intuitively that there is a big difference between killing (for example) a puppy-- or a human, for that matter-- and killing (for example) a potato plant. Animals, including the ones commonly eaten and used by humans, are sentient beings who have feelings, experience their lives, and don't want to be killed. An animal is someone, a plant is something.

5:19 PM, August 17th, 2022
Carolyn H (host)
Also, veganism opposes the killing as well as the exploitation and enslavement of sentient beings. Everyone has the right to not be owned as property or used as a resource.

7:05 PM, August 17th, 2022
hb
Thank you. I'm learning. Why do plants sceam then if not in pain? Lotta studies now....

10:05 PM, August 17th, 2022
hb
Oh, you & I are animals...not plants...so how can we know....how a plant feels...? I can't, for sure, yet...

10:10 PM, August 17th, 2022
Carolyn H (host)
I do think your question is being asked in good faith. I'm not sure what you mean with regards to studies on plants screaming. Gary Francione has written an interesting essay about plants, in case you're interested. https://www.abolitionistapproach.com/the-real-reason-for-interest-in-plant-sentience-has-nothing-to-do-with-plants/

12:25 PM, August 18th, 2022
Carolyn H (host)
As you mentioned, humans are animals too. And that's another thing to think about: if someone ran an initiative to try to reduce hunger in poor countries by serving healthy plant-based meals (e.g. rice and beans) to children in schools, I don't think anyone would criticize that initiative by asking, "But don't the rice plants and bean plants have feelings too?" We all accept that the lives of the human children are worth more than the lives of the plants that are being eaten. We need to understand that our fellow animals possess the same qualities that make human beings worthy of moral consideration: a brain, consciousness, and feelings. We don't have any evidence that plants have feelings, but we have plenty of evidence that our fellow animals do. Sandra Higgins wrote about animal sentience on her excellent website, Go Vegan World: https://goveganworld.com/why-vegan/. I hope that helps.

12:33 PM, August 18th, 2022